FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
July 9, 2019
Media Contact:
Ellen Devereux
918-551-2164
ellen_devereux@bcbsok.com
(Tulsa, Okla.) —Dentists for the Disabled and Elderly in Need of Treatment, Inc. (D-DENT) has been named the recipient of the Dr. Rodney L. Huey Memorial Champion of Oklahoma Health, the highest honor of the Champions of Health awards. D-DENT, a statewide non-profit organization, helps dentists improve the emotional and overall health of those in need through the restoration of oral health. As the overall winner, D-DENT will receive a $15,000 grant, which will be presented at the 2019 Champions of Health Gala on Sept. 26 at the Cox Business Center in Tulsa. Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard will be the keynote speaker.
Since 2004, the Champions of Health awards program has honored organizations and individuals who are making a difference in the health of Oklahomans. The annual Champions of Health gala benefits The Oklahoma Caring Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization that provides Oklahoma children with immunizations at no charge. Founded in 1994, the foundation is funded by community contributions and administered as an in-kind gift by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
In addition to the Dr. Rodney L. Huey Memorial Champion of Oklahoma Health award, nonprofit winners in each category will receive a $5,000 grant and finalists will receive a $1,000 grant. The winners and finalists are identified below:
Champion of Children’s Health
Winner: Anadarko Hope Squad
Finalist: Anna’s House Foundation
Champion of Senior Health
Winner: Comanche Nutrition Center
Finalist: Edmond Mobile Meals
Champion of the Uninsured
Winner: The Children's Center Rehabilitation Hospital
Finalist: Ministries of Jesus, Inc.
Community Health Champion
Winner: YWCA Oklahoma City
Finalist: Hospitality House of Tulsa
Corporate Health Champion
Winner: Groendyke Transport
Finalist: Oklahoma City Indian Clinic
Note: The winner and finalist in the Corporate Health Champion category are ineligible to receive grant funds.
The Champions of Health awards program is presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, in partnership with the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians, the Oklahoma Dental Association, the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, the Oklahoma Foundation for Medical Quality, the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, the Oklahoma Hospital Association, the Oklahoma Osteopathic Association, the Oklahoma Primary Care Association, the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Oklahoma State Medical Association.
Individual tickets and sponsorships are available. For information, call 855-628-8642 or visit championsofhealth.org.