Ascension Smart Smiles Program Expands Access to Oral Health Care
Ascension Smart Smiles is the largest provider of school-based oral healthcare in Wisconsin. Last fall it expanded its services through Ascension All Saints Hospital in Racine, providing services to more than 1,200 students at 10 schools in the Racine Unified School District.
Specializing in preventive oral healthcare for children, Ascension Smart Smiles dental teams know that better oral health correlates to optimal overall health. The services they provide contribute to healthier habits as children get older.
Tooth decay is one of the most common childhood chronic diseases. When left untreated, tooth decay can have serious consequences, including problems with eating, speaking and learning. In addition, studies show children with poor oral health are more likely to experience dental pain, miss school, and underperform in school. On average, children in the United States miss about 51 million hours of school each year due to dental pain.
“The impact of Smart Smiles is incredible. The program has taken something that can be very stressful for families—coordinating a trip to the dentist—and made it easily accessible,” said Chelsea Chatman-Zierk, Ascension Smart Smiles Dental Hygenist. “Smart Smiles opens the door for those who may have not been able to access dental care, and being able to offer this program to our community is a truly incredible gift.”
The Ascension Smart Smiles program sends treatment teams, which consist of a registered dental hygienist and dental assistant, into Racine schools to serve children in need. The mobile dentistry program provides dental screenings, fluoride treatments, sealants, and oral health education to school children from K4 through 8th grade.
Ascension Smart Smiles began providing preventive dental care to students in the Greater Milwaukee area in 2001. In 2022, more than 16,000 children received these much-needed services at 107 participating Milwaukee County schools.
Empowering Women to Rise Up
Rise Up is a program that supports mothers with young children who are interested in pursuing a career in healthcare or adjacent roles at Ascension All Saints Hospital. The program is a collaboration between Ascension All Saints Hospital, Higher Expectations, and Goodwill Industries.
The cohort model brings a group of motivated individuals together while they gain the education and training needed to work toward high demand careers at Ascension, while also engaging in group learning experiences, job shadowing, one-on-one coaching, and financial wellness support. Participants have support in applying and interviewing for career track roles, while also participating in one-on-one success coaching and monthly cohort meetings.
The program provides the following:
- Transportation assistance
- Technology assistance
- Costs of tests and materials
- One-on-one coaching and career counseling
- Scholarships towards furthering education
Skills learned in the Rise Up program helped Barbara to land a job as a patient access representative at Ascension All Saints Hospital, something she did not think was possible before the program. “Rise Up really got me moving to improve my skills so I could make a change,” Barbara said.
Participants can select a career pathway of their choice and begin workplace training toward earning short-term credentials and/or certificates.
