Brighter Way Institute, an Arizona-based nonprofit dedicated to providing comprehensive oral health care to underserved children, families, adults, veterans, and individuals experiencing homelessness, has received a $700,000 multi-year grant from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. The grant will support economically disadvantaged, uninsured, and underinsured patients through two dental centers and one remote mobile dental unit known as the “Tooth Bus.”
Brighter Way has treated over 183,000 unique patients since opening in 2001. Its model incorporates both staff and volunteer dentists, engages for-profit and non-profit sectors, and provides remote mobile access to help close the growing gap in care for vulnerable individuals across Arizona.
“This generous donation from The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation will allow us to provide over 10,000 comprehensive oral health services to an additional 1,300 patients,” said Brighter Way Institute’s founder and CEO, Kris Volcheck, DDS, MBA. “Our oral health specialists understand the link between oral health and general health. Not only does chronic dental disease impact appearance and self-esteem, but it also leads to emergency room visits for pain and infection control. We’re honored that we can create a brighter future for our children, homeless adults, and veterans in our community.”
The 2022 Arizona State Health Assessment estimates that 13% of Arizonans, including 19% of children under the age of 18, live below the federal poverty level, and the majority of low-income and homeless individuals have multiple disparities that prevent them from visiting a dentist. Over 66% of Arizonans do not visit a dentist regularly because of cost, and 48% avoid smiling because of the condition of their teeth (ADA Health Policy Institute, 2015).
“Dental care is often one of the first things to go when money is tight,” said Bob Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Brighter Way is changing the game for children, veterans, and homeless people in need with their low- to no-cost, comprehensive dental services.”
For many Brighter Way patients, circumstances like homelessness, the high cost of care, a lack of insurance, and inconsistent transportation create barriers to ongoing access to an oral health care dental home. For patients on Arizona’s Medicaid plan, only adult emergency care is provided, and complex procedures for children are not covered. Working poor families are often transient, and many are forced to choose between paying for food and shelter or expensive dental procedures for themselves and their family.
Each year, The Bob & Renee Parsons Center for Pediatric Dentistry, a pediatric specialty clinic operated by Brighter Way in the Murphy district, treats thousands of children who suffer from severe dental disease and untreated infections that result in missed school days, bullying, and chronic pain. With this grant, Brighter Way Institute has the capacity to treat more children at a much earlier stage of infection, improving their overall health outlook, establishing a life-long practice of oral health care, and preserving the integrity of their future adult teeth. Specialized oral health professionals are also available for children with developmental disabilities.
“Most of us don’t stop to consider how essential dental health is to overall well-being and quality of life,” said Renee Parsons, co-founder of The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation. “Brighter Way is bringing a critical service to many who would otherwise have little or no access to care.”
Brighter Way Institute was founded by Dr. Kris Volcheck in 2001 as a pilot project out of a small trailer located at the Human Services Campus (now Key Campus) in downtown Phoenix. In 2016, Brighter Way Institute became a separate nonprofit organization under an expanded framework that includes all vulnerable members of our community, in addition to those experiencing homelessness. Today, Brighter Way Institute’s dental centers provide comprehensive routine, restorative, and reconstruction services that include dentures, implants, oral health education, and a full range of conscious and unconscious sedation options for children.
In Maricopa County, Brighter Way Institute works with a committed group of nonprofits, volunteers, and institutional partners to strategically expand access to oral health for their patients. To learn more about Brighter Way Institute, visit www.brighterwaydental.org.
About The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation
The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation offers support to nonprofit organizations successfully working to empower, educate, nurture, and nourish people during what is often the darkest time of their lives. Founded in 2012 by philanthropists and business leaders Bob and Renee Parsons to provide hope and life-changing assistance to the country’s most vulnerable populations, The Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation offers critical funding at critical times to those in need. The Foundation’s giving is driven by the core belief that all people—regardless of race, religion, roots, economic status, sexual orientation, or gender identity—deserve access to quality healthcare, education, and a safe place to call home. Follow @WeDealInHope on social media or visit TBRPF.org to learn more about partner organizations and the important work being done in the community.
