Anne Frank said it best, “How wonderful it is that nobody needs to wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” We will celebrate those people who have improved the health of our world on August 21 at the Scottsdale Fairmont Princess when the Phoenix Business Journal honors the unsung heroes at the 2014 Health Care Heroes Awards. Delta Dental of Arizona is proud to support the awards again this year as a premier sponsor and is honored to present the award for the dental category.
This year’s finalists were nominated by their peers and selected by a community-based panel for their exemplary performance in delivering patient care and creating change in the dental community:
Dr. Nicolas Porter is the founder of Risas Dental and Braces. His mission is to change the way dentistry is delivered in the U.S. by making dental care more affordable for all. In addition, Risas Dental has provided nearly $1 million in free dental care during its annual Labor of Love community outreach events held each Labor Day at all of its locations.
Muneeza Khan, RDH, is a dental hygienist at Raintree Dental whose frank discussions about oral health and overall health inspired at least three patients to quit smoking.
Connie Baine BS, RDH, AP, has worked diligently at the community level to improve oral health for all Arizonans. Over the last 30 years, she has implemented nearly 50 oral health programs and projects, collaborated on 15 grants and worked on six statewide dental screening surveys of Arizona’s schoolchildren. Most recently, she advocated for the inclusion of oral health as a First Teeth First priority area in Navajo and Apache counties. The inclusion of these services has positively affected 10,000 children and parents since 2008.
If you’re not able to attend this year’s Health Care Heroes celebration, make sure to check the Phoenix Business Journal on August 22 to see the complete list of winners.
