Karis Community Health receives Health Access Hero Award, including $100,000 grant, from Sun Life and DentaQuest

CLEVELAND, Tenn., Dec. 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Karis Community Health has been selected as a 2025 Health Access Hero Award and grant recipient by Sun Life U.S. and DentaQuest. The $100,000 grant will help expand access to dental care within and beyond Bradley County. The annual Health Access Hero Awards recognize nonprofits and individual change-makers working to broaden access to health services for communities in need.

Karis Community Health has been serving Bradley County since 2015, providing more than $13 million in dental services. Originally Karis Dental, the organization changed its name after recognizing other underlying health conditions among many patients. What started as a faith-based clinic aimed at closing adult dental care gaps has become an essential community resource that also provides medical care, chronic disease management and health education. The grant will help expand its reach to additional underserved communities including Polk County, where more than 2,300 residents lived without health insurance in 2024.

"This grant is helping close a huge gap we've been trying to fill for a long time," said Karis Community Health Executive Director Kelly Ohlsson. "Our services are needed in Polk County and beyond, but we've had to say no these requests because our capacity was at max. Bradley County itself is too much as it is. For us to be able to expand with this grant is just an answer to a prayer and a dream come true for the community, and for me personally as a cofounder."

Healthcare access is an ongoing issue across America, and grassroots efforts can drive meaningful results within communities. From diabetes to oral health, the Health Access Hero Awards raise awareness about the work of people and programs around the country that are charting new ways to overcome longstanding healthcare challenges.

"Sun Life and DentaQuest are committed to broadening access to care through philanthropic initiatives that can have large-scale impact at local levels. Karis Community Health is doing the hard work to bring what can be life-changing dentistry to areas in need," said Dr. Todd Gray, chief dental officer for Sun Life U.S. "Over the years, we have had the privilege of supporting many incredible programs and witnessing the meaningful results achieved in their communities. To Karis Community Health, thank you for the opportunity to help make your impact even stronger and move the needle toward increased access to oral healthcare for all."

There are two tracks to the Health Access Hero Awards: grants to fund health and wellness programs in community organizations, and recognition of individuals who have made a significant impact on health access in their communities. Individual Heroes also receive a $10,000 donation to the charity of their choice. The Health Access Hero Awards have provided more than $3.5 million in grants and recognized more than 130 individuals across the country.

Read more about the Health Wagon and the 2025 Health Access Hero awards, including all the recipients, at https://www.dentaquest.com/en/about-us/health-access-heroes.

About DentaQuest
Sun Life U.S. Dental, which includes DentaQuest, is dedicated to improving the oral health of all through purpose-driven, outcomes-based solutions. We make dental benefits better for everyone through Preventistry^® – an inclusive approach centered on preventive, quality care, expanded access and solutions built on valued relationships across the health care ecosystem. We manage dental and vision benefits for approximately 35 million Americans. For 30 years, we have delivered cost-effective benefit plans and services for employer groups, individuals, health plans, and government-sponsored dental programs. We are the largest Medicaid and CHIP dental benefits administrator in the U.S., by membership. We also support direct patient care through an expanding network of approximately 75 dental practices in underserved communities across the United States. Learn more about Sun Life U.S. Dental at sunlife.com/dental and dentaquest.com.

About Sun Life
Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing asset management, wealth, insurance and health solutions to individual and institutional Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the U.S., the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of September 30, 2025, Sun Life had total assets under management of C$1.62 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com.

Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF.

Sun Life U.S. is one of the largest providers of employee and government benefits, helping approximately 