Senate Resolution 53

(As Adopted by Senate)

A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE AFFILIATED COMPUTER SERVICES (ACS) GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE SOLUTIONS DENTAL OUTREACH INITIATIVE.

WHEREAS, tooth decay is said to be the single most common chronic childhood disease five times more common than asthma and is one of the two most frequently cited reasons for school absence; and

WHEREAS, according to the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Pediatricians, children from low-income families suffer from twice as many cavities as their more affluent peers, and the disease is more likely to remain untreated, leading to potential problems with eating, speaking, and paying attention in school, and plaguing individuals well into adulthood; and

WHEREAS, the ACS Initiative was designed to combat these problems by providing free screenings and educational seminars on preventative dental care to underserved children. They will host a series of dental education seminars throughout the State of Mississippi. To reinforce what they have learned at the end of each seminar, students received a bag of treats, including a toothbrush, toothpaste, a tee-shirt, sugarless gum, pencils, record-keeping calendar, and a follow-up report for the parents. The follow-up notice links the alleviation of dental pain to improved academic performance, and includes a list of local dental providers; and

WHEREAS, ACS Government Healthcare Solutions, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, is joining the National Dental Association and the National Dental Hygienists' Association to launch the ACS Government Healthcare Solutions Mississippi Dental Outreach Initiative in an effort to reach 5,000 low-income children, annually in underserved areas, providing free dental care, and making families aware of the extreme importance of preventive measures:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) Government Healthcare Solutions, the National Dental Association and the National Dental Hygienists' Association are recognized for their efforts to improve the dental health of the area's children through the ACS Government Healthcare Solutions Mississippi Dental Outreach Initiative.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to representatives of the ACS Government Healthcare Solutions Mississippi Dental Outreach Initiative and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.