Massachusetts Dental Society earns Award of Excellence

Washington鈥擳he Massachusetts Dental Society was one of nine associations recognized with a 2008 Associations Advance America Award of Excellence from the American Society of Association Executives and the Center for Association Leadership.

MDS was honored for its Mobile Access to Care Dental Van鈥攁 program the MDS Foundation oversees. The van provided free care to nearly 1,400 children in 2007.

The MAC van is equipped with two operatories and was launched last year to help address the state’s dental access problem. Acquired through a grant from Procter & Gamble, the van serves children from low-income families and has partnered with such organizations as the Boys聽& Girls Clubs of America, YMCA and Head Start. The van offers free screenings and comprehensive care, including referrals to local dentists who participate in MassHealth or MassDentists Combining Access with Reduced Expense programs in order to provide children with a dental home.

It’s the second year in a row the MDS has been recognized by Associations Advance America. Last year, the society was honored for its oral cancer awareness campaign, one of only 19 associations to receive this recognition. MDS was also recognized with an ADA Golden Apple Award in 2007.

“The Massachusetts Dental Society and our foundation are very honored to be recognized by the ASAE and the Center for Association Leadership for our efforts to address the serious and growing problem of access to care in Massachusetts,” MDS President Andrea Richman said. “This award is really a tribute to the commitment of our members, without whom the Mobile Access to Care program would not have been possible.”