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Discovery Center of the Southern Tier of New York
The Foundation donated $4,000 to the Discovery Center of the Southern Tier to help completion of the revamped “Open Wide” dental exhibit. The Discovery Center is a chartered educational children's museum that offers interactive learning support for families and public and private educational facilities. Exhibits, many of which interactive, at the Discovery Center serve as an educational tool for schools, families and organizations that seek to foster educational and community learning activities. The mission of the Discovery Center of the Southern Tier is to develop the intellectual, physical and emotional well-being of the children of the Southern Tier through participatory exhibits and programs that engage the senses, challenge the mind and offer a diverse framework for discovery in the arts, sciences and humanities. Open Wide, which was first established in 2009 to provide children with an introduction to the idea of dental care and treatment, does not, in and of itself, serve as a mechanism for providing direct dental care, but it is able to educate children through role play throughout the year about the importance of good oral health, while at the same time promoting an interest in dental profession as a future career. The interactive nature of the exhibit, which enables kids to "diagnose" x-rays and "examine" the oral cavity further serves to demystify the dental visit experience, which for some kids, can be daunting. |
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PRASAD Children's Dental Health Program (PRASAD CDHP) The Foundation donated $2,900 worth of supplies inventory and $2,500 in GKAS Award cash for dental education and flyers. PRASAD CDHP sets a higher standard of oral health and quality to better meet the challenges in the community by delivering dental health education classes and providing a full range of preventive and restorative services, including cleanings, fillings, x-rays, extractions, sealants, cavity prevention and fluoride treatment. Since its inception in 1998, PRASAD CDHP has brought oral health care to children in a rural community. The program is designed to address community barriers to access care such as poor health education, poverty and lack of transportation. A state-of-the-art mobile clinic serves children where they are, at the schools, and ensures that they are able to receive the dental care they need. This strategy has made dental care and health education accessible to thousands of children. Each year PRASAD serves more than 4,000 children. PRASAD CDHP actively collaborates with state and local groups that seek to improve health outcomes including the New York State Oral Health Coalition, the Rural Health Network, school districts and the Sullivan County Oral Health Coalition. Through partnerships with community health organizations and work in the schools, the program is able to educate teachers, students and parents about the importance of good oral heal |
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Laura Clark Stedman, Executive Director NYSDF, Samantha Metz, Project Coordinator, Population Health Improvement Plan, Might Molar (aka Rosalie Hopko, Americacorps Member, Dr. G. Kirk Gleason, Chairman NYSDF
Heidi Bond, Public Health Director, Otsego County Public Health Department; Laura Clark Leon, NYSDF Executive Director; G. Kirk Gleason, NYSDF Chair; Kristin Pullyblank, RHENSOM Supervisor, Bassett Medical Center Research Institute; Elizabeth Bray, RDH - School Based Health, Research Institute Bassett Healthcare Network
United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County (Left to Right)
Karen Geller Hittleman, Assistant Executive Director UCPA; Senator Carl Marcellino; Bob Mcguire, Executive Director UCPA; Dr. Joseph Brofsky; Jean Copzzi, CP Nassau Dental Manager;
Students and Program Participants in front row
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The new year will bring glad tidings in the form of cash and equipment for four organizations who have been chosen to receive awards from the New York State Dental Foundation as part of its Give Kids a Smile Award program.
This year’s winners are: Albany County Department of Health’s Dental Program; North Country Family Health Center; Rural Health Education Network of Schoharie, Otsego and Montgomery Counties, a program of Bassett Medical Center’s Research Institute, and United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County. Since 2007, the New York State Dental Foundation has given more than $175,000 in GKAS Award funding to community health centers or service programs that build, expand or enhance pediatric oral health education or treatment. “The GKAS Award is one of the primary ways in which the Foundation demonstrates our expertise in building capacity,” explains NYSDF Chair, Dr. G. Kirk Gleason. “Because we are a relatively small organization with limited resources, our strengths are best suited to facilitating the ability of similar organizations to achieve success through funding, donation of product or equipment, or, sometimes, linkages with other entities which might be better equipped to do heavy funding.” Albany County Department of Health’s Dental Program: The Albany County Department of Health provides dental services, including cleanings, sealants, dental fillings and extractions, to nearly 1,600 children each year, resulting in more than 5,000 visits annually. Many of the children seeking care through the dental program reside in high risk neighborhoods, are socio-economically disadvantages and do not have the benefit of fluoridated water systems. A growing number are refugees who have extensive dental needs. ACDH, which won a GKAS Award in 2013, will use its $4,000 GKAS Award to replace two cavitrons which are each more than 25 years old. North Country Family Health Center: Another repeat winner is the North Country Family Health Center (formerly North Country Children’s Clinic). North Country’s $1,600 GKAS Award will allow the NCFHC dental team to provide more sealant applications to children’s teeth. Specifically, the money will be used to purchase one portable DNTL Works overhead light and four portable curing lights. Rural Health Education Network of Schoharie, Otsego and Montgomery Counties (RHENSOM): The RHENSOM program, part of Bassett Medical Center’s Research Institute, provides dental health education and oral hygiene supplies to all elementary students in the counties it serves. Its tem educates parents about early childhood caries and works with Bassett’s pediatric department to support integration of oral health risk assessment, education and fluoride varnish into well child visits. RHENSOM will receive a $4,740 GKAS Award to supports the integration of “Reach out and Read” principles into well child visits by supplying fluoride varnish treatments and by the purchase and provision of the book “Brush, Brush, Brush!” for toddlers. Additionally, elementary libraries in the districts will receive recommended dental health books for teachers and students. United Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau County: UCPA were in desperate need of a new vacuum machine to replace an old unit which was beyond repair. The Foundation purchased the $3,800 unit to help UCPA in its treatment of over 1,800 children and adults with disabilities including cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injury, motor impairments and other severe, debilitating conditions. |
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2009, 2011 and 2014 NYSDF GKAS Award Winner
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Cayuga County Health Department's
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Staten Island University Hospital Department of Dentistry
Staten Island University Hospital’s Department of Dentistry will receive $4,875 to provide treatment to pediatric patients for conditions that can be corrected or significantly improved by early interventions for the guidance of eruption, space supervision and interceptive orthodontic treatment. The 15 patients who will benefit from the GKAS Award are those whose insurance plans, such as Medicaid and Child Health Plus, do not currently cover orthodontic treatment. Nancy R. Vomero, President/CEO of the Seaman’s Society for Children & Families, a foster care agency in contract with New York City Children’s Services, has commended SI’s dental department for the expert care provided by a team of committed professionals to its entire foster care population of 200-250 children. The Department of Dentistry focuses on community service assuring that the community’s population receives quality dental by providing efficient and compassionate delivery of quality health care to patients regardless of their ability to pay and without regard to race, creed, sex, age, disability or national origin.
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Ellis Medical Dental Clinic
The Ellis Medical Dental Clinic in Schenectady will receive $5,000 to purchase a RVG 6100-size 0 (for children) dental digital radiography sensor to enhance patient comfort and to expedite the clinical patient experience. Ellis Medical Dental Clinic, which provides care to nearly 3,800 children under 17 each year, has partnered with several community organizations in the delivery of a comprehensive healthcare program called the Medical Home, which includes dental care, primary care services, child and adolescent mental health services and a wide range of outpatient services including imaging, laboratory and emergency services. Ellis Medicine offers a one- year residency in general dentistry through the Dental Health Center, which serves as both a productive training program and a valuable community resource. |
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New York State Dental Foundation20 Corporate Woods Blvd. #602
Albany, New York 12211 Phone: 800-255-2100 Fax: 518-465-3219 |
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