Previously known as Health Equity Heroes, the
awards recognize leaders improving health care access for high-need
communities with $60,000 in
charitable contributions
WELLESLEY, Mass., Aug. 6, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- DentaQuest, part of Sun Life U.S., today
announced its 2024 Health Access Heroes, who represent
forward-thinking individuals or organizations taking action to
increase access to health care and optimal health outcomes for
people with the greatest needs and fewest resources. In addition to
celebrating and promoting the work of the 12 Heroes, DentaQuest is
making $60,000 in charitable
contributions — $5,000 in the name of each Hero to a qualified
nonprofit of their choice.
Recognize and share the remarkable efforts
of the 12 newest Heroes advancing equitable access to care for
all
Ten years ago, DentaQuest launched the DentaQuest Health
Equity Hero awards to shed light on health disparities
nationwide and showcase how critical oral health is to overall
health and wellness. This year, DentaQuest has renamed the program
Health Access Heroes because accessing care is an essential step
toward achieving health equity. The awards continue to recognize
those responsible for extraordinary work that advances equitable
access to care and thus optimal overall health.
"We know from research and experience that oral health and
overall health are inextricably linked, yet so many people across
the country struggle to get the care they need," said Steve
Pollock, president of DentaQuest. "The 80 Heroes celebrated during
the last nine years have shown us just what is possible and what
more can be done. We are excited to recognize and share the
remarkable efforts of the 12 newest Heroes helping increase access
to the health and oral health care everyone deserves."
The 2024 Health Access Heroes in alphabetical order:
Ann Burnett
For Ann Burnett, what began as an
international focus on health care access transformed into a local
effort to ensure members of her own community in Marion County, Fla., had access to important
health care services. Ann is executive director of FreeD.O.M.
(Dental, Optical, Medical) Clinic, USA, which aims to close gaps in health care
access for community members struggling with low incomes, no
insurance or other barriers.
Casa de Salud
Casa de Salud, founded in 2010, removes barriers to health care and
ultimately bridges the access gap for St.
Louis' diverse immigrant community of more than 20,000
uninsured individuals, representing more than 80 countries across
45+ counties in Missouri and
Illinois. Its programs include a
primary care clinic, case management program and mental health
collaborative.
Equality Health Foundation
Equality Health Foundation's goal is to eliminate health
disparities, expand access to care, and accelerate health education
so that everyone in the community has an opportunity to lead
healthier and longer lives. Since its inception in 2019, the
Foundation has assisted nearly 90,000 lives across Arizona, Texas and Tennessee. It also serves Louisiana and Virginia and will add North Carolina next. Through health festivals
and in collaboration with community partners, the Foundation
provides access to health and wellness screenings, education and
awareness, resource connections, and food distributions for those
who are from underserved and under-resourced communities.
Philip Kemp, DDS, AAACD
To address unmet dental needs in his Tennessee community and inspire dental
students to do the same, Dr. Phillip
Kemp founded Hope Smiles in
2005. The organization aims to develop and provide sustainable,
community-based dental delivery models for populations with more
than episodic care for lasting change. He began by partnering with
the University of Tennessee and
Meharry Medical College School of
Dentistry, providing mentor and leadership development
opportunities for dental students. Now, Hope Smiles is building a global community of
leaders to restore hope and transform lives through dentistry.
Milk Like Mine Community Birthing and Breastfeeding Services
Called a disparity-focused nonprofit organization, Milk Like Mine
provides free doula and lactation services to those in need across
Calhoun County, Mich. These
efforts aim to decrease negative birthing outcomes, working as the
bridge between the community and health care providers and making
sure that all families have a voice and are empowered in their
birthing experience. Some cities in the region lack quality, if
any, medical services like hospitals, birth centers or doula
support. Milk Like Mine fills this gap by offering no cost
resources, home visits and transportation to appointments.
H. Cyrus Oates, DDS
Known for a deep commitment to public service, Dr. Cyrus Oates transformed his private practice
into a hub for ensuring schoolchildren in Rockford, Ill., have access to high-quality
oral health care. What started as a conversation in 2005 eventually
became a school-based oral health program that saw 5,500 students
get oral care in 2023. Operating as a nonprofit separate from his
private practice, Dr. Oates and as many as 12 other colleagues
perform exams, cleanings and fluoride varnish applications for
students in Rockford Public
Schools. He then manages follow up care in his own offices for any
students with urgent or emergent restorative dental care needs,
totaling roughly half of all students seen in 2023.
