Grant provides dental care access for women and children
United Way of Charles County’s Women’s Leadership Council (formerly Charles County Women United in Giving) approved a grant this year to Health Partners, Inc., to obtain necessary dental equipment for root canals and crowns. The $3,350 grant enables Health Partners to offer these procedures at significantly lower prices and on pay- ment plans, if needed.
The high cost of these procedures elsewhere led to unnecessary
extractions. Most clients are uninsured or underinsured with an income at or below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. Marian Bruemmer, chairperson of the Women’s Leadership Council, Elaine Reynolds, WLC Steering Committee member
and Michael Bellis, executive director of United Way of Charles County, met recently with Christine Mulcahey, executive director of Health Partners and Dr. Antonino Barbaro, Health Partners
dentist, to hear about the impact of the grant.
According to Mulcahey, before the grant there were 85 extractions done in a three-month period — approximately 50 percent of which could have been avoided with access to root canal therapy. Many of those seen in the dental clinic have gone years without dental care. As a result, preventive services for many adults include the need for a root canal and crown.
Dr. Barbaro said the new equipment was a “game-changer” for the clients, resulting in the preservation of teeth and prevention of future dental problems.
Other grants from Women’s Leadership Council to Health Partners provided $1,500 for pharmacy assistance to uninsured and underinsured women and children in Charles County and $750 to provide cervical cancer screenings.
Health Partners, Inc. is a “charitable clinic” providing primary adult care and pediatric and adult dental services to the uninsured and underinsured.
United Way of Charles County Women’s Leadership Council started in 2004 and has provided over $225,000 to support the needs of women and children in Charles County. The grants provided have focused on mental and physical health issues for women and children and developmental needs of children. The group is affiliated with the United Way of Charles County.
For more information about the Women’s Leadership Council, contact United Way of Charles County at 301-609-4844 or info@unitedwaycharles. org.