PDA Public Service Award
Community Volunteers in Medicine (CVIM) was founded in 1998 in
Chester County, as the first community-based volunteer clinic of its
kind in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
The clinic has expanded and evolved over the years, but CVIM’s vital
mission has remained the same, to provide “compassionate primary
medical and dental care and health education to people who live or
work in the Chester County region who lack access to insurance, in order
to support their goals to lead productive, healthy, and hopeful lives.”
CVIM has continued to do that with the help of a vast army of
volunteers and donors, providing a tremendous safety net to
thousands of people. For the last 20 years CVIM has been supported
entirely through philanthropy, starting back with funding from
Paoli Hospital Women’s Auxiliary in the 1990s. The clinic is located
in a converted and renovated warehouse in West Chester and is
open five days and one evening a week. CVIM maintains seven
dental operatories, 10 medical exam rooms and the Moran Family
Conference Center for patient education and wellness programs.
Community Volunteers in Medicine
In 2015 CVIM launched its Mobile Dental Program, which expanded
access to its services, emphasizing exams and oral health education
at its satellite locations. In 2017, CVIM provided $6.9 million of
care to the community, with close to 4,000 patients receiving care,
education and medication during 41, 416 visits. In addition to the
generous private funding from individuals, foundations, corporations
and faith-based organizations, this effort was made possible by more
than 400 licensed clinical and support volunteers, who donated
more than 54,000 hours of their time and services.
It is fitting that in the year CVIM is celebrating its 20th anniversary of
providing health care, hope and healing to the uninsured of Chester
County, CVIM is being honored with PDA’s 2018 Public Service Award.
PDA Recognition Award
Dr. Thomas P. Sollecito has made great contributions to the art and
science of dentistry with his important work as an educator, author
and researcher.
An educator for the past 25 years, Dr. Sollecito has focused on
numerous areas, including TMD, oral mucosal diseases, head and
neck tumors/cancer, HIV dental treatment and Diabetic type 2
children. Since 1991, Dr. Sollecito has authored five books and
authored or co-authored more than 120 articles, abstracts and
reports. Thro ughout his education and research he has provided
research support for 31 grants.
A 1989 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Sollecito’s
career as an educator began at Temple University, where he was a
Clinical Assistant Professor of Oral Medicine, and continued with
several positions at Penn Dental and the University of North Carolina,
progressing to today where he is a professor and specialist in Oral
Medicine at Penn Dental and the Perelman School of Medicine,
Clinical Professor at the Medical College of Georgia, and has
consulting positions at the National Naval Center and the University
of Hong Kong.
Dr. Sollecito has been honored with a multitude of awards, such as
the 2009 Distinguished Service Award from the Alumni Society at the
Dr. Thomas P. Sollecito
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, and in 2014 he
won the International College of Dentists/American Association of
Dental Editors and Journalists’ Golden Pen Award for
Dental Journalism.
In a nominating letter from the Second District Valley Forge Dental
Association, Dr. Joel Funari, president, said that, “As a Pennsylvania
educator, Dr. Sollecito’s contributions to the dental profession have
had a huge impact on the next generation of dental leaders as he
has laid a very solid foundation for the future.”
PDA is delighted to name Dr. Sollecito as the 2018 PDA Recognition
Award winner.
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