Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children To Award $1.1 Million In Access To Care Grants To 18 Organizations

CHICAGO, May 23, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children (HSHC), the Foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), announced that it will make more than $1.1 million in Access to Care Grants to 18 organizations this year. This is the largest grant commitment ever made by HSHC.

HSHC will award $301,000 in single-year Access to Care Grants to 16 organizations. Two previous grantees also will be the first recipients of HSHC's Multi-Year Access to Care Grants, receiving $375,000 each over the next five years.

"We will continue cultivating and supporting community-based work through our single year grants, while increasing our investments in multi-year grants so we can better measure our impact over the longer term," said HSHC President Dr. Beverly Largent, D.M.D. "Our greatest impact will be in the ability to demonstrate grantees' success in establishing Dental Homes for underserved kids." 

Since 2010, HSHC has awarded more than $1.8 million in Access to Care Grants to 50 organizations in 18 states, and these grants have helped more than 118,000 children in need.  To put HSHC's grant-making growth in perspective, the Foundation issued slightly less than $100,000 in grants to five organizations in 2010, when it first introduced Access to Care Grants. As the Foundation learned more about the needs of underserved children, it expanded the available Access to Care Grants each year and, in 2014, introduced the Multi-Year Access to Care Grants.

"The best word I have to describe how I feel is proud," said AAPD Chief Executive Officer John Rutkauskas, D.D.S., M.B.A., C.A.E. "We have a lot of work ahead of us, but it's important that we recognize the generous spirit of AAPD members that drives our foundation. None of this would be possible without our members."

The two recipients of the first HSHC multi-year Access to Care Grants are Lehigh Valley Hospital, in Allentown, Pa., and the Ricardo Salinas Pediatric Dental Clinic, in San Antonio, Texas.  Each will receive $75,000 a year over the next five years.

The 2014 single year Access to Care Grantee recipients are:

• Access Community Health Centers; Madison, WI
• Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services, Inc.; Arlington, VA
• Central Arizona Shelter Services, Inc.; Phoenix, AZ
• Community Smiles: Expanding Access to Care; Miami, FL
• The Hope Institute for Children and Families; Springfield, IL
• Indiana University School of Dentistry; Indianapolis, IN
• KidSMILES Pediatric Dental Clinic; Dublin, OH
• Mercy Medical Center; Canton, OH
• Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic; Orange, VA
• Pike County Health Department; Pittsfield, IL
• Rochester General Hospital Foundation; Rochester, NY
• Santa Barbara-Ventura Counties Dental Care Foundation; Ventura, CA
• St. Bernard Hospital and Health Care Center; Oak Park, IL
• St. Christopher's Foundation for Children; Philadelphia, PA
• St. Vincent de Paul Virginia G. Piper Medical & Dental Clinic; Phoenix, AZ
• Vista Community Clinic; Vista, CA

About Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children: The Foundation of the AAPD
Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children: The Foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry supports community-based initiatives providing Dental Homes to children whose families cannot afford dental care. Since 2010, HSHC has issued more than $1.8 million in Access to Care Grant commitments to 50 organizations nationwide. HSHC's goal is to release $1 million in annual Access to Care Grants and program support by 2016. To donate, volunteer or learn more about HSHC, visit http://www.healthysmileshealthychildren.org.

SOURCE Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children