Abandoned at age 16 ...		An eleven-year-old boy ...
Sue works part-time and attends high school.  Her parents rarely took her to a dentist while growing up.  As a result, her badly decayed teeth caused her a great deal of pain.  Using A.C.H.E.S. vouchers, Sue received extensive dental work.  Her teeth still need more treatment, but already she is a different person.  Sue’s attention span has improved; she no longer experiences severe headaches; and she smiles more often.  Her teachers, friends and employer have noticed significant improvements in her overall health and happiness.  She now looks to the future, instead of remaining in the past.		James, came to the mobile dental van with serious stains on his two front teeth.  He never smiled because peers made fun of his stained teeth.  To avoid embarrassment, he talked with his hand in front of his mouth.  The dentist decided to put veneers on his stained teeth, despite the exorbitant cost.  James and his parents were so happy upon seeing the results, they cried.  They returned later in the day with roses for the dentist that James purchased himself.  James’ self esteem has forever been altered.  Now he smiles every chance he gets.

       History of the A.C.H.E.S. Program

     The A.C.H.E.S. Program is a program born out of the rising awareness from the Grand County Public Health Nurses and Grand County schools that many children come to school extremely ill because parents do not have the resources to pay for health care services for their children. Children are at risk for costly medical complications when the initial health concern is not treated, due to lack of access to medical care. The A.C.H.E.S. program helps these children from low income families, an especially vulnerable population, by providing prompt medical intervention and reducing the risk of complication.  Prompt medical intervention helps eliminate the passing of illnesses on to siblings, parents or other children.  This can reduce the amount of school missed by these children and also reduce the amount of work missed by their parents.  A healthy family allows the parent to provide more attention and support to the children, potentially enriching their environments.  The A.C.H.E.S. Program is unique within the county to serve this vulnerable population.