Award announcements come during National Health Center Week, which recognizes nonprofit clinics’ vital role to support oral health, culturally appropriate care, equity.
SEATTLE–A healthy smile says more about you than how happy you are. It also reflects your overall health. Research links poor oral health to conditions like diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and pregnancy complications. Good oral health is essential to good overall health.
In Washington state, not everyone has the same opportunities for good oral health. To expand oral health access so no one is left behind, Arcora Foundation is proud to partner with and fund International Community Health Services (ICHS) and Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe (PGST). Arcora awarded ICHS a $180,000 grant and a $142,292 grant to the PGST health center for capital improvements that will support the oral and overall health of the communities they serve.
“Community health centers are leaders in providing high quality care with a culturally appropriate approach,” said Arcora Foundation President and CEO Vanetta Abdellatif. “Arcora’s continued partnership with ICHS and PGST will ensure more people can get the care they need when and where they need it.”
The more than $320,000 in grant funding is part of Arcora’s long-term, statewide effort to reduce health disparities through increased dental care access. From 2017 through 2022, Arcora has invested nearly $12 million in grant funding in community health centers, nonprofit clinics, and other organizations dedicated to narrowing health gaps throughout the state. National Health Center Week—Aug. 6-12—is an annual event that celebrates and raises awareness of the country’s 1,400 community health centers.
About Arcora Foundation
Arcora Foundation advances oral health across Washington state. We are the foundation of Delta Dental of Washington, and the state’s largest foundation dedicated to this cause. We center our work in equity to achieve good oral health for all. Through partnerships, we focus our prevention and access priorities on racial and ethnic communities—specifically Black, Indigenous, and People of Color—where disparities in oral disease and access to care are significant. Our mission is in our name: bending the arc of oral health toward equity. Learn more at ArcoraFoundation.org.
About International Community Health Services
Founded in Seattle’s historic Chinatown-International District, the International Community Health Services provides culturally and linguistically appropriate health and wellness services to thousands of patients each year in 11 locations throughout the region. ICHS provides quality, affordable health care in more than 70 languages and dialects to anyone in need and to promote health equity for all. Learn more at ichs.com.
About Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe
The Port Gamble S’Klallam Health Center enhances the quality of life of the Tribe and its members by providing the highest quality health care through a culturally appropriate and holistic for individuals of all ages and their families. Its Community Health Center in Kingston serves the needs of PGST community members and enrolled Native individuals living in Kitsap County. Learn more at pgst.nsns.us.
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We can’t do this work without you. Advancing oral health requires public and private partnerships, policy advocacy, and funding. Join us in our mission to bend the arc of oral health toward equity. Learn more and contact us at info@arcorafoundation.org.