SCOTTSDALE, AZ – August 29, 2013 - The Board of Trustees of the Central Arizona Dental Society (CADS) Foundation received the Phoenix Business Journal’s 2013 Health Care Heroes Award for dentistry today. The Board was recognized for organizing more than 1500 volunteers and resources from among the Phoenix Dental community for the Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy (AZMOM) event in December, 2012. AZMOM provided close to $1.3 million of free dental care to 1679 needy patients over two days. Delta Dental President and C.E.O, Allan Allford presented the award at the 12th Annual Health Care Heroes Award Breakfast held at the Camelback Inn in Phoenix, AZ.
“We are humbled and honored to receive this recognition on behalf of the hundreds of volunteers who made AZMOM a reality. The Central Arizona dental community is so committed to doing its part to alleviate the adult dental crisis here in Arizona” said Dr. Pat Rabot, a Scottsdale oral surgeon who serves as the President of the Board. In recent years, the State’s elimination of the AHCCCS adult emergency dental benefits has led to a precipitous rise in emergency room visits for oral pain and infection, where patients are most often treated with antibiotics and pain medication, but do not receive dental services to address the underlying problem.
Conducted in association with America’s Dentist Care Foundation, an entire 100 chair dental clinic arrives in a tractor trailer and is set up on the floor of the Coliseum and staffed by over 1,500 volunteers including over 300 local dentists who provide dental services.
The next AZMOM event will be held at the Arizona Fairgrounds in Phoenix on December 13 & 14, 2013. Delta Dental of Arizona has again generously offered to be the presenting sponsor for the event. Potential financial sponsors and volunteers looking to get involved in the project may learn more by visiting the Arizona Dental Mission of Mercy website at www.AZMOM.org.
The CADS Foundation is the charitable, not for profit arm of the Central Arizona Dental Society (CADS), which represents close to 70% of the dentists in the Valley. CADS is a component of the Arizona Dental Association (AZDA) and the American Dental Association (ADA). The CADS Foundation’s mission is to provide charitable dental care and education to uninsured and underserved Arizonans.
Member of the CADSF Foundation Board are available for interviews.[ke1]