Zion, Ill., January 22, 2009 – On January 27, 2009, the Siemens Caring Hands United Way Committee (www.siemens.com/healthcare) will award The Zion Benton Children's Service/ Lind Memorial Dental Clinic a check for $10,000 to help fund their “Add a Chair” Project, which involves equipping a third room in their dental facility for children of low-income families.
”Adding another dental chair will enable us to see many more patients in the upcoming year, as well as allow the dentists to perform root canals on patients who need them desperately,” said Brenda Latz, Zion Benton Children’s Service Board President. “It’s wonderful to be able to treat our own patients rather than sending them to other local dentists for root canals.”
The grant helps Zion Benton Children's Service / Lind Memorial Dental Clinic add a new dental chair, operator stool, and assistant stool that can be used by professional dental staff for exams, cleanings, and other dental procedures for children of low-income families. The organization estimates these additions will result in 1,000 new appointments over a one year period and enable patients to be seen within four weeks of scheduling an appointment rather than the current eight-week waiting period. Additionally, the third chair would add a new revenue flow for the organization, allowing them to better utilize their current office space more efficiently.
The Siemens Caring Hands United Way Committee, a Siemens company-sponsored, employee-led committee that oversees the company’s annual US giving campaign, received the money for this grant after being named a 2007 Siemens’ internal Corporate Responsibility Award finalist. The group decided it wanted to invest this award in a “Siemens community” and reached out to non-profit organizations across the country about supporting a project to improve the lives of children and adolescents. After receiving over 130 applications based on select criteria, Siemens Caring Hands, whose theme this year is “Building Better Lives,” narrowed down the field to four finalists and chose a winner.
“We are very excited that this grant will help Zion Benton Children’s Service continue to build better lives for the children in their local community by installing an additional chair in their dental facility,” said Ben Zappala, co-chair, Siemens Caring Hands United Way Committee.
Interested In Attending Ceremonial Check Delivery at Zion Benton Children’s Service?
WHEN: Tuesday, January 27, 2009
1pm (Central Time)
WHERE: Zion Benton Children's Service / Lind Memorial Dental Clinic
1608 W 23rd Street
Zion, IL 60087
WHO: Ben Zapalla, Co-Chair, Siemens Caring Hands United Way Commitee
Brenda Latz, Zion Benton Children's Service Board President
* CREDENTIALED MEDIA ONLY, PLEASE
Submission requirements for the initial applicant group stated that the grant must be used to help fund a health or human service project benefiting children and/or adolescents (18 years and under), and cannot be used for general operating or research expenses. The organization must have also been a registered non-profit agency operating for more than two years with an annual budget of less than five million dollars. Finally, the organization must have been a member agency of a United Way that is located within a 50-mile radius of Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc.’s 15 largest locations in the United States.
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world’s largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical solutions provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare is the first integrated healthcare company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy, and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare delivers solutions across the entire continuum of care – from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy and care. Additionally, Siemens Healthcare is the global market leader in innovative hearing instruments. The company employs around 49,000 people worldwide and operates in 130 countries. In the fiscal year 2008 (Sept. 30), Siemens Healthcare reported sales of €11.2 billion, orders of €11.8 billion, and Sector profit of €1.2 billion. Further information can be found by visiting http://www.siemens.com/healthcare.
Zion Benton Children's Service was started in 1948 as a small organization to help underprivileged children (ages 4-18) in the Zion and Benton townships receive basic dental care and other health services. ZBCS evolved from providing dental care once a week in a local school, to operating a one-room, one-chair dental clinic in a local school, to a current full-service dental clinic with two dental chairs/operatives, a lab, a storage room, a waiting room and office. Our mission continues to be providing full dental care to children of low-income families who may be on public aid or uninsured. Our programs include providing dental exams, cleanings, prophylaxis, x-rays, sealants, fillings, and extractions. ZBCS has a full-time office manager and 10 contracted dental professionals, including two dental assistants, three hygienists, and five licensed dentists.
