We presented Hanneke Deeken with our annual Community Service Award.
Pictured left to right Renee Ramirez, Hanneke Deeken an Barb Berndt
It was the lack of access to dental care for kids who were experiencing dental pain that Ms. Deeken knew she had to do something to address the problem; create a dental clinic with a focus on state insured and uninsured kids. She gathered the experts together to assess the need to make plans for a dental clinic. She led the collaboration efforts with Marquette Dental School, WCTC’s dental hygiene faculty, representatives from the HMOs, public health, and consulted with the state’s Department of Health and Human Services and many local dentists. She collected advice on systems that other communities in Wisconsin had put together to provide service, and a few models from other states as well. She coordinated several site visits to community clinics around the state. She secured substantial support from ProHealth Care to assist with fund raising and drafting a business plan. She worked tirelessly to take a dream into reality.
She has selflessly and compassionately donated hundreds of hours of her time so that disadvantaged children and adults who live in Waukesha County have access to affordable dental care.
More than 10,000 Waukesha County residents have benefited from Ms. Deeken’s dream of having a dental clinic for low income families in Waukesha County.
We donated $500.00 to a charity of Hanneke's choice, of course it was the dental clinic!
