SAMPLE LETTER – PERSONALIZE WITH YOUR INFORMATIONAND/OR SUBMIT ON YOUR DENTAL OFFICE STATIONERY
YOUR NAME, OFFICE OR COMPONENT, HERE
YOUR ADDRESS
CITY, STATE ZIP
PHONE ● FAX
E-MAIL ADDRESS
DATE
«Title»«FirstName»«LastName»
«Office»
«Address1»
«Address2»
«City», «State»«Zip»
Dear Editor:
The seventh annual Give Kids A Smile day was held Feb.6, 2009. I/WE (INSERT OFFICE NAME) WAS/WERE proud to be among the more than 12,000 dentists nationwidewho helpedprovide dental care for America’s underserved youth as part of GKAS. Dentists, dental staff and community volunteers donated their expertise, time and supplies in an effort to improve the oral health of 450,000of our nation’s children.
Wisconsin dentists are committed to providing all children with dental care. This heart-warming and inspirational program is one way we live out this commitment. Most of MY/OUR colleagues also have children and families they regularly treat for free in their communities. But charity care is not a health care system.
On Feb. 6, the INSERT NAMES AND/OR NUMBERS OF PARTICIPATING OFFICES/MEMBERS FROM YOUR COMMUNITY/DENTAL COMPONENT HERE, participated in this event. INSERT BRIEF ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION HERE (TIME, LOCATION, SERVICES PROVIDED, NUMBER OF CHILDREN SEEN, ESTIMATED VALUE OF TREATMENT.
IF YOUR EVENT WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY LOCAL SPONSORS, VOLUNTEERS, and/or COOPERATING GROUPS, INSERT THAT HERE.
The U.S. Surgeon General recognizes oral health as an integral part of a person’s overall health, with the dentist being the primary oral health care provider. The AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics (physicians) says 20 percent of all health care funds spent on children should be directed at improving and maintaining oral health.
In Wisconsin, state and federal governments combined spend less than one percent, or $38 million of a $4.4 billion annual Medicaid/BadgerCare budget, on oral health programs for children and adults.Eighty percent of states spend a higher percentage of MA dollars on dental care for children and adults than does Wisconsin.
We appreciate the efforts of legislators who work to improve dental access for low-income patients by prioritizing a financial investment by state and federal governments. We welcome the opportunity to partner with the state in implementing a long-term, viable solution that takes advantage of the more than 2,000 private dental practices across Wisconsin already “open for business”.Please call800-362-9472 and ask your state legislators to prioritize oral health care funding in Wisconsin.
Sincerely,
YOUR NAME
YOUR COMPONENT OR OFFICE NAME