DALLAS, May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Affiliated Computer Services, Inc. (ACS) is expanding its national Dental Outreach Initiative to Louisiana to aid the state's school children. The program is now available in seven states and the District of Columbia.
ACS will launch the initiative by sponsoring a free dental education and screening for children on Tuesday, May 6, at Forest Heights Elementary School, 7447 Sumrall Drive, Baton Rouge, starting at 1:00 p.m. Since the ACS Dental Outreach Initiative was launched in Georgia in 2004, more than 26,000 children have received dental education.
The program, conducted in partnership with The Dental Clinic of Dr. Crear and Associates, provides free dental education and screenings to underserved children. ACS is launching the initiative in Louisiana with a goal of educating and screening approximately 2,000 children. Along with Baton Rouge, ACS plans to sponsor multiple screenings in other Louisiana schools in the upcoming 2008-2009 school year.
"As corporate residents of Louisiana, we are concerned about the health and well-being of our neediest children," said Christopher T. Deelsnyder, ACS senior vice president and managing director, Government Healthcare Solutions. "Together with our partners, we hope to teach these children that practicing good dental hygiene will have a profound impact on their health for years to come."
ACS' more than 200 employees in Louisiana provide state government services such as managing the Medicaid CommunityCARE Primary Care case management program, processing child support payments, and operating the Louisiana Customer Service Center for family support programs. Additionally, ACS operates the 311 non-emergency services system and Emergency Medical Services billing services for the city of New Orleans.
The ACS Dental Initiative provides free dental screenings and education seminars on dental hygiene by licensed professionals. To reinforce what they learn during the seminars, students receive a gift bag containing a toothbrush, toothpaste, t-shirts, and dental education material. In addition, children receive a screening evaluation and a recommendation report to share with their parents or guardian.
For many children, the ACS Dental Initiative screening will be their first dental check-up. In fact, the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) state that children from low-income families are less likely to see a dentist regularly, and suffer twice as many dental cavities as their peers. In addition, pain and suffering due to untreated disease lead to problems in eating, speaking and paying attention in school. The ADA and the AAP also note that 51 million school hours are lost each year as a result of dental-related problems.
"The ACS Dental Outreach Initiative is our way of reaching into communities throughout the state to help Louisiana children have not only healthy smiles, but healthy futures as well," said Deelsnyder.
Along with Louisiana, the initiative benefits children in Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, and the District of Columbia.
ACS, a global FORTUNE 500 company with 63,000 people supporting client operations reaching more than 100 countries, provides business process outsourcing and information technology solutions to world-class commercial and government clients. The company's Class A common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ACS." Learn more about ACS at http://www.acs-inc.com.
SOURCE Affiliated Computer Services, Inc.
