CDA Foundation Awards Three New Student Loan Repayment Grants

CDA President Carol Summerhays, DDS, presented the three new Student Loan Grant Recipients to the House of Delegates this November.

Previously, the Foundation had been able to award two community service grants, but was able to fund three this year due to a donation by the Maurice Amado Foundation. In the past, the Maurice Amado Foundation has generously funded the CDA Foundation, Maurice Amado Dental Assisting Scholarship Program. This year, in addition to the dental assisting scholarships, Drs. Sam and Mark Tarica, board members of the Maurice Amado Foundation, decided to fund a third candidate for the Student Loan Repayment Grant Program. “The CDA Foundation has a history with the Maurice Amado Foundation – so we are aware of the various programs of the Foundation and the work they are doing to increase access to care,” said Dr. Sam Tarica. “We love the idea of being able to help. We tried to figure out where we could do the most good and we felt the Student Loan Repayment Grant Program is such a win-win initiative – both for the new dentist and of course, for the community they will be serving.  We were looking for something that had immediate impact and this program fits the bill.”

The Student Loan Repayment Grant Program provides community service grants for new dentists to practice in underserved communities in California. The three recipients include:

• Al Ochoa, DDS is currently serving at the Riverside San Bernardino County Indian Health Clinic.
• Isaac Navarro, DMD, who is practicing at Family Healthcare Network in Orosi.
• Teri Ly, DDS, who is currently practicing at La Clinica De La Raza at Children’s Hospital in Oakland.