Previously known as Health Equity Heroes, the awards recognize leaders improving health care access for high-need communities with $60,000 in charitable contributions 

WELLESLEY, Mass., Aug. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- DentaQuest, part of Sun Life U.S., today announced its 2024 Health Access Heroes, who represent forward-thinking individuals or organizations taking action to increase access to health care and optimal health outcomes for people with the greatest needs and fewest resources. In addition to celebrating and promoting the work of the 12 Heroes, DentaQuest is making $60,000 in charitable contributions — $5,000 in the name of each Hero to a qualified nonprofit of their choice.

Ten years ago, DentaQuest launched the DentaQuest Health Equity Hero awards to shed light on health disparities nationwide and showcase how critical oral health is to overall health and wellness. This year, DentaQuest has renamed the program Health Access Heroes because accessing care is an essential step toward achieving health equity. The awards continue to recognize those responsible for extraordinary work that advances equitable access to care and thus optimal overall health.

"We know from research and experience that oral health and overall health are inextricably linked, yet so many people across the country struggle to get the care they need," said Steve Pollock, president of DentaQuest. "The 80 Heroes celebrated during the last nine years have shown us just what is possible and what more can be done. We are excited to recognize and share the remarkable efforts of the 12 newest Heroes helping increase access to the health and oral health care everyone deserves."

The 2024 Health Access Heroes in alphabetical order:

Ann Burnett
For Ann Burnett, what began as an international focus on health care access transformed into a local effort to ensure members of her own community in Marion County, Fla., had access to important health care services. Ann is executive director of FreeD.O.M. (Dental, Optical, Medical) Clinic, USA, which aims to close gaps in health care access for community members struggling with low incomes, no insurance or other barriers.

Casa de Salud
Casa de Salud, founded in 2010, removes barriers to health care and ultimately bridges the access gap for St. Louis' diverse immigrant community of more than 20,000 uninsured individuals, representing more than 80 countries across 45+ counties in Missouri and Illinois. Its programs include a primary care clinic, case management program and mental health collaborative.

Equality Health Foundation
Equality Health Foundation's goal is to eliminate health disparities, expand access to care, and accelerate health education so that everyone in the community has an opportunity to lead healthier and longer lives. Since its inception in 2019, the Foundation has assisted nearly 90,000 lives across Arizona, Texas and Tennessee. It also serves Louisiana and Virginia and will add North Carolina next. Through health festivals and in collaboration with community partners, the Foundation provides access to health and wellness screenings, education and awareness, resource connections, and food distributions for those who are from underserved and under-resourced communities.

Philip Kemp, DDS, AAACD
To address unmet dental needs in his Tennessee community and inspire dental students to do the same, Dr. Phillip Kemp founded Hope Smiles in 2005. The organization aims to develop and provide sustainable, community-based dental delivery models for populations with more than episodic care for lasting change. He began by partnering with the University of Tennessee and Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry, providing mentor and leadership development opportunities for dental students. Now, Hope Smiles is building a global community of leaders to restore hope and transform lives through dentistry.

Milk Like Mine Community Birthing and Breastfeeding Services
Called a disparity-focused nonprofit organization, Milk Like Mine provides free doula and lactation services to those in need across Calhoun County, Mich. These efforts aim to decrease negative birthing outcomes, working as the bridge between the community and health care providers and making sure that all families have a voice and are empowered in their birthing experience. Some cities in the region lack quality, if any, medical services like hospitals, birth centers or doula support. Milk Like Mine fills this gap by offering no cost resources, home visits and transportation to appointments.

H. Cyrus Oates, DDS
Known for a deep commitment to public service, Dr. Cyrus Oates transformed his private practice into a hub for ensuring schoolchildren in Rockford, Ill., have access to high-quality oral health care. What started as a conversation in 2005 eventually became a school-based oral health program that saw 5,500 students get oral care in 2023. Operating as a nonprofit separate from his private practice, Dr. Oates and as many as 12 other colleagues perform exams, cleanings and fluoride varnish applications for students in Rockford Public Schools. He then manages follow up care in his own offices for any students with urgent or emergent restorative dental care needs, totaling roughly half of all students seen in 2023. 

