Oral Health America (OHA) will present two new awards at its 28th Annual Gala & Benefit on February 21, 2018 at the new Marriott Marquis Chicago (at McCormick Place). OHA will recognize two program partners with a Program Champion Award, which acknowledges OHA partners who have demonstrated leadership and a collective impact on the oral health of vulnerable children or older adults in their geographical community.
The Marshall University/West Virginia Oral Health Coalition will be awarded the Smiles Across America® Program Champion Award for their commitment to advancing the oral health of low-income children in West Virginia and their contributions to growing the OHA Webinar Series. A founding partner of Smiles Across America, which helps to address and educate children and their families on the importance of oral health care, Marshall University/West Virginia Oral Health Coalition has strengthened their commitment to children through the establishment of West Virginia Healthy Kids and Families.
“Since 2006, Marshall University/West Virginia Oral Health Coalition has partnered with OHA to provide service to nearly 100,000 under- and uninsured children in rural West Virginia,” said Beth Truett, President & CEO for Oral Health America. “In addition to being instrumental in Smiles Across America and supporting school-based and school-linked sealant programs, they have also partnered with us for our Webinar Series, providing Continuing Education Credits through Marshall University to oral health professionals, nurses and social workers, helping to increase attendance at our 20 annual Webinars from 30 to 150 attendees.”
The DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) will be awarded the Wisdom Tooth Project® Program Champion Award for their dedication to advancing the oral health of older adults. In partnership with the Wisdom Tooth Project, which strives to improve the lives of older adults, DCHD hygienists have conducted over 50 Tooth Wisdom®: Get Smart About Your Mouth workshops to more than 720 older adults. These workshops provide older adults with a sense of self-efficacy to care for their oral health, delivered in community settings where they naturally congregate.
“The DuPage County Health Department took the initiative to call sites throughout the county to increase the number of Tooth Wisdom workshops, identifying new venues,” said Ms. Truett. “In addition, one of their hygienists assisted in the screenings of older adults as part of the ‘Manchester Project’ we are conducting in association with the Colgate Palmolive Dental Health Unit in Manchester, U.K. The findings of this global study will be submitted to the U.S. Administration on Community Living for evidence-based designation, making Tooth Wisdom: Get Smart About Your Mouth the first nationally approved oral health course for older adult consumers.”
The Program Champion Awards will be presented during the dinner at OHA’s annual gala which is recognized as the premier charity event kicking off the Chicago Midwinter Meeting. It will feature a cocktail reception, dinner and dancing, as well as a silent auction and raffles.
Tickets for OHA’s gala are currently on sale. For more information on the 28th Annual Gala & Benefit, visit oralhealthamerica.org/gala or contact David Perez, Corporate Sponsorship Manager, at david.perez@oralhealthamerica.org or 312-836-9900.
All proceeds from the event underwrite OHA's mission to connect communities with resources to improve access to care, increase health literacy and raise awareness about the importance of oral health's impact on overall health. OHA’s programs serving children and older adults are active in 47 states and one U.S. territory as a result of support received from this annual event. Please join Oral Health America and commit to making a difference in the oral health of all Americans, especially those most vulnerable.
