A message from Cassondra Phillipsen, the dental director for Medical Teams International, an organization that provides dental care for at-risk populations across the Pacific Northwest:
"Greetings Clark County Dental Society!
First, I want to say thank you for all you do for your patients in Clark County. Healthcare workers are heroes during this pandemic, so for those of you who have been seeing emergency dental patients, thank you for keeping our emergency rooms available for other urgent needs.
My name is Cassondra Phillipsen and I’m reaching out to tell you a bit about what we do, find out what we can do for your communities and how you might be able to help us achieve that goal!
Medical Teams International is a non-profit organization that is comprised of teams worldwide. We provide medical services and humanitarian relief where we are needed in countries around the world, and for 30 years we have provided free dental services to at-risk populations across Washington and Oregon. The dental services are provided by volunteer dentists and dental assistants who graciously give their time to help those in their community with the highest need. We are funded by donors and grants from organizations and partners.
Our target populations are people who are uninsured, who have lost their insurance, and those who have an urgent need and no established dental home. For many people in these situations, receiving free dental care is the only financially feasible option to get them out of the pain they’re experiencing. Becoming a dental home is something we aim to avoid; rather, we connect people to the dental clinics in the community and encourage regular preventative, comprehensive care.
If you have a passion for helping those in your community who are experiencing pain and don’t know where to turn, please respond to this email. We would be absolutely grateful for your service and your time. We are asking dentists to commit to 6 hours once per month. Our goal is to have a team of 50 volunteer providers willing to make this commitment. If our goal is met, we can make a huge dent in the oral health needs of Clark County and connect these patients with established dentists in the area who are available for ongoing comprehensive and preventative treatment.
If you’re interested in volunteering, here is the link to our volunteer application page: https://www.cognitoforms.com/MedicalTeamsInternational1/VolunteerApplication
I welcome any questions, comments and/or concerns you may have. I’ve also attached our “Clinical Protocols” document that explains our protocols for delivering safe services during COVID-19.
Thank you again for all that you do!
Kind regards,
Cassondra Phillipsen, DMD
US Programs Dental Director
503-593-9599
Cphillipsen@medicalteams.org
14150 SW Milton Ct, Portland OR 97224"