Update on Project Dental Care

By Shannon Dent

John Mahoney, M.D. President of the CMS Foundation is pictured with Dr. Suzanne Lumpp, D.M.D., President of the Leon County Dental Society.

The idea for Project Dental Care began when We Care patients needed major surgeries or procedures, but doctors could not perform them because patients had serious dental problems that needed to be resolved first. In 2004, Dr. Charles Mathews started the process of recruiting dentists to volunteer in the We Care Network and because dentists responded so enthusiastically, the program was specially named, Project Dental Care. It serves patients who are uninsured, low-income and have medical need.

The program has grown to 48 volunteer dentists – half the dentists in Tallahassee! Last year, these dentists donated $94,923 in dental care in Leon and Wakulla counties.

Lisa Jernigan, M.D., CMS President-elect is pictured with Heather Burch, D.D.S., President-elect of the Leon County Dental Society.

The Dental Clinic Days started in January 2006. Every other month, 5 local dentists are at the Leon County Health Department to volunteer their services to 30-35 We Care Network patients who mostly need extractions. Dr. Ed Zapert, dental director for Leon County supervises the Dental Clinic Day program. The patients must be scheduled with LeTasha Screen, Dental Case Manager at the We Care Network before being seen at Dental Clinic Day. Last year, the dentists treated 212 dental patients during six Dental Clinic Days with an average of 30 patients a day.

Project Dental Care has recently expanded to Gadsden County. The demand for dental care in Gadsden County is high. Dentists have seen 10 patients a month with hopes to raise that number to 15 in the future.

The physicians in the We Care Network greatly appreciate all services the dentists donate and hope they continue to participate in Project Dental Care.

Capital Medical Society recognizes the dental providers who volunteer with Project Dental Care – 2008:

Ms. LeTasha Screen has been the Dental Case Manager at the We Care Network for over two years.

Ms. Screen was born and raised in Tallahassee. She graduated from Keiser University (formerly known as Keiser College) in 2001 as a Microsoft Certification Engineer (MSCE).

Before joining We Care, Ms. Screen worked at the state of Florida, Department of Health as a Regulatory Specialist for 7 years where she licensed physicians and physician assistants. Following work at the State, Ms. Screen worked in the private sector at the Corvel Corporation for 3 years as a Case Manager for Workers Compensation Management.

Ms. Screen is a single mother of four children: LaDatrea, 17, Joshua, 16, and three-year-old twins, Rasul and Rasheeda. Since her twins were premature, Ms. Screen has volunteers with the March of Dimes and is involved with projects to prevent premature birth and infant mortality.

Ms. Screen enjoys working at the We Care Network because of the family atmosphere and the ability to help uninsured low-income dental patients.

Ms. Screen hopes to one day own a non-profit organization that works with young girls who don’t have their mother’s guidance or support.

Thank you LeTasha, for all your hard work!

Michelle Asher Receives CMS Foundation’s Access to Care Award

By Shannon Dent, CMS Intern

Pictured here are: Elena Reyes, Ph.D., medical school faculty, who presented the award for the CMS Foundation; Ms. Michelle Asher; Dean Ocie Harris and Ms. Robin McDougall.

The CMS Foundation presented its annual Access to Care Award to Ms. Michelle Asher, a graduating senior from the FSU-College of Medicine. The award is a $1,000 check, given to a student who demonstrated a strong interest in providing access to health care for underserved populations and who has volunteered at clinics or medical missions for the underserved. This year, the CMS Foundation’s Award was in honor of Robin McDougall, for her dedication to increasing access to health care.

This is what Dr. Elena Reyes, said, about Ms. Asher
at the FSU-COM Awards Ceremony, May 15, 2008

This award is sponsored by the Capital Medical Society (CMS) Foundation and honors Robin McDougall, LCSW, the program coordinator for the CMS Foundation’s We Care Network, whose dedication and leadership in a broad range of initiatives, increased access to healthcare for uninsured and low income individuals in Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla and Jefferson Counties.

This award is given to the graduating student who has demonstrated a strong interest in providing access to health care for undeserved populations and who has volunteered at clinics or on international medial missions for the undeserved. The award is accompanied by a CMS Foundation check in the amount of $1,000.

This year’s recipient of this award has been an active leader, participant and cheerleader for service to the undeserved since she arrived at the COM. During her first year, she became actively involved in FSUCares fundraising and service projects. She spent Spring break during her 1st two years of medical school doing outreach, first in Immokalee and then in Panama. During her 2nd year, she was elected President of FSUCares and under her leadership, the organization was voted Organization of the Year and she was voted President of the Year by her classmates. During her term, there was a significant increase in student involvement at Neighborhood Health Services as well as programs for the homeless population at the Shelter. She was a member of the Tallahassee Community Renaissance project Advisory Board, taking health fairs and outreach projects to the communities of Appalachee Ridge and Providence and Gadsden migrant workers. She was the Student Coordinator for the Hurricane Katrina Resident relief Fund at LSU.

Often students are active in their first two years in service projects but slow down during their clinical years. This student continued her work when she went to Orlando, participating in the Disney Marathon, coordinating career days at Orlando Middle schools and established and coordinated the FSU-COM student sponsored Valentine’s Day Celebration and festivities at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. She continued her work with the homeless at the Sheppard’s Hope Clinic.

She has done all of this with a broad smile characteristic of her cheerleading background. I cannot say that I ever saw her even when there was plenty of schoolwork and plenty of stress, to appear overwhelmed or to say anything negative about a process or peer. It is my pleasure to present the Capital Medical Society Access to Care Award to someone who I know will cheer future colleagues to care for the undeserved, Michelle Asher.