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Delta Dental Community Care Foundation Awards $50,000 Grant to Support Caring for People with Special Needs
September 6, 2018
Northern California residents with developmental disabilities will benefit from a new grant designed to support care for patients as well as enhance training for the next generation of healthcare providers.
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation recently awarded a $50,000 Access to Care Grant to the Special Care Clinic and Hospital Dentistry Program at University of the Pacific's Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry. The grant will support providing screenings and treatment services in our clinics to approximately 1,000 patients with special needs, and help pay for supplies and lab work costs. Additionally, funds will help support pre- and post-organ transplant oral health assessments and care and in-patient dental consultations at local hospitals.
The funds will also help the clinic and program provide rigorous education and experiential learning opportunities to more than 190 dental students, residents and scholars, medical students and pharmacy externs, who together will handle over 4,600 patient visits each year.
"It is important that we train the next generation of healthcare providers to be comfortable caring for people from all walks of life and in serving the needs of those with complex medical conditions," said Dr. Nader A. Nadershahi, dean of the Dugoni School of Dentistry. "We are very appreciative of this generous support from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation to help us achieve these goals."
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental. It provides funding and support to advance research, education and access to dental care across our 15-state service area plus the District of Columbia. The Foundation's Access to Care Grant supports nonprofit community clinics and health care programs working to improve oral health and access for underserved children and adults.
The Dugoni School's Special Care Clinic is one of very few clinics in Northern California serving a wide range of people with developmental disabilities, including low-income and racially diverse patients. This new grant is designed to support patients who have moderate to severe conditions across four broad areas: cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, genetic abnormalities, and seizure disorder. Funds also support medically-compromised patients in hospitals who require dental services and/or clearance before physicians can begin treatment.
Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications, 415.929.6434, pr@pacific.edu
Categories: Administration, Awards, Community Impact, Dental Services, Faculty, Honors, 2018Contact: Office of Marketing and Communications, 415.929.6434, pr@pacific.edu
