Erika's Story: Part 3
“Tenemos que salir adelante”
The story of one family’s resilience and how Cahaba walked alongside them
In a previous post, we introduced Erika Velasquez and her husband Osbaldo. Read more about them here.
We like to call ourselves “the home for all your healthcare needs.” And for Erika Velasquez and many other uninsured patients like her, that’s exactly what we are. In addition to receiving her primary, prenatal, and mental health care at our health center, she comes to us for her dental care as well. Her first visit with Birmingham Dental wasn’t until 2021. She needed a tooth removed, so she gave us a call.
In the United States, over 25% of adults have untreated tooth decay. But for Latinos, Black people, people with low education, people with low income, and current smokers, that rate is over 40% (CDC, 2019). Plus, in Alabama, there's only 1 dentist per 100,000 people.
The numbers are daunting. But at Cahaba, we're all about making a dent in the universe.
C4-13: MAKE A DENT IN THE UNIVERSE. We aren’t here only for our paycheck. We are here to do something that is going to outlast our very lives. It will take “thinking different." We will sometimes have to move fast and push the envelope, sometimes even screwing the wings on the plane while we are on the runway. But if we work as a team, with creativity and passion, curiosity and humility, and with accuracy and excellence, we will make a dent in the universe.
In 2021, we:
Provided care to 845 first-time dental patients
Saw 850 kids
Cared for 235 uninsured patients
Performed 12,270 crucial dental procedures
Here are three ways YOU can help Cahaba fight health inequity in YOUR community:
Do you have dental insurance? By simply making us your dental provider, you’ll help us take care of our uninsured patients by maintaining a healthy balance of insured patients, AND you’ll receive high quality, affordable dental care. Schedule an appointment with CMC Dental today!
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Give to the cause at cahabamedicalcare.com/donate.
