Foundation supports Ahoskie

Dental health capabilities got a boost at East Carolina University School of Dental Medicine’s community service learning center (CSLC) in Ahoskie through a gift from the Roanoke Chowan Foundation (RCF).

The first-time $39,000 gift from RCF – through the ECU Health Foundation – has allowed the school to secure equipment and resources to offer moderate sedation at the CSLC. Additionally, funds will be used to purchase a new Primescan Connect camera, which will update digital dentistry capabilities, and for nitrous carts, to help with care for pediatric patients.

“This state-of-the-art equipment provides our students and residents with vital exposure to digital dentistry,” said Dr. Greg Chadwick, dean. “This equipment also will help keep patients out of the local hospital operating room for dental surgery, while providing excellent educational opportunities for our students and residents.”

The alignment of ECU’s medical and health sciences and ECU Health helped establish a new relationship with RCF. ECU Health Roanoke Chowan Hospital is one of the health system’s nine hospitals. The foundation became an independent entity from the hospital after alignment.

“Our foundation has a long partnership of supporting the Ahoskie dental clinic through the Roanoke-Chowan Community Health Clinic. The alignment with ECU Health and the ECU Health Foundation provided an opportunity to grow our assistance by giving to the School of Dental Medicine directly,” said Wendy Vann, with RCF. “The school, in turn, can enhance the services they are able to provide in our community.”

Since 1985, the foundation has provided more than $17 million to address health and wellness in the Roanoke-Chowan area, including Bertie, Gates, Halifax and Hertford counties.

Roanoke Chowan Foundation’s gift for the Ahoskie CSLC was made to the ECU Health Foundation, the philanthropic arm supporting ECU Health and ECU’s health sciences campus.

“This gift, supporting the Ahoskie CSLC, highlights the alignment of the health system with the region we serve and our shared purpose to improve the overall health, education and well-being of eastern North Carolina,” said Scott Senatore, Chief Philanthropy Officer, ECU Health Foundation. “The Roanoke Chowan Foundation is a dedicated community partner, and we appreciate their commitment to the CSLC in Ahoskie.”