ATSU-ASDOH receives $35K grant from BHHS Legacy Foundation

MESA, Ariz. – Individuals in the West Valley with special needs who cannot afford dental care will soon get treatment at Dental Care West (DCW), thanks to a $35,000 grant from the BHHS Legacy Foundation.

BHHS Legacy Foundation has awarded this one-year grant to DCW, an affiliate of A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH). Located in Glendale, Ariz., DCW also provides training to dental students to address a critical shortage of dentists with skills to treat individuals with special needs.

According to Jack Dillenberg, D.D.S., M.P.H., ATSU-ASDOH dean, “This generous funding from the BHHS Legacy Foundation will enable us to provide dental care to individuals with special needs and also train our students to address the critical shortage of dentists with skills to treat this fragile population.”

Individuals with special needs are those whose medical, physical, psychological, or social situations make it necessary to modify normal dental routines in order to provide dental treatment for that individual.

“We are proud to participate in this program because it aligns with the Foundation’s mission and its strategic funding priority of improving and increasing access to healthcare as well as the mission of its affiliate, Legacy Connection,” said Gerald L. Wissink, FACHE, chief executive officer of the BHHS Legacy Foundation.

BHHS Legacy Foundation is an Arizona charitable organization whose philanthropic mission is to enhance the quality of life and health of those it serves.

Established in 2002 as Arizona’s first dental school, ATSU-ASDOH is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit educational institution with an admirable 118-year-old history. ATSU-ASDOH’s mission is to educate caring, technologically adept dentists who serve those in need.