The Good Samaritan Health Center is a 501c3 nonprofit organization in downtown Atlanta that provides full-circle of health services to those in need across metro-Atlanta. Founded in 1998, “Good Sam” has faithfully served individuals and families who are uninsured and medically underserved, and those who face many barriers to receiving quality medical care and improving their health. The 40,000+ encounters that Good Sam sees each year are comprised of patients who are the working poor, those experiencing homelessness, and those on Medicaid or Medicare. Through their medical, dental, behavioral health, health education, and food access services, patients of all ages are seen on a sliding fee scale based on household income and federal poverty guidelines. An onsite 1-acre urban farm and market allow for a fun educational opportunity right here in the city, while also addressing the barrier of living in a food desert for those they serve.

While Good Sam has a full-time staff of 50 people providing consistent primary care and dentistry services, they rely on the generosity of volunteers to fulfill their specialty needs, including oral surgery. Beginning in April 2022, Emory OMFS residents and faculty volunteers are providing excellent and much needed oral surgery services to the patients of Good Samaritan. The waitlist for patients needing these services is long and we are committed to continuing to volunteer with Good Sam every other month for the foreseeable future. However, to ensure the standard of care which we believe every patient is deserving of, Good Sam needs to purchase or receive the appropriate equipment: drill module, handpieces, etc. Early estimates for these items came in around $20,000 and that is outside the means of the nonprofit at this time. It is my hope that the society can come together for this worthy cause and provide these items to Good Sam. If we each make a tax-deductible gift of just $250, the Center will be able to purchase the equipment before our next scheduled clinic in August. I know each of you understands the value of not only ensuring a vulnerable population has access to a healthy mouth, but also the importance of our students experiencing the complexities of providing care to this population during their training. Alternatively, if you have a working dental drill and hand pieces that are no longer needed please consider donation to this worthy cause.

If you would like to be a part of providing high quality, oral surgery services to the patients of Good Samaritan, please consider donating toward the purchase of the drills and tools our volunteers will need when they serve in the clinic. Visit goodsamatlanta.org/gooddental to make your gift. You can also contact Heather Kersey, Chief Development Officer for Good Sam at heather.kersey@goodsamatlanta.org with questions or ideas on how to help.
 

Sincerely,

Heather Kersey
Chief Development Officer
Good Samaritan Health Center

Gary Bouloux DDS, MD, MDSc, FRACDS, FRACDS(OMS), FRCS(Eng), FACS
Professor and Interim Division Chief
Division Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Emory University School of Medicine
President American Society of Temporomandibular Joint Surgeons