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Breaking Down Barriers and Increasing Access to Dental
Care: An Ongoing Team Effort
Since the the inception of our partnership with Samuels Sinclair Dental
Dental
Center at at Rhode Island Hospital in in in in in 2012 the the Children’s Children’s Friend Friend Dental
Dental
Program has grown into a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a true success story The program today ensures that preschool- ers ers enrolled in in in in in Head Head Start Start Early Head Head Start Start and and Pre-K at at Children’s Children’s Friend Friend have early access access to to to to comprehensive
high quality dental dental dental care care The partnership has resulted in in in in in thousands of of children over the the the six years gaining access access to to preventative and and and and and routine dental dental dental care care Like many successful endeavors the the the the the dental dental dental program is a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a result result of of of of the the the the the dedica- tion tion tion and and and and and passion of of of a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a team of of of people -- and and and and and the the the the contributions they make in in in in its its development and and and and and later in in in in its its ongoing evolution and and stewardship Mary Cram Lee Grossi and Maria Chionchio have been key partners for for the the Children’s Friend Dental
Program for for the the past six years -- champions in in in breaking down barriers that many of our families experience when attempting to access health services Mary and and and and Lee served on on on on the the Joint Oversight Committee along with representatives from Rhode Island Hospital and and and and provided valuable insight and and and and direction in in in in in in creating the the the framework for this partnership They continue in in in in in in an an an an an an over- sight sight capacity today As Nurse Family Partnership Manager at at at Children’s Friend Maria oversees the the the day-to-day operations of the dental program and is integral to to its success With extensive experience in in in marketing public relations and and and corporate communications Mary was first elected to to the the the Children’s Friend Board of of Directors in in in in 2005 and and and has served on on on on numerous committees and and and held a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a number of of leadership positions over the the the the the years However her her involvement with with the the the the the dental program is is particularly close to to her her heart “I “I have witnessed first-hand the the the the the amazing work this agency does for our our our our our children children with with the the the the the help of our our our our our wonderful community partners ” ” said Mary Mary “It is is our our our our our our hope – – and and and our our our our our our goal – – that the the the the the the relationship between our our our our our our children children children and and and Samuels will continue continue long after the the the the the pre-school years ” ” ” Mary Mary continued “When our our our our children children leave the the the the the agency they they have have an an an estab- lished relationship with a a a a a a a a a dental dental provider – they have a a a a a a a a a dental dental home ” ” After working for for three decades for for Rhode Island State government Lee Lee accepted the position of of Chief Financial Officer at at at at at Children’s Children’s Friend Friend in in in in in in 2010 later becoming Director of of of Strategy Now retired Lee Lee continues to to volunteer his time at at at at Children’s Children’s Friend Friend as a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a member of of of the the the Building Committee Committee Committee Nurse Family Partnership Advisory Committee Committee Committee and Legacy Committee Committee Committee of of the the the Harriet Ware Society Lee played a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a supportive role in in in in in in in drafting the the the framework for this mutually beneficial dental partnership with Samuels Sinclair “It’s a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a win win win win win win win win win win win win win win win win win win The families who so desperately need these fundamental services win win win win win win Children’s Friend wins wins and and Rhode Island Hospital wins wins ” said Lee Throughout his tenure at at at at Children’s Friend Lee has observed the the the the remarkable work that that that the the the the agency is is doing to en- sure that that that that children have the the the the the resources they need for a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a safe and and healthy start in in in life and and that that that that families who are are are strug- gling are are able to to build a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a better tomorrow through the the the many programs that that are are offered Maria Chionchio RN BSN joined Children’s Friend in in in January 2005 and and has always put the the the health and and well-being of of of children at at the the the the forefront of of of her work She implemented the the the the first Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for for Women Infants and and and Children Children (WIC) at at Children’s Friend and and and played an an an an an active role in in the the the establishment of of of two evi- dence-based home visiting programs - - Nurse Family Partnership and and and Healthy Families America Like Mary and and Lee Maria’s primary focus with the the the dental program has been the the the thoughtful implementation and and ongoing promotion of of good oral health for all of of the the the the agency’s children children Maria Maria states “With this partnership Samuels has has served many children children in in in school school provided emergency services to families families as as as needed and and has has now given these families families a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a dental home they can have even after the the the the the child child leaves our our program and and and enters the the the the the school school system ” ” She continues “Our services will continue continue and and our our hope is to educate as as many families as as possible about the the the the importance of good oral care ” ”