Thank you for being part of KinderSmile Foundation’s family. We hope this letter finds you and your family safe and well.
We wanted to update our supporters, to let you know what we are doing, and how we are contributing to the efforts to flatten the curve in this unprecedented time, as our community is battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In consideration of the safety of our staff and patients, and following guidance issued by NJ Governor Phil Murphy, the American Dental Association, and the CDC, KinderSmile Community Oral Health Centers have been closed since 3pm on March 17th. The NJ State Board of Dentistry is currently advising that dental practices will reopen on April 20th.
- We are continuing to provide emergency dental care to our patients, via teledentistry.
- As a small and growing nonprofit organization, and due to the nature of our organization, our staff is not able to work remotely. Our employees have been temporarily laid off, and will return upon re-opening.
- We continue to partner with our community’s medical centers, and aid our colleagues on the front lines of this pandemic, as they help fight for lives.
- Thanks to our partnership with the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, we have acquired a surplus of personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies from Henry Schein over the last couple of years. We were delighted to donate our current surplus of PPE to Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside Medical Center and Morristown Medical Center.
- KinderSmile Foundation was able to donate: 10,000 pairs of gloves, 2,000 surgical masks, 200 shield masks, 200 protective gowns, 4,000 surgical pouches, 200 biohazard bags, 200 IV administration sets, 40 canisters of Sani-Cloth disinfectant wipes, and 5,000 units of gauze.
- Your support will help us replace these donated PPE supplies once we reopen our Dental Homes kindersmile.org/donate/
We have to prepare for the financial burden that has surely touched our patients and their families. The widespread closures have likely placed many caretakers out of work. We anticipate that the percentage of our uninsured patients, or those who need in-kind dental care, will rise.
Gathering supplies from containers at The Boys and Girls Club of Newark and KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center Newark, and delivering personal protective equipment and supplies to Morristown Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Health Mountainside Medical Center
We thank our medical care colleagues for their commitment and dedication, and for working tirelessly to keep our community safe, and we truly appreciate our donors and supporters who are all part of the KinderSmile Foundation “village.” Thank you for helping us achieve our mission to provide access to care.
We are sending prayers for health and wellness to you and your families. #ItTakesAVillageKSF