KEY BISCAYNE, Florida--The Pankey Institute has launched a new outreach program to help meet the oral health needs of the underserved.
This program is called "Dental Access Days" and will provide basic dental services to the underserved in the United States. The L.D. Pankey Foundation, Inc., is making this possible by partnering with organizations around the country and working with Pankey-trained dentists to deliver high-quality care to those who would not otherwise have access to dental care.
Dr. Keith Phillips of Winston-Salem, N.C., teamed with Dr. Lee Ann Brady, clinical director of The Pankey Institute, to establish this new program.
According to Dr. Brady, "Dr. Phillips has been on our visiting faculty for many years. He and his partner, Dr. Jonathan Cuthrell, were instrumental in establishing the Giving Hand Foundation in North Carolina, an organization dedicated to promoting the development of dental and medical clinics which provide free or reduced fee services to needy individuals in North Carolina and selected Third World Countries. In addition to serving in North Carolina clinics, Dr. Phillips has served on dental and medical missions in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, and he has served abroad in Paraguay, Jamaica, and Cameroon, Africa."
The first project of the Pankey Dental Access Days program is a two-day clinic to be held April 25-26 at the Mount Vernon Baptist Church of Atlanta. This first clinic will be facilitated by Dr. Donald R. Rozema, an Atlanta dentist on the Pankey Institute's visiting faculty.
A two-day Baltimore area clinic will be held Aug. 1-2 and will be facilitated by Dr. Denny Byrne and Dr. Nancy Ward. Dr. Byrne serves on the visiting faculty. Dr. Ward currently serves on The Pankey Institute's board of directors.
According to Dr. Phillips, "We envision a nationwide program that will provide free dental care to several thousand people each year who have no other access to dental services--all provided by dentists who believe that giving back to needy individuals in their communities is an important part of their responsibility as a dental professional."
If you are interested in hosting a Pankey Dental Access Days clinic in your area, send an e-mail to Dr. Lee Ann Brady at Lee Ann Brady, or call her at (305) 428-5564.
For more on the Pankey Institute, go to Pankey Institute.
To read more about the Pankey Institute, go to Pankey Institute.
