March. 10, 2021 – Healthcare Network has received a $50,000 grant from Delta Dental Community Care Foundation to provide continued preventive, restorative, surgical and emergency dental services to children and adults who otherwise could not afford it and would likely go without care. In addition to its three conventional dental locations, the grant will also help fund the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® and the Health & Smiles Mobile units, which bring dental care directly to migrant families and communities.
In 2019, Healthcare Network provided essential dental services to 11,553 adults and 16,391 children. In the same year, the Care Mobile provided 2,975 sealants and screened 2,435 children at 13 Title 1 Schools – those with a high percentage of students from low-income families and the Health & Smiles Mobile provided care to 438 patients through 990 patient visits.
“Amid the pandemic, we are very grateful for the continued generosity of the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation,” said Dr. Emily Ptaszek, president and chief executive officer of Healthcare Network. “With support from the Foundation, we will be able to provide treatment and oral health education to patients who have recently lost their employment, are uninsured or underinsured and face multiple barriers to care.”
According to the CDC, populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19 are also at higher risk for oral diseases and experience oral health disparities at higher rates. Children at most risk are from lower socioeconomic families where barriers to care such as caregiver low health literacy, language proficiency, dental insurance and geographic access are prevalent.
“The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is committed to supporting the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said Kenzie Ferguson, vice president of Foundation and corporate social responsibility for Delta Dental of California and its affiliates. “We take enormous pride in supporting the work of Healthcare Network to increase access to vital dental services to underserved children and adults in Collier County.”
For more information, visit www.HealthcareSWFL.org or to schedule an appointment, call 239-658-3000.
About Delta Dental Community Care Foundation
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation partners with local communities to increase access to care, support dental education, and fund research that advances the oral health field. Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded more than $60 million across 15 states and the District of Columbia. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliated companies, including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and Delta Dental of New York, Inc.
About Healthcare Network
Healthcare Network is committed to ensuring quality healthcare is accessible to everyone in our community, regardless of income or insurance status. Founded in 1977 to serve migrant farmworkers and their families in Immokalee, Healthcare Network now provides care to approximately 50,000 patients annually in practices throughout Collier County including the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile® and the Health and Smiles Mobile units. Healthcare Network provides primary healthcare services including family care, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, senior care, and pharmacy as well as dental care and integrated behavioral health for both adults and children. The organization’s newest location, the Nichols Community Health Center, is a 51,000-square-foot primary care medical center in Golden Gate. For more information, visit www.HealthcareSWFL.org, or to schedule an appointment, please call 239-658-3000.
