Overall Health for Vulnerable Populations

Overall Health for Vulnerable Populations serves to decrease health issues caused by inadequate hygiene. Our organization has five committees that are each dedicated to reaching a specific vulnerable population. These committees are the Older Adults, Individuals with Special Needs, Low Socioeconomic Status/Under-Resourced, People Experiencing Homelessness, and Children. Each committee organizes two community service events per quarter. Some examples of our community service events include volunteering at Senior Smiles, handing out bags with resources for overall hygiene to those experiencing homelessness, and educational events at elementary schools to promote knowledge of proper oral, mental, and physical care. Many populations do not have access to resources or the knowledge of how to maintain proper health. In addition, health diseases and increased health risks have been shown to be connected to poor oral and physical hygiene. Our mission is to bridge the gap between dentistry and medicine while simultaneously serving vulnerable communities such as older adults, special needs individuals, and those experiencing homelessness, to increase knowledge of healthcare and access to resources, thus ameliorating health problems derived from these issues.

oh4vp.at.ucla@gmail.com

Signatories: Jordan O'Brien, David Yamin, and David Tabibzadeh

Advisor: Aranza Angelica Guzman