The USD Department of Dental Hygiene was recently awarded a $2,500 grant from Dakota Hospital Foundation (DHF). The grant request was for funding for athletic mouth guards to protect student athletes. The value of wearing mouth guards, especially for contact sports, is underestimated. The DHF Board resolved to partially fund the request.

“I am pleased to have been selected to partner with the Dakota Hospital Foundation in supporting its mission to enhance the quality of life of people in our community. Together, the University of South Dakota Department of Dental Hygiene and the DHF can positively impact high school athletes by providing an opportunity to reduce their risk of injuries to the oral cavity. I’m grateful for the opportunity to assist in removing barriers such as cost and lack of awareness of benefits of wearing custom fitted mouth guards that may have previously prohibited the use of these valuable protective devices,” said Carissa Regnerus RDH MA, University of South Dakota Department of Dental Hygiene.

“Dakota Hospital Foundation is proud to partner with the USD Department of Dental Hygiene to support community health and wellness. With this DHF grant funding, they will be able to provide mouth guards for 100 student athletes,” said John Prescott, president, Dakota Hospital Foundation.

Dakota Hospital Foundation held its fall open grant period from October 1 – 31, 2019. Five community grants were awarded a total of $16,100. The next open grant period for DHF will be April 1 – 30, 2020. Learn more at www.dakotahospitalfoundation.org.

About Dakota Hospital Foundation
Since its beginning in 1930, Dakota Hospital Foundation has fulfilled a mission dedicated to community health and wellness. The health care 'pioneers' who established Dakota Hospital Foundation (DHF) also nurtured a tradition of community health service leadership represented by today's Foundation members.

Pictured (L-R): Tom Schaack, DHF board member, Paul Preister, DHF board member, John Prescott, DHF president, Carissa Regnerus RDH MA, Carissa Regnerus RDH MA, University of South Dakota Dept. of Dental Hygiene, Amy Richardson, VHS Athletic Trainer, Sanford Vermillion, Linda Kogel, DHF board member, Tim Tracy, Senior Director, Sanford Vermillion