St. George, Grenada; Jan. 25. — The entire 46-member team of dental professionals of the NYU College of Dentistry & Henry Schein Cares Global Dental Outreach Project is on the ground and delivering free dental care to Grenadians. This has been the case since Sunday January 24, when the last 16 dental surgeons and clinicians arrived and immediately commenced examinations and treatment of scores of Grenadians at the Tivoli Medical Clinic in the parish of St. Andrew.
Officials and principal present at the Tivoli Medical Center (Dental Clinic) included Grenada’s Consul General to New York, Derrick James, the Ministry of Health’s Chief Medical Officer – Dr. Emma Herry-Thompson, and permanent Secretary Ms. Allison Miller. Other principals at the opening of the clinical phase of the project included Dr. Stuart Hirsch, Project Director; Rachel Hill, NYUCD Program & Project Coordinator; Dr. Mark Wolff, Survey Director; Dr. Lynwood Bennerson, DDS, Project Initiator & Co-Coordinator; Dr. Jill Fernandez, Education Coordinator; and Gracelyn Bubb-Harris, Project Manager.
Since January 18, NYUCD’s doctors and researchers have been administering on-going dental public health assessment, which involves visits to schools throughout the tri-island state. Additionally, as of yesterday (a day ahead of schedule), the practitioners are administering free dental treatment to the local population at the Tivoli Dental Clinic in the north eastern part of the country. This free treatment would be available until Friday, January 29, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.
This project is the most comprehensive national dental care assessment and treatment program ever undertaken in Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, and is being hosted and supported by the Government of Grenada. According to Grenada’s Minister of Health, Hon. Ann Peters and NYUCD’s Dr. Bennerson and Rachel Hill, this project is being executed as a component of Grenada’s “the new Primary Health Care Program.”
The two-week project, which is the first installment of NYUCD’s initial four-year commitment to Grenada, is part of the university’s Global Dental Student Outreach Program, which is sponsored by Henry Schein Cares, the global social responsibility program of Henry Schein, Inc., the largest distributor of health care products and services to office-based dentists, physicians and companion animal veterinarians.
Scope
NYUCD’s goal is to create a sustainable oral health model for Grenada, along guidelines established by the Ministries of Health & Education. “Primarily, in addition to the comprehensive nationwide assessment, we will deliver general care to children, and as needed, emergency care, such as root canals, filings and extractions to adults,” added Hirsch.
The treatment prong of the project would be expanded to other parishes, as NYUCD doctors return to provide care on an annual basis, ideally in a different parish each time.
In addition to the above objectives, the project will provide parent education about the importance of oral hygiene, age-appropriate instruction for patients, and ask schools to implement a daily tooth-brushing program in classrooms.
Additionally, professional continuing dental education in specialized oral surgery provided at no cost to all dentists in Grenada by the NYU team. The first lecture in this series will be delivered on Thursday, January 28.
Further, this project also includes a career lecture to aspiring dental students and allied health professionals at the T.A. Marryshow Community College in St. George on Tuesday, January 26.
Assisting with non-governmental coordination of the project is a New York based non-profit organization, Concerned Grenadians of New York (CGNY). One of the leaders of this organization, Gracelyn Harris, a manager at NYU’s School of Dentistry, was responsible for getting the director of the university’s international outreach programs interested in taking this project to Grenada.
Critical financial support for CGNY’s coordinating efforts was provided by Grenadian-born international corporate executive, Earle Brathwaite through his family foundation PETNA. Additional local support came from LIME, L.L. Ramdhanny & Co., George F. Huggins Pharmacy, Monica Guillaume, National Marketing & Importing Board, Hopkin Sisters Department Store, David’s Sun Car Rental, Best of Grenada Ltd., Coyaba Beach Resort, Andall & Associates, Excel Plaza, Ideal Bakery, Dayna’s City Inn, Island Catering, Qualitek Printing and Waggy T.
The New York University & Henry Schein Cares Global Dental Outreach Project will conclude its first delivery of dental assessment and treatment in Grenada on Friday, January 29, 2010.