Karis Community Health has been named a 2025 Health Access Hero Award recipient by Sun Life U.S. and DentaQuest, receiving a $100,000 grant to broaden dental care services in Bradley County and beyond.
The annual Health Access Hero Awards honor nonprofits and individuals improving access to health services in underserved communities. Since 2015, Karis Community Health—formerly Karis Dental—has provided more than $13 million in dental care, evolving from a faith-based dental clinic into a comprehensive health provider addressing medical care, chronic disease management, and health education.
The new funding will support the organization’s expansion into underserved areas, including Polk County, where over 2,300 residents lacked health insurance in 2024.
“This grant is helping close a huge gap we’ve been trying to fill for a long time,” said Executive Director and cofounder Kelly Ohlsson. “Our services are needed in Polk County and beyond, but our capacity was maxed out. Expanding with this grant is a dream come true for the community and for me personally.”
Sun Life U.S. and DentaQuest emphasize the importance of local initiatives in tackling healthcare access challenges. “Karis Community Health is doing the hard work to bring life-changing dentistry to areas in need,” said Dr. Todd Gray, chief dental officer for Sun Life U.S. “We are proud to support programs that create meaningful results in their communities.”
The Health Access Hero Awards operate on two tracks: grants for community health programs and recognition of individuals advancing health access. Individual Heroes also receive a $10,000 donation to a charity of their choice. To date, the awards have provided over $3.5 million in grants and honored more than 130 individuals nationwide.