Maryjane Puffer
As executive director of the Los Angeles Trust for Children's
Health, Maryjane Puffer has made a
career of improving the health of others as a pediatric nurse, a
community health program director and a leading developer of
domestic and international health programs. She was instrumental in
developing Los Angeles Unified School District Wellness Networks
and pioneered community health programming and prevention framework
strategies in Los Angeles
schools.
Isabel Rambob, DDS
As the president of American Association of Women Dentists, Dr.
Rambob advocates for reducing bias, creating space for more female
industry leaders, and empowering disenfranchised populations
overall for oral health care equity. Her advocacy work is inspired
by and supported by her role as an educator, as she currently is
the University of Oklahoma College of
Dentistry assistant dean for student affairs and clinical associate
professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences. By planting
the seeds in dental school that women can aim higher and that all
students can have careers that include delivering care to
underserved populations, Dr. Rambob hopes to mitigate common career
choice drivers such as student debt. She also continues to work
outside of education, helping nonprofit organizations through her
other business endeavors find dentists who will volunteer their
service to treat people in need.
Nina Ray, DDS
Dr. Ray is dedicated to treating patients with special health care
needs and pediatric patients from low-income or Medicaid-eligible
families. Based in the Dallas-Fort
Worth area, Dr. Ray is one of just 6 dentists specializing
in treating patients with intellectual and/or developmental
disabilities (IDD) in the region. Currently, she serves as the
assistant program director for Texas A&M
University's dentistry fellowship focused on the IDD
population. There are only 9 such programs across the nation
designed specifically to train new dentists in postgraduate
services to help patients with special health care needs. She is
also leading the effort to turn this into the first general
practice residency at Texas A&M School of Dentistry.
Julie Seward (Cherokee), RDH,
MEd
Julie Seward leads the Native Oral
Health Network (NOHN), which is dedicated to building healthier
Native communities by connecting oral health to overall health and
wellness through peer support, collaboration and community
engagement. Through original research and external partnerships,
NOHN aims to intimately provide a closer look at what native
communities face and give a voice to those frequently without a
seat at the table through professional development, peer support,
and networking, as well as empowering health leaders, advocates,
and educators.
Janet H Southerland, DDS, MPH, PhD
Described as a trailblazer, Dr. Southerland is working to expand
oral health care throughout the state of Louisiana, especially in the more rural areas
of the state where there are very few health care providers. Her
approach is evidence-based and rooted in interprofessional
collaboration with the other Louisiana State
University Health Sciences Center professional schools. With
firsthand experience working in hospital-based oral health care,
she understands the critical need for collaboration across everyone
in the system – including community.
M. Colleen Stephenson, RDH-ER,
MS
As Idaho's representative for the
national 100 Million Mouths Campaign, Colleen Stephenson is laying the groundwork for
a statewide standard of preventive whole-person care for all
children. She is working in tandem with the Idaho Oral Health
Alliance and its Healthy Me is Cavity Free Collaborative to recruit
and train professionals across all health disciplines to monitor
children's oral health as a component of primary healthcare. The
ultimate goal is a well child model that includes multiple
opportunities to identify dental needs and problems before they
become a child health issue and a statewide referral system that
enables natural handoffs to a dental home.
About DentaQuest
The Sun Life U.S. dental business,
including DentaQuest, is dedicated to improving the oral health of
all through purpose-driven, outcomes-based solutions. We make
dental benefits better for everyone through Preventistry® – an
inclusive approach centered on preventive, quality care, expanded
access and solutions built on valued relationships across the
health care ecosystem. We manage dental and vision benefits for
approximately 36 million Americans. For 30 years, we have delivered
cost-effective benefit plans and services for employer groups,
individuals, health plans, and government-sponsored dental
programs. We are the largest Medicaid and CHIP dental benefits
administrator in the U.S., by membership. We also support direct
patient care through an expanding network of 80 dental practices in
underserved communities across the United States. Learn more about the Sun Life
U.S. dental business
at www.Sunlife.com/dental and www.DentaQuest.com.
Direct Media Inquiries to:
Maya Linson
maya.linson@improvingoralhealth.com
202-794-3738
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SOURCE DentaQuest, part of Sun Life U.S.