Erie Family Health Center

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Erie is now accepting nominations for the 2011 Golden Toothbrush Awards, being held on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 at The Four Seasons Chicago! This year Erie is thrilled to announce a change in the award process… instead of just one award to honor a leader in community oral health there will be three awards presented on the day of the luncheon: Organization, Individual and Student.

Do you know a dentist helping uninsured people in your community? Or a student volunteering at a school to help kids learn how to brush their teeth correctly? Or an organization making a difference to help those without health care? If you do, nominate them for one of the 2011 Golden Toothbrush Awards to honor them for their commitment to improving the quality of life in our Chicago communities.

To learn more about the process and submit your nomination, fill out the Nomination Form by clicking here!

I had the pleasure of sitting down earlier this week with Erie’s Vice President of Oral Health Services, Dr. Gus Souri, to chat about his experiences in community dentistry, the continued need for more access and the 2010 Golden Toothbrush Awards Luncheon. Check out the video below!

Interview with Erie Family Health Center’s Dr. Souri DDS from Erie Family Health Center on Vimeo.

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Erie Announces Golden Toothbrush  Award Finalists! With the dedication of the Selection Committee, Erie is proud to announce the three finalists for the 2010 Golden Toothbrush Award: Dr. Reshma Dhake,  Illinois Children’s HealthCare Foundation and Dr. Jason Grinter!

Reshma Dhake, DDS graduated from the University of  Illinois at Chicago School of Dentistry. After graduation, Dr. Dhake functioned  as the community clinic preceptor at Northwest Community Health Center. She  shows by example the importance of access to care for everyone through her  patient advocacy efforts. She is a member of the Chicago Dental Society,  Illinois State Dental Society and American Dental Association. Click here to read more about  Dr. Dhake

Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation (ILCHF) has a  single vision: to ensure that every child in Illinois has the opportunity to  grow up healthy. Working through grantee partners across the state, the  Foundation focuses its grant making on identifying and funding solutions to the  barriers that prevent children from accessing the ongoing health care they need. Click here to read  more about ILCHF

Jason Grinter, DDS has been helping his community for over  five years at Milestone Dental Clinic and is now at Illinois Masonic Hospital,  where he completed his residency. He graduated from the University at  Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Grinter says he will not rest until every  special needs patient in Illinois has access to the dental care they deserve. Click here to read more about  Dr. Grinter

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Erie Family Health Center is proud to have UnitedHealthcare as the Title Event Sponsor for the 2010 Golden Toothbrush Awards being held on Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at the InterContinental Chicago Hotel. This event will focus on the importance of oral health and its direct impact on a person’s overall health. Chicagoans without health insurance lack access to dental care; and as a result, their overall health suffers. This is particularly challenging for low-income, minority Chicagoans. In fact, 70% of individuals in Illinois who have not seen a dentist were Hispanic or African-American.

By pledging to be the Title Event Sponsor, UnitedHealthcare has shown its dedication to improving the health care system and helping residents in Chicago’s Latino communities. UnitedHealthcare strives to improve the quality and effectiveness of health care, enhance access to health benefits and create products to make health care more affordable. 

UnitedHealthcare delivers innovative products and services to approximately 70 million Americans. Its nationwide network includes 626,000 physicians and health care professionals, 80,000 dentists and 5,035 hospitals.

Erie would also like to thank the following sponsors:

Awards Ceremony Sponsor: Aon
Patron Sponsor: Leal Associates
Friend Sponsors: Walgreens, Associated Bank, Delta Dental, MetLife and Northern Trust
Honoree Sponsors: Radio Flyer and ShoreBank

Check out the event preview video.
Become an event sponsor.

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Erie Family Health Center is proud to announce the 2010 Golden Toothbrush Award Luncheon Keynote Speaker! June Thomas is the foreign editor of Slate, a daily Web magazine known for its analysis and commentary on news, politics and culture. Before joining the Slate in 1997, June  was the editor and foreign rights manager at Seal Press and managing editor of Women in Translation, a publishing company specializing in women’s writing from around the world. She was born and raised in Manchester, England.

June authored the American Way of Dentistry, a widely acclaimed seven part series in Slate, which provides an in-depth analysis of the state of oral health care in the United States. The seven topics covered in the series include:

The Story of My Teeth

The Disappearing Dentist

The Oral Cost Spiral

How Dentists Think

Why Poor Folks are Short on Teeth

Inside the Dental Safety Net

Healthy Teeth for All

Click here to read this series. You can also follow the series on Facebook.

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WHO IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE?

Nominate someone making an impact on community oral health care.

Erie Family Health Center will recognize a local leader who focuses on making a significant impact on the oral health of low-income communities in Chicagoland. You probably know a leader who qualifies, and filling out a nomination form only takes a few minutes.

Maybe your nominee is…

A dental provider who aims to improve the oral health of their patients.
An activist who fights for dental health care to be a right not a privilege.
A volunteer who teaches children preventive oral health education.
A civic leader who speaks out about the dental needs of the community.
A state official who seeks to further extend access to dental care.
A researcher who looks for cost effective ways to provide braces to kids.
A business leader who gives back to our community to improve oral health.

The deadline has been extended! Please send us your nominations by Friday, February 12, 2010. There are three ways to fill out the form:

1. Electronically fill out the form
2. Download the form and  fax to 312.666.7928
3. Download the form and email to

The winner will be recognized at Erie’s 2010 Golden Toothbrush Awards luncheon on May 25, 2010 at the InterContinental Chicago, located at 505 North Michigan Avenue.

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