Oral Health America (OHA) is proud to announce its 2019 Champion for Change Honoree. Dr. Larry Coffee, founder, President and CEO of the Dental Lifeline Network (DLN), will receive the award at OHA’s Champions for Change Gala on 20th February 2019.
Dr. Coffee created the Denver-based Dental Lifeline Network while in dental school, seeking a way to help his sister who was critically ill and unable to find care. DLN is a national nonprofit organisation that provides access to dental care and education for people who cannot afford it and have a permanent disability, who are age 65 or older or who are medically fragile.
“OHA is excited to honour Dr. Coffee with this well-deserved award. Since retiring from DLN, he has actively advocated for Medicare to redefine the concept of ‘Medically Necessary,’ which would help millions of people who are currently delaying care,” said Ms. Beth Truett, President & CEO of OHA. “As part of our Medicare Coalition, Dr. Coffee is key to providing the experience and stories of people who desperately need this benefit. He is an esteemed colleague and a dear friend of OHA.”
Dr. Coffee is best known within the profession and the industry for DentaCheques, a program of the Dental Lifeline Network that has generated US$330 million in dental treatment for 112,000 deserving patients in all 50 states. More than 15,000 dentists and 3,700 laboratories serve as DDS volunteers who provide care.
He is a Fellow of the American College of Dentists and a recipient of the ADA’s Distinguished Service Award, the ADA/Colgate Palmolive Award for Outstanding Service to the public and profession, the Frederick McKay Award for Excellence in Preventive Dentistry from the Pierre Fauchard Academy and the Northwestern University Alumni Award of Merit.
