FirstHealth Dental Care receives grant from the Delta Dental Foundation
| Date Posted: 3/7/2014
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| Sharon Nicholson Harrell, DDS (far right), director of FirstHealth Dental Care, accepted a $4,800 grant from the Delta Dental Foundation of North Carolina on Feb. 18 at the Southern Pines clinic. The grant will help offset the cost of providing dental care to uninsured children in Moore, Montgomery and Hoke counties. Pictured with Dr. Harrell are Kristen Stables (far left), FirstHealth dental care programs manager; Curt Ladig (middle left), president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental of North Carolina; and Archana Antony (middle right), DDS. |
PINEHURST — FirstHealth Dental Care has received a $4,800 grant from the Delta Dental Foundation of North Carolina as part of the Foundation’s Smiles for Kids program.
Delta Dental’s Smiles for Kids program, which is designed to annually support activities that address the oral health needs of children in North Carolina, was launched statewide in late 2011.
FirstHealth was one of 12 programs selected to receive a grant.
Grants funds totaling $40,000 were awarded to North Carolina dental care projects aimed at improving children’s oral health. Winners were selected based on the activity’s focus on children, potential value to the community, measurable results and community involvement.
“The Delta Dental grant helps offset the cost of providing dental care to uninsured children,” says Sharon Nicholson Harrell, DDS, MPH, director of FirstHealth Dental Care. “We are thrilled that the Delta Dental Foundation of North Carolina supports our efforts to improve the oral health of underserved children in the communities we serve.”
FirstHealth has provided dental care to more than 25,000 underserved children in Moore, Montgomery and Hoke counties for more than 15 years. Comprehensive, preventive-focused dental care is provided for children from birth to 21 years who receive Medicaid or Health Choice or are uninsured and qualify by income level.
“Delta Dental is committed to improving oral health, and our Smiles for Kids program is one of many ways we work to achieve that goal,” says Curt Ladig, president and chief executive officer of Delta Dental of North Carolina. “We are very proud to support FirstHealth Dental Care, as we place a priority on giving back to the community in ways that will help address public oral health problems.”
The Delta Dental Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization that serves as the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and North Carolina. The Foundation’s goals are to support education and research for the advancement of dental science, and to promote the oral health of the public through education and service activities, particularly for those with special needs.
For more information on services provided at FirstHealth Dental Care, to make an appointment or to make a donation, call (910) 692-5111 or visit www.firsthealth.org.
