Greater Danbury Community Health Center Receives $350,000 Federal Grant

DANBURY, CT — U.S. 5th District State Representative Elizabeth Esty and Hon. James H. Maloney, JD, President and CEO of Connecticut Institute For Communities (CIFC), sponsor of the Greater Danbury Community Health Center (GDCHC), announced Monday that CIFC’s Greater Danbury Community Health Center has received an annual Federal grant of $350,000 from the Health Resources and Services Administration to expand dental services in the Greater Danbury area.

The federally qualified health center (FQHC) provides medical, dental and behavioral primary healthcare services, on a sliding fee basis, to people children, adolescents, adults and seniors. A large number of children and adults in the Greater Danbury area unnecessarily suffer the consequences of dental diseases due to the inability to access affordable preventive and treatment services in a timely manner, according to a release from the GDCHC. The organization found that there are more than 31,000 people in the Greater Danbury area in need of preventive and restorative oral health care services, with the largest concentration in the City of Danbury.

The funding will enable GDCHC to fill that need by adding three dentists, two dental hygienists and five dental assistants to its existing dental team.

“Access to dental care is a necessary part of maintaining overall health and wellbeing, not a
luxury or privilege. Dental health is vital for preventing and stopping the progress of serious
diseases and for maintaining a high quality of life. Every family deserves quality dental health
care, and this grant will ensure that families throughout the Greater Danbury area have access to
it, regardless of their income or economic status,” said Congresswoman Esty.

CIFC/GDCHC operates nine clinical sites in the following locaitons:

1) 57 North Street, Danbury

2) 37 Foster Street, Danbury

3) 70 Main Street, Danbury

4) Henry Abbott Technical High School, Danbury

5) Danbury High School, Danbury

6) Rogers Park, Danbury

7) Broadview Middle Schools

8) SBHC at Newtown Middle School, Newtown, CT.

An additional Health Center site and Institute office building is under construction at 120 Main Street. The Health Center also sponsors the Region’s Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutrition Program and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) enrollment services, which are both located at 80 Main Street in downtown Danbury. Additional CIFC programs include Head Start, Early Head Start, School Readiness, the Harambee Youth Center and the Beaver Street Apartments Cooperative, www.ct-institute.org.

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