Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Rolls Out New Dental Van for Chicago
Chicago (Sept. 9, 2009) – Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center today held a dedication ceremony for the brand new mobile dental van that brings quality dental care to those who need it most.
“Senior citizens who live on a fixed income, low-income mothers who can’t afford dental care for their children and homeless men and women who lack the self-confidence in their smiles to go on job interviews—all will continue to be served by Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center’s Mobile Dental Program with this modern dental office on wheels,” said Harvey Wigdor, DDS, chair of the hospital’s Department of Dentistry. “We are so proud of the generosity that has been shown that will allow us to continue to bring these important services directly to those most in need in Chicago.”
The new $350,000 dental van replaces the former vehicle, which had been in service for nearly eight years, and is the result of generous gifts from throughout the community. The Otho S. A. Sprague Memorial Institute was the principle donor, issuing a challenge grant for up to half of the total van’s cost. In addition, community supporters, foundations, corporations and Illinois Masonic staff members made substantial contributions. Hospital staff alone made a combined contribution of nearly $15,000 through last year’s internal Associate Giving Campaign.
The Mobile Dental Program, started in 2001, brings much-needed dental care directly to thousands of underserved Chicagoans each year. With the new van being placed into service this month, the program will return to a full five-day weekly schedule, increasing its capacity for care of the uninsured and underinsured by approximately 20 percent. The program is funded annually by gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations, government agencies and Advocate Health Care.
Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center is a 408-bed hospital in Chicago with a Level I trauma center and a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the highest designations awarded by the state of Illinois. It offers comprehensive inpatient services, including medical, surgical, obstetrics and pediatric care, as well as a full breadth of outpatient services. A recipient of numerous awards for quality and clinical excellence, Illinois Masonic was ranked as one of the 2006’s top 50 hospitals in the nation for Heart and Heart Surgery by U.S. News & World Report. In 2008, the hospital achieved Magnet designation for excellence and quality in nursing services by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program. Illinois Masonic is part of Advocate Health Care, a 2009 Thompson Reuters Top 10 U.S. health care system for clinical performance and the largest provider of health care services in Illinois. For more information on Illinois Masonic, visit www.advocatehealth.com/masonic.
