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Public Health

‘Closing this chapter virtually felt strange’ ― UCLA School of Dentistry graduate reflects on virtual ceremony

Like many schools opting for online graduations during the COVID-19 pandemic, the school streamed its 53rd commencement ceremony honoring the class of 2020 on YouTube. 

June 25, 2020 |News Articles, Public Health

Pacific Dugoni School of Dentistry honors 2020 graduates in virtual awards ceremony

Graduation celebrations are looking a lot different this year as many schools continue to prioritize the health and safety of students, faculty and attendees’ families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many other universities that have postponed in-person ceremonies to promote social distancing, the University of the Pacific, Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry honored its graduating class in a virtual awards ceremony.

June 18, 2020 |Membership, News Articles, Public Health

Class of 2020: Western University College of Dental Medicine hosts first digital commencement ceremony

The Western University of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine hosted its first digital commencement ceremony to honor the class of 2020. 

May 14, 2020 |Membership, News Articles, Public Health, Students

Dr. Andrew Soderstrom, CDA past president, career-long leader and CDA Cares co-founder passes

Andrew Soderstrom, DDS, CDA past president and a co-founder of CDA Cares, the CDA Foundation’s volunteer dental clinic, died Wednesday, April 29, following complications after a fall at his home in Modesto, California. He was 65.

May 6, 2020 |Membership, News Articles, Public Health

CDA Foundation’s 2019 grant recipient aims to bridge gap in oral health care

From a young age, Matthew Mecheal, DDS, has been sure about two things: his passion for helping others and his love for dentistry. Through the years, he never lost sight of his goals or the values that were instilled in him many years ago. As an advocate for the underserved and this year’s recipient of the CDA Foundation’s Student Loan Repayment Grant, Dr. Mecheal plans to focus on his personal objective to improve the oral health of underserved communities and minimize barriers to care.

November 21, 2019 |CDA Foundation, News Articles, Public Health

‘Life-changing’ grants awarded to 38 dentists committed to Medi-Cal

Marc Bernardo, DMD, MPH, and Michelle Galeon, DMD, are among the first recipients of a new grant funded by Proposition 56, a voter-approved tobacco tax that CDA and other health care organizations sponsored in 2016. The grant program awarded $10 million in debt relief to 38 dentists (up to $300,000 each) in exchange for the dentists maintaining a 30% or more Medi-Cal patient caseload for five years.

August 19, 2019 |Access to Care, Advocacy, Dental Benefit Plans, Medi-Cal/Denti-Cal, News Articles, Public Health

Former CDA Cares patient now regularly volunteers at clinics – with a big smile

Catherine’s dental phobia was once so severe that dental advertisements or even passing a dental office could trigger a panic attack. Worse, her debilitating phobia kept her from seeing a dentist for over 10 years. Eventually, she developed a life-threatening oral infection and lived with it for over a year and a half. “I was in pain, but I was too scared to receive care,” said Catherine, a resident of Bakersfield, Calif.

August 1, 2019 |Access to Care, CDA Foundation, News Articles, Public Health

Foundation grant recipients: Where are they now?

In 2010, Vanessa Franks, DDS, became the 11th recipient of the CDA Foundation’s Student Loan Repayment Grant — a flagship program that aims to offset some of the financial burden of student loan debt in exchange for a three-year commitment by recipients to care for the underserved. Describing herself as “a natural caretaker with a strong inherent motivation to enrich the lives of others,” Dr. Franks said a career in public health had been a longtime goal.

July 16, 2019 |CDA Foundation, News Articles, Public Health
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