The Eau Claire Community Foundation is honored to announce the first grant awarded through the Physicians’ Community Impact Fund (PCIF), a fund created by practicing and retired physicians who share a commitment to improving the health and well-being of the Eau Claire area.

The fund’s first grant, in the amount of $15,000, will support Increasing access to dental care for children through the CVTC Dental Clinic’s Summer Clinic. This funding will help expand the clinic from two days per week to three, allowing more low-income children to receive preventive dental care during the summer months, when they do not have to worry about missing school.

Over the course of six weeks, dental hygiene students, supervised by licensed faculty and a dental preceptor, will provide exams, cleanings, fluoride treatments, dental sealants, oral health education, and electric toothbrushes to 108 children who may otherwise go without care. The clinic also maintains a weekly waitlist of approximately 50 individuals, demonstrating the ongoing need for accessible dental services in the community.

PCIF is made up of practicing and retired physicians who support the fund through annual contributions and vote on grant recipients each year. Together, they are helping address local health needs in thoughtful and meaningful ways.

“This first grant is a wonderful reflection of what can happen when people come together around a shared commitment to community health,” said Dr. Susan Rowe, Chair of PCIF. “Improving access to preventive dental care for children is an investment not only in their health today, but in their well-being for the future. We are grateful to the physicians who made this possible and to the CVTC Dental Clinic for the care they provide to children and families in our community.”

The Eau Claire Community Foundation is grateful to the members of PCIF for their generosity and vision, and to the CVTC Dental Clinic for helping meet an important need in the Eau Claire area.

“This grant speaks to the heart of what the Physicians’ Community Impact Fund was created to do,” commented Wes Escondo, President and CEO of Eau Claire Community Foundation. “It is a meaningful way to support children, strengthen community health, and help make care more accessible for families who need it most.”

Learn more about the Physicians’ Community Impact Fund at www.pcifund.org. MDs, DOs, and their families are invited to join the 65 other physicians who are part of the inaugural founders and members of this fund to create an even larger impact on health and well-being in the Eau Claire area.