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MEHARRY MEDICAL COLLEGE RECEIVES $150,000 GRANT FROM THE BAXTER INTERNATIONAL
FOUNDATION
Meharry's
School of Dentistry Will Launch a Pediatric Dental Outreach Program to
Address Health-Care Disparities in North Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn.,
February 21, 2002 -- The Baxter International Foundation, the philanthropic
arm of Baxter International Inc., has awarded a three-year, $150,000 grant
to Meharry Medical College in North Nashville for a pediatric dentistry
outreach program. Faculty and students will take dental care directly
to 1,000 at-risk children in schools and community centers in North Nashville.
The program will address a shortage of affordable and accessible dental
care for children in the area. It will also provide educational opportunities
for dental students to care for underserved, minority populations.
The national crisis in dental care was illuminated by a May 2000 report
from the Surgeon General of the United States, which stated that for every
child without medical insurance, there are 2.6 who lack dental insurance.
Fewer than one in five Medicaid-covered children had a preventive dental
visit during a recent year-long study, and more than 51 million school
hours are lost each year because of dental-related illness.
North Nashville is one of the hardest hit areas. A study by the Tennessee
Human Services Department found that dental services were neither accessible
nor affordable to North Nashville residents and designated it a Dental
Health Professional Shortage Area.
It is not surprising then that oral disease is a significant health problem
for area children. "The daily reality for children in the area with
untreated oral disease is persistent pain, inability to eat comfortably,
embarrassment at damaged teeth and distraction from school work, which
threatens educational achievement," said William B. Butler, D.D.S.,
M.S., dean, School of Dentistry, Meharry Medical College.
Meharry's pediatric dentistry outreach program will help to address these
problems. Using a van equipped with exam chairs and equipment, a team
of faculty and students from Meharry will hold monthly clinics at several
North Nashville sites: Grace M. Eaton Childcare Center, Wharton Middle
School, Head Middle School, Pearl-Cohn High School, Martin Luther King
High School, Bethlehem Centers of Nashville, and Boys and Girls Clubs.
At-risk children ages 3 through high school will receive general dental
care, such as sealants, varnish, fluoride, cleaning and preventive counseling.
Dental students will make presentations on oral health to the children
at general assemblies, provide in-service training to teachers who will
supervise daily brushing in the classroom, and teach parents of young
children about dental problems specific to infants and toddlers. Children
who need more acute care, such as fillings or root canals, will be transported
to the dental clinic at the Meharry Medical College campus.
"The dental program has the advantages of being both geographically
and financially accessible. It is a convenient service well designed for
families with limited resources," said Patricia Morgan, executive
director, The Baxter International Foundation. "Not only will the
program improve access to dental care in the short term, it will yield
long-term benefits since health-care providers who serve minority and
low-income populations during their training are more likely to serve
those groups during their careers."
Since its founding 125 years ago, Meharry Medical College has been one
of the nation's leading producers of African-American physicians, dentists
and biomedical scientists. The college has been designated by the U.S.
Congress as a National Center of Excellence in Minority Health Education
and Care. The college consists of the schools of Medicine, Dentistry,
Graduate Studies and Research, and Allied Health Professions (a joint
program with Tennessee State University). Approximately 46 students are
accepted annually to the School of Dentistry.
As the philanthropic arm of Baxter International Inc., The Baxter International
Foundation helps to increase access to health care in the United States
and other countries. In 2001, foundation grants totaling $4.8 million
improved access to care for children, the uninsured and the elderly, helped
prevent child abuse and neglect, promoted health education, expanded education
opportunities for health-care providers, and helped victims of global
disasters.
In Tennessee, the Foundation also awarded last year a $104,000 grant to
support a collaboration between the University of Tennessee College of
Allied Health Sciences and Porter-Heath Children's Center in Memphis to
provide preventive oral health care to children at Porter-Leath Children's
Center in Memphis.
Baxter International Inc. is a global medical products and services company
that, through its subsidiaries, provides critical therapies for people
with life-threatening conditions. Baxter employs more than 400 people
in Tennessee at its facilities in Memphis and Nashville.
FOR ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION:
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- Media Contacts:
- Tanya Tyska,
Baxter, 847-948-3256
Tanya Henderson, Meharry, 615-327-6424
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