2023 Give Big Hawai‘i: Hawaii Dental Service (HDS)

(Parner Content) As the first and leading nonprofit dental benefits provider in Hawaii, HDS serves over a million island residents across Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan.

October 25, 2023

HONOLULU Branded Content Team,

Mission: The HDS Foundation was established by Hawaii Dental Service (HDS), to improve the oral health of Hawai‘i’s communities through oral health initiatives and grants to local nonprofits that provide oral health education, work to prevent oral disease, and increase access to dental care for underserved populations.

KEY SERVICES PROVIDED

As the first and leading nonprofit dental benefits provider in Hawaii, HDS serves over a million island residents across Hawaii, Guam, and Saipan. The HDS Foundation invests in oral health initiatives such as Dentist by One, Seal Away Decay and Kupuna Smiles and has contributed more than $10 million in grants over the past seven years to vital programs and services that help Hawai‘i’s underserved, many of whom do not have dental insurance or access to dental care. The HDS Foundation also works alongside oral health stakeholders through its involvement with the Hawaii Oral Health Coalition.

In 2022, the HDS Foundation awarded more than $1 million in grants to the American Heart Association, Dental Lifeline Network, Hawaii Children’s Action Network, Molokai Community Health, University of Hawaii Foundation—Hawaii Keiki Sealants in Schools program, and Waimanalo Health Center. In 2023, the HDS Foundation awarded $110,000 in scholarships to Hawaii residents pursuing careers in dentistry or dental hygiene.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

More community partners are needed across our Islands to help elevate the importance of good oral health. The HDS Foundation encourages local nonprofit organizations to apply for grants to support the development of oral health programs or projects that target our underserved com- munities statewide. Grant submission deadlines are on Dec. 15 and June 15 annually.

HDS Foundation will consider programs and projects that promote:

Oral health education

Prevention of oral disease

Access to dental care by underserved populations

LEADERSHIP

Foundation Board Officers

Mason A. Savage, D.D.S., Chair

Emi Eno Orikasa, D.D.S., Vice Chair and President

Diane S.L. Paloma, PhD., Vice President

Quin Ogawa, Treasurer

Shere Saneishi-Kim, Secretary

HAWAII DENTAL SERVICE
Diane S.L. Paloma, PhD., President and CEO