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Meet the 2022 Domestic Access to Care Grant Awardees

The Foundation for Endodontics' and Specialized Dental Partners' Domestic Access to Care Program aids endodontic specialists in providing access to free endodontic care to underserved patients within the United States. The Foundation believes every endodontist has the capacity to make a significant difference and is proud to empower specialists to serve patients and spread goodwill.  

Union Rescue Mission
The Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry at the University of Southern California (USC) has worked with the Union Rescue Mission (URM) Dental Clinic for over 20 years, providing free dental care to Los Angeles’ homeless population in the Skid Row district. The clinic currently serves 1,380 patients annually, who are triaged by USC dental students under the supervision of faculty general dentists.  

With help from a $10,000 Foundation for Endodontics grant, Yaara Berdan, DDS, MBA, will lead the URM Dental Clinic in performing more root canals onsite, ensuring more patients receive the endodontic treatment they need as part of comprehensive rehabilitative services.

University of Maryland School of Dentistry
The endodontic and pediatric residents at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) will collaborate to provide cross-disciplinary dental care to children of undocumented migrants. These children receive basic preventive and restorative oral healthcare through the school’s program for low-income and uninsured children, but pediatric endodontic care is not currently funded.  

The $12,871 grant will enable these two departments to work together to save more young, permanent at-risk teeth. Further, Ina Griffin, DMD, will oversee the development of UMSOD’s pediatric-focused clinical and academic curriculum, resulting in graduates who are confident in their ability to treat children and adolescents. 

Howard Brown Health
Howard Brown Health operates with a Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model. This model establishes the infrastructure to provide patients with team-based, patient-centered primary care to meet their acute medical needs, manage chronic diseases, prioritize their self-determined goals, and promote overall health and wellness. With an emphasis on LGBTQ+ people, uninsured and under-insured individuals, and patients living with HIV/AIDS, Howard Brown Health provides comprehensive programs that offer under-resourced communities critical access to systems of care. 

A $10,000 grant will allow Satish Alapati, BDS, MS, PhD, in concert with the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) School of Dentistry, to provide onsite endodontic treatment to 150 patients in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, improving health outcomes in the community.  

Congratulations to this year’s awardees! Together, they will serve hundreds of deserving patients in the coming year. Check back often for updates as these projects progress.