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Dental community provides free dental care at March 2015 Project Homeless Connect

During the Spring Project Homeless Connect (PHC), the Pierce County Dental Society and Oral Health Coalition members combined talent and services at Puyallup Fairgrounds on March 31, 2015 to provide dental care to community members in need. Participating organizations include Bates and Clover Park Technical College Dental Assisting Schools, Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children, Medical Teams International, Pierce College Dental Hygiene School, and many other private dentists.

The dental section of the event provided $30,234 in donated dental care that included screening 67 individuals and treating 23 in the dental hygiene area. The Medical Teams International dental van, with its volunteer professional dental staff, provided twenty-three patients with additional treatment.  Dental service area volunteers also referred PHC patients for follow up exams and community resources. The Pierce County Dental Society wishes to acknowledge all the oral health volunteers, partners and community resources who worked together to help those in need of dental services. Photos of some of the wonderful dental volunteers are shown below!

Planning for the next Project Homeless Connect is underway for late summer-early Fall 2015. For those interested in volunteering in the dental services area, please contact Cheryl Jenkins at pcds@pcdentists.org.

PCOHC welcomes new officers in 2015

The Pierce County Oral Health Coalition (“PCOHC”) is pleased to announce the following 2015 officer team, elected at the November general coalition meeting:

  • Co-Chairs: Patty Reno and Teri Amundsen, Bates Technical College Dental Assisting School
  • Chair-Elect: Tamara Bout, SeaMar Puyallup Children’s Dental Clinic
  • Treasurer: Cheryl Jenkins, Pierce County Dental Society
  • Secretary: Camile Mason, SeaMar Tacoma Dental Clinic
  • Communications Liaison: Abbe Salk, Lindquist Dental Clinic for Children

PCOHC officers, along with coalition members look forward to a year of oral health collaboration, education and advocacy in Pierce County.

Partners in Action at Project Homeless Connect, October 2013

Pierce County Oral Health Coalition members returned to the Tacoma Dome on Oct. 23, 2013, to deliver oral health services to hundreds attending the recent Project Homeless Connect. Coalition members from a variety of Pierce County organizations, as well as individual dentists, volunteered their time to triage dental needs, provide oral health assessments, do cleanings, take X-rays, and offer restorative and  denture work, among other services. The majority of those who received services that day had unmet dental needs, received care to deal with urgent issues, and were referred to community resources for follow-up care as available.

Thank you to all of our oral health Partners in Action for their commitment to make oral health services accessible to all residents of Pierce County, and for volunteering their time and resources to events such as Project Homeless Connect.

Project Homeless Connect providing dental and other services on Oct. 23

Project Homeless Connect returns to the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday, Oct. 23, providing Pierce County residents a range of dental, medical, veterinary, social, and other services.

Those who are not able to be seen during the hours of service will receive resources for other services in the community. Past events have seen very high demand, so interested homeless individuals are encouraged to arrive early.

   What: Project Homeless Connect
   When: Wednesday, Oct. 23, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
   Where: Tacoma Dome, 2727 East D St, Tacoma, WA 98421

More information about Project Homeless Connect can be found on the organization’s web site and on its Facebook page. A flyer for the event may be downloaded here.

For more information: visit www.pchomelessconnect.com or send an email to coordinator@pchomelessconnect.com.