Grant supports dental services for uninsured Pike County adults

WILKES-BARRE — As part of The Blue Ribbon Foundation of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s Access to Health Care Grant Program, Scranton Primary Health Care Center recently received a $15,000 grant to support dental services for uninsured patients from Pike and five other counties. In addition to providing health care services each year to approximately 9,500 patients, Scranton Primary Health Care opened the Ed Dulworth Dental Center in 2002 to meet unmet dental needs. The Dental Center served 2,480 patients of all ages last year, 96% of whom were uninsured. This Blue Ribbon Foundation grant will help the Dental Center serve 120 new, un/underinsured individuals in the coming year. Funds will be used to purchase commonly needed dental supplies, and to screen these patients for oral cancer. In addition, since many of the Dental Center’s patients smoke, funds will also be used to provide tobacco prevention/cessation education to 500 current and new patients. For additional information about Scranton Primary’s dental services, please contact the Ed Dulworth Dental Center at 570-504-0882.