Larson Announces $200,000 Grant for Improved School Dental Services

EAST HARTFORD, CONN. – Congressman John B. Larson (CT-01) was joined by Deborah Poerio of Integrated Health Services (IHS), East Hartford School leadership and local legislators in announcing a $200,000 Health and Human Services (HHS) Grant for IHS to increase dental care access for schoolchildren. The grant is scheduled to appropriate $200,000 a year to IHS over the next four years, making the potential funding of the grant as high as $800,000.

The grant will benefit over 500 East Hartford middle school students, over 200 elementary school students and 182 ninth and tenth grade students attending Connecticut River Academy Magnet High School at Goodwin College.

"This grant will go a long way in helping IHS continue the fantastic work they do every day in providing dental health services to students in East Hartford," Congressman Larson said. "The fact that they were one of only 12 applicants from across the country chosen for this award speaks volumes of the work that they do. Making sure that kids have access to necessary preventive care to keep them healthy should be one of our top priorities and I am proud that we are leading the way right here in East Hartford."

"This is a phenomenal opportunity to expand dental services to children in greatest need in a preventive, accessible, and cost-effective manner which incorporates the oral health education into their daily educational curricula through the schools," said IHS President/CEO Ms. Deborah Poerio. "School Based Health Centers, as preventive health programs, provide the least threatening, and most comfortable environment for children to seek, and receive high quality medical, behavioral, and now, dental care, and have proven highly effective in reducing issues of morbidity."

The grant will help IHS purchase new equipment that will allow them to better coordinate with outside providers. Additionally, IHS plans to begin integrating oral health education into the curriculum of East Hartford students.

Earlier this year IHS applied for the grant through HHS and Congressman Larson wrote a letter of support on behalf of their application.