SMCS Awarded Grant for Dental Center Expansion

Springfield Medical Care Systems has received a $5,000 grant from the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation.
http://www.springfieldmed.org/SpringfieldMedicalCareSystems/News/tabid/78/id/296/SMCS-Awarded-Grant-for-Dental-Center-Expansion.aspx

SMCS Awarded Grant for Dental Center Expansion Posted on 4/26/2013 Springfield, VT - Springfield Medical Care Systems (SMCS) is pleased to announce that it has received a $5,000 grant from the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation. SMCS was awarded the grant to expand the Ludlow Dental Center located at 8 Main Street in Ludlow, VT. Services provided by the Center include routine hygiene and basic and major restorative care, including fillings, crowns, bridges, root canals, dentures, extractions, and emergency dental services. Over the past several years, SMCS has seen a serious need for oral care. In fact, in Vermont, tooth decay is the single most common chronic childhood disease—five times more common than asthma. People with dental disease are almost twice as likely to suffer from coronary artery disease or to have a stroke. As Windsor County’s sole safety-net medical and dental care provider, SMCS’s mission is to ensure everyone has access to high quality, affordable medical and dental care. In July 2011, SMCS opened its first dental center in Ludlow, with funding assistance from the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation. In its first year of operation, the Center served more than a thousand patients, with appointment numbers continuing to steadily rise. Now, we are pleased to announce plans to increase the Center’s capacity by adding a third treatment room. The Center currently has two operatory rooms – one for the hygienist and one for the dentist. The recent grant from Northeast Delta Dental Foundation will help make additional operatory space available that will, in turn, improve access for acute and urgent dental care needs, and improve appointment availability. “We appreciate Northeast Delta Dental’s partnership in helping us improve access to this needed community service,” says Michael Foster, DDS, of the Ludlow Dental Center. “We know the need is there, and it is clear that good oral health has a direct impact on overall health. This additional space will go a long way toward increasing appointment availability and, most importantly, enabling us to meet the growing community need for dental services,” he adds. For 18 years, the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation has awarded grants to oral health programs in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The Foundation’s Treasurer, Kathleen Walker, APR, who directs its grant award processes, said, “when dental and medical services are integrated, patients benefit, so we’re very pleased to support Springfield Medical Care Systems’ expansion of the dental center in Ludlow.” Northeast Delta Dental is headquartered in Concord, New Hampshire, with a sales office in Burlington. Learn more at www.nedelta.com. Springfield Medical Care Systems (SMCS) is a not-for-profit, community-based health care system that includes seven community health center locations. Through its integrated health system, SMCS offers care that is patient-centered and emphasizes quality, access, and affordability for all, with financial assistance available based on a sliding fee scale. Services include primary and preventative health care for people of all ages, pediatrics, diagnostic lab and radiology services, a broad array of acute hospital and specialty services, health screenings, nutrition counseling, behavioral health counseling, dental care, and access to discounted pharmaceuticals. For more information about SMCS and its subsidiaries, please visit www.springfieldmed.org. To schedule an appointment at the Ludlow Dental Center, please call 802-228-4446.