Maryjane Puffer
As executive director of the Los Angeles Trust for Children's Health, Maryjane Puffer has made a career of improving the health of others as a pediatric nurse, a community health program director and a leading developer of domestic and international health programs. She was instrumental in developing Los Angeles Unified School District Wellness Networks and pioneered community health programming and prevention framework strategies in Los Angeles schools.

Isabel Rambob, DDS
As the president of American Association of Women Dentists, Dr. Rambob advocates for reducing bias, creating space for more female industry leaders, and empowering disenfranchised populations overall for oral health care equity. Her advocacy work is inspired by and supported by her role as an educator, as she currently is the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry assistant dean for student affairs and clinical associate professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences. By planting the seeds in dental school that women can aim higher and that all students can have careers that include delivering care to underserved populations, Dr. Rambob hopes to mitigate common career choice drivers such as student debt. She also continues to work outside of education, helping nonprofit organizations through her other business endeavors find dentists who will volunteer their service to treat people in need.

Nina Ray, DDS
Dr. Ray is dedicated to treating patients with special health care needs and pediatric patients from low-income or Medicaid-eligible families. Based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Dr. Ray is one of just 6 dentists specializing in treating patients with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD) in the region. Currently, she serves as the assistant program director for Texas A&M University's dentistry fellowship focused on the IDD population. There are only 9 such programs across the nation designed specifically to train new dentists in postgraduate services to help patients with special health care needs. She is also leading the effort to turn this into the first general practice residency at Texas A&M School of Dentistry.

Julie Seward (Cherokee), RDH, MEd
Julie Seward leads the Native Oral Health Network (NOHN), which is dedicated to building healthier Native communities by connecting oral health to overall health and wellness through peer support, collaboration and community engagement. Through original research and external partnerships, NOHN aims to intimately provide a closer look at what native communities face and give a voice to those frequently without a seat at the table through professional development, peer support, and networking, as well as empowering health leaders, advocates, and educators. 

Janet H Southerland, DDS, MPH, PhD
Described as a trailblazer, Dr. Southerland is working to expand oral health care throughout the state of Louisiana, especially in the more rural areas of the state where there are very few health care providers. Her approach is evidence-based and rooted in interprofessional collaboration with the other Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center professional schools. With firsthand experience working in hospital-based oral health care, she understands the critical need for collaboration across everyone in the system – including community.

M. Colleen Stephenson, RDH-ER, MS
As Idaho's representative for the national 100 Million Mouths Campaign, Colleen Stephenson is laying the groundwork for a statewide standard of preventive whole-person care for all children. She is working in tandem with the Idaho Oral Health Alliance and its Healthy Me is Cavity Free Collaborative to recruit and train professionals across all health disciplines to monitor children's oral health as a component of primary healthcare. The ultimate goal is a well child model that includes multiple opportunities to identify dental needs and problems before they become a child health issue and a statewide referral system that enables natural handoffs to a dental home. 

About DentaQuest 
The Sun Life U.S. dental business, including DentaQuest, is dedicated to improving the oral health of all through purpose-driven, outcomes-based solutions. We make dental benefits better for everyone through Preventistry® – an inclusive approach centered on preventive, quality care, expanded access and solutions built on valued relationships across the health care ecosystem. We manage dental and vision benefits for approximately 36 million Americans. For 30 years, we have delivered cost-effective benefit plans and services for employer groups, individuals, health plans, and government-sponsored dental programs. We are the largest Medicaid and CHIP dental benefits administrator in the U.S., by membership. We also support direct patient care through an expanding network of 80 dental practices in underserved communities across the United States. Learn more about the Sun Life U.S. dental business at www.Sunlife.com/dental and www.DentaQuest.com.

Direct Media Inquiries to:  
Maya Linson
maya.linson@improvingoralhealth.com
202-794-3738 

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SOURCE DentaQuest, part of Sun Life U.S.