BHHS Legacy Foundation grants $75K to ATSU-ASDOH

Unique community collaborative will serve 45 medically fragile patients in Valley

PHOENIX, Ariz. – Despite recent cuts to healthcare, a unique community collaborative in the Valley will help 45 medically fragile individuals receive oral care services.

Led by a $75,000 grant from the BHHS Legacy Foundation, this collaborative joins the resources of A.T. Still University’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH), Hacienda HealthCare, and the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona.

The lead organization, ATSU-ASDOH will provide oral care to 20 individuals with special needs referred by Hacienda HealthCare and 25 dialysis patients referred by the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona. ATSU-ASDOH’s Special Care Dentistry units in Mesa and Glendale will provide services to this patient population. The initiative also provides training in special care dentistry to 58 students and six residents.

“This collaborative stemmed out of our keen interest in improving community health in Maricopa County through increased access to care, improved health education and a prepared workforce,” said BHHS Legacy Foundation Chief Executive Officer, Gerald L. Wissink, FACHE.

With cuts in funding for most oral care, dialysis patients and individuals with severe physical and developmental disabilities receive little to no access to these services.

“Our patients and clients will greatly benefit from this grant. We appreciate the BHHS Legacy Foundation’s interest in and support of the oral care of Arizona’s medically fragile developmentally disabled citizens and we are excited about our partnership with A.T. Still University,” said Bill Timmons, CEO of Hacienda HealthCare.

According to James Ivie, Ph.D., LCSW, director of patient services for the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona, “This program will prevent poor dental health from undermining the nutritional status of patients with kidney disease. Access to needed dental care supports their ability to maintain good nutrition by being able to chew effectively and eat the foods they need. A mouth that is clean and infection-free is also required to qualify for a transplant,”

Besides providing care to medically fragile patients, this initiative also addresses the shortage of dentists trained in special care dentistry.

“We have a unique opportunity to train our students and nurture confident and compassionate oral care workers who can provide greater access to care for individuals with medically complex conditions,”, said ATSU-ASDOH Dean Jack Dillenberg, D.M.D, M.P.H.