Health Wagon’s Owens & Hill Dental Clinic Receives Sun Life & DentaQuest 2025 Health Access Hero Award

(Wise, Va.) – Sun Life U.S. and DentaQuest have announced this year’s recipients of the Health Access Hero Awards, which recognize nonprofits and individual change-makers working to broaden access to health services and improve health outcomes for communities in need. The Health Wagon, based in Wise, Virginia, has received a $50,000 grant to enhance services in its dental clinic. This funding will support expanded access to oral health care and improved diabetes management, positively impacting hundreds of patients.

Areas of focus for the program include education, awareness, treatment and access for oral health, diabetes, obesity prevention and nutrition so it was an ideal fit for the Health Wagon’s mission of providing health care to uninsured and underinsured people.

The Health Wagon’s Owens and Hill Dental Health Clinic was one of the $50,000 Grant winners

“Oral health is deeply connected to overall health, especially for those managing chronic diseases like diabetes,” said Dr. Teresa Owens Tyson, DNP, President and CEO of The Health Wagon. “This award allows us to reach even more patients who might otherwise go without care. Many of the individuals we serve have never seen a dentist in their entire lives, and by the time they come to us, they’re often in pain or facing serious oral health issues. Our dental team currently faces a waiting list of nearly 1,000 patients, many requiring complex restorations or dentures. Support like this helps us expand access, shorten wait times, and change lives.

Dr. Paula Hill-Collins, DNP, Clinical Director states, “It also helps prevent unnecessary emergency department visits, as many patients turn to local hospitals in pain when dental infections go untreated. By offering timely, preventive, and restorative care, we’re keeping our patients out of crisis and improving overall health outcomes across our region.”

“Sun Life and DentaQuest are committed to broadening access to care through philanthropic initiatives that can have large-scale impact at local levels,” said David Healy, president, Sun Life U.S. “Over the years, we have had the privilege of supporting many incredible programs and witnessing the meaningful results achieved in their communities. We thank these Health Access Heroes for the opportunity to help make their impact even stronger and move the needle toward equitable health access for all.”

Through the Health Access Hero Awards, Sun Life and DentaQuest to date have provided more than $3.5 million in grants and recognized more than 130 individuals across the country. There are two tracks to the Health Access Hero awards: grants to fund innovative health and wellness programs at community organizations, and recognition of individuals who have made a significant impact in their communities. The Health Wagon was a recipient of the grant track.

The Health Wagon, Virginia, $50,000

The Health Wagon provides access to integrated medical care throughout the Appalachian Mountains at several mobile and stationary clinics. The grant will support the dental clinic and its diabetes management initiative in a medically underserved, designated health professional shortage area. Patients will gain access to oral health care and education about oral hygiene and diabetes management, which can positively influence overall health and wellness in the long-term.

About The Owens and Hill Dental Health Clinic:

Operated by The Health Wagon, it is a 10-chair clinic providing free and low-cost dental care to uninsured and underinsured residents across Central Appalachia. Located in a Health Professional Shortage Area, the clinic offers preventive, restorative, and emergency dental services—including cleanings, fillings, extractions, and dentures. It also serves as a clinical training site for university dental and hygiene students, strengthening the rural oral health workforce while expanding access to care for those who need it most.

About the Health Wagon:

The Health Wagon is a nurse practitioner managed clinic that has been in existence

since 1980 which provides free medical, dental and vision health care services in Lee,

Scott, Wise, Dickenson, Buchanan, Washington and Russell Counties and Norton City. For

more information about The Health Wagon, please call 276-328-8850 or visit

www.thehealthwagon.org. If you would like to donate to the Health Wagon, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, please visit: www.thehealthwagon.org/donate.

About DentaQuest

Sun Life U.S. Dental, which includes DentaQuest, is dedicated to improving the oral health of all through purpose-driven, outcomes-based solutions. We make dental benefits better for everyone through Preventistry® – an inclusive approach centered on preventive, quality care, expanded access and solutions built on valued relationships across the health care ecosystem. We manage dental and vision benefits for approximately 35 million Americans. For 30 years, we have delivered cost-effective benefit plans and services for employer groups, individuals, health plans, and government-sponsored dental programs. We are the largest Medicaid and CHIP dental benefits administrator in the U.S., by membership. We also support direct patient care through an expanding network of approximately 75 dental practices in underserved communities across the United States. Learn more about Sun Life U.S. Dental at sunlife.com/dental and dentaquest.com.

About Sun Life

Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of September 30, 2025, Sun Life had total assets under management of C$1.62 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Sun Life U.S. is one of the largest providers of employee and government benefits, helping approximately 50 million Americans access the care and coverage they need. Through employers, industry partners and government programs, Sun Life U.S. offers a portfolio of benefits and services, including dental, vision, disability, absence management, life, supplemental health, medical stop-loss insurance, and healthcare navigation. Sun Life employs more than 8,300 people in the U.S., including associates in our partner dental practices and affiliated companies in asset management. Group insurance policies are issued by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Wellesley Hills, Mass.), except in New York, where policies are issued by Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.) (Lansing, Mich.). For more information visit our website and newsroom.

Interested Individuals in Need of Care:

If you believe you may benefit from this grant program and would like to participate, The Health Wagon welcomes you to contact ask for Dr. Jen Hammons, PharmD, program manager, at 276-328-8850 for details. Space is limited, so early inquiries are encouraged.