Kaiser Permanente will grant more than $470,000 to nonprofit organizations in Marin and Sonoma counties in California, including PDI Surgery Center, according to a North Bay Business Journal report.
The grants range from $5,000 to $30,000 for 31 nonprofit organizations focused on improving healthcare. Here are five things to know about PDI Surgery Center:
1. The surgery center is focused on pediatric dental surgery treating children with severe tooth decay under general anesthesia.
2. The surgery center has been open for seven years and treated more than 13,500 patients from 30 different countries. There are more than 200 patients treated there each month.
3. Katherine Foster, MD, is the founding board member and was the 2013 board chair. The center was established in January 2008 with more than 400 children on the waiting list.
4. The surgery center has digital X-rays, intra-oral camera and monitoring equipment. They also provide educational tools to help improve dental hygiene. There are 11 doctors, 26 anesthesiologists, seven nurses and four RDAs at the center.
5. PDI was featured on NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams during a segment investigating the dental crisis in California and what PDI is doing to make a difference.