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Karis Community Health receives Health Access Hero Award, including $100,000 grant, from Sun Life and DentaQuest
Karis Community Health receives Health Access Hero Award, including $100,000 grant, from Sun Life...
About this update from Sun Life Financial Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Karis Community Health receives Health Access Hero Award, including $100,000 grant, from Sun Life and DentaQuest\n\n\nKaris Community Health receives Health Access Hero Award, including $100,000 grant, from Sun Life and DentaQuest\n\n/* Style Definitions */\nspan.prnews_span\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\na.prnews_a\n{\ncolor:blue;\n}\nli.prnews_li\n{\nfont-size:8pt;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\n}\np.prnews_p\n{\nfont-size:0.62em;\nfont-family:\"Arial\";\ncolor:black;\nmargin:0in;\n}\n\n\n\n\n\nPR Newswire\n\n\nCLEVELAND, Tenn., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Karis Community Health has been selected as a 2025 Health Access Hero Award and grant recipient by Sun Life U.S. and DentaQuest. The $100,000 grant will help expand access to dental care within and beyond Bradley County. The annual Health Access Hero Awards recognize nonprofits and individual change-makers working to broaden access to health services for communities in need.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKaris Community Health has been serving Bradley County since 2015, providing more than $13 million in dental services. Originally Karis Dental, the organization changed its name after recognizing other underlying health conditions among many patients. What started as a faith-based clinic aimed at closing adult dental care gaps has become an essential community resource that also provides medical care, chronic disease management and health education. The grant will help expand its reach to additional underserved communities including Polk County, where more than 2,300 residents lived without health insurance in 2024.\n\"This grant is helping close a huge gap we've been trying to fill for a long time,\" said Karis Community Health Executive Director Kelly Ohlsson. \"Our services are needed in Polk County and beyond, but we've had to say no these requests because our capacity was at max. Bradley County itself is too much as it is. For us to be able to expand with this grant is just an answer to a prayer and a dream come true for the community, and for me personally as a cofounder.\"\nHealthcare access is an ongoing issue across America, and grassroots efforts can drive meaningful results within communities. From diabetes to oral health, the Health Access Hero Awards raise awareness about the work of people and programs around the country that are charti...