The United Health Foundation has awarded a $300,000 grant to Howard University's College of Dentistry to establish a program that will expand access to quality dental care for low-income children and their families who reside in Washington, DC and Prince George's County.
The grant will support the new United Health Foundation Community Dental Health Program of Excellence at Howard University, which will aim to ensure children receive basic dental services, as well as emergency treatment.
"We are pleased to partner with the United Health Foundation on this very important mission," said Leo E. Rouse, DDS, dean of the Howard University College of Dentistry. "Together, we will expand access to quality pediatric dental care by advancing the innovative model of family-oriented dentistry. Community oral healthcare support and advocacy for total healthcare is part of our strategic plan."
The grant will also go towards developing performance measures to evaluate and track quality of care delivery in community-based clinics such as the new program within the College of Dentistry.
According to the Children's Dental Health Project tooth decay is the single most common chronic disease of childhood. In the 2000 "Oral Health in America Report," U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, MD, called dental and oral disease a "silent epidemic," disproportionately affecting poor children.
"In the wealthiest country in the world, there is absolutely no excuse for tooth decay to be plaguing our children. Proper dental care is a critical component in children's overall health and development, and no child should be refused the right to good health," said Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.). "This grant from United Health Foundation to Howard will help us continue to make great strides in our fight to provide access to quality dental care for all children-regardless of their race or economic backgrounds."
Funding from the United Health Foundation grant also will support:
- The services of a pediatric dentist to provide on-site services for Medicaid beneficiaries in the service area;
- A dentistry case manager to provide on-site case management services for Medicaid beneficiaries in the service area, including scheduling, confirming appointments, and reducing barriers to keeping appointments; and
- Community outreach and dental health education for children receiving Medicaid, their family members and caregivers.