The Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) recently initiated a program of donating VELscope oral cancer screening systems to free clinics and others located in, and helping communities with, underserved populations. The first recipient of this program is the Native American Community Health Center, commonly known as Native Health, in Phoenix, the foundation announced.
"Our intent is to identify free clinics and health service providers in areas that have a high concentration of people who are both at risk for oral cancer and without the financial means to pay for comprehensive oral exams," said Brian Hill, executive director of the OCF, in a press release.
The foundation is also careful to ensure that any clinic receiving aid in the form of equipment and materials has at least one dentist on staff that is regularly present to see patients, he added.
The VELscope system is the first adjunctive screening device cleared by the FDA to help dental practitioners discover cancerous, precancerous, and other lesions that might not be apparent to the naked eye. The foundation purchased numerous VELscope systems at a special price agreed to by the device's manufacturer, LED Dental. The funding that made this effort possible came from the Bruce Paltrow Oral Cancer Fund, OCF's long-time partner in working to bring down the death rate from this disease.
"We recently conducted a needs assessment that identified a significant demand for increased dental services," said Native Health's CEO Richard Zephier. "Now, thanks to the generosity of the Oral Cancer Foundation and the Bruce Paltrow Fund, we will be able to make a significant step toward addressing that need and to change how the community views our dental program."
Over the next 10 months, the OCF plans to donate 12 of the $7,000 devices to free clinics in both inner cites and rural areas of the U.S. that fit the profile of containing both high-risk populations and communities underserved in healthcare.
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