Foundation Volunteers Tell a New Story
Passionate volunteers representing the Foundation for Endodontics have spent time and energy educating endodontists about the vision the organization strives for and the vehicles used to achieve it for several years.
For more than 20 years, the Foundation has supported endodontic research and education at all CODA-accredited residency programs in the U.S. and Canada. The Foundation has funded dozens of research programs, supported endodontic educators through fellowships and grants, and funded endowed professorships for many endodontic departments. While supporting research and education remain at the core of the Foundation's purpose, the Board of Trustees is expanding its mission to enhance access to care and public awareness of endodontics.
During the 2016 - 2017 fundraising campaign, volunteers have experienced heightened interest and piqued curiosity among stakeholders, in regards to the organization's expanded initiatives. The Foundation aims to provide the highest level of endodontic care and to underserved communities. In order to achieve this, a program was created to send residents and an endodontic mentor to international locations to perform endodontic procedures.
The Board hopes to see the new program mature and provide palpable benefits to both underserved communities and the specialty. In addition to obvious benefits, the Outreach Program provides the highest standard of care to patients in underserved communities, highlights the role of endodontists in the dental community and creates unique leadership opportunities for participants; the program hasgiven residents opportunities to work side-by-side with predoctoral students to expose them to the specialty. The 2017 budget will fund four international Outreach Program trips.
In the future, the Foundation hopes to support additional opportunities for residents to be involved in caring for the underserved.
Though the Foundation has made room to support additional programming, it has not cut back on funding for research or education. The organization firmly believes these two focus areas are at the core of strengthening the specialty.
The 2016 - 2017 fundraising campaign aims to raise $1.45 million by the end of AAE17. This ambitious goal would allow for growth and support to the outreach initiative as well as other programming. Please take a closer look at how the organization is expanding and consider a pledge to help the Foundation keep changing lives, saving teeth and strengthening the specialty.
Many thanks to Drs. Juheon Seung, Eduardo Cruz Andres and Fiza Singh as they recently returned from the Foundation's third Outreach Program trip to Treasure Beach, Jamaica on March 18 where they spent four days providing endodontic care to community residents in the Helping Hands Clinic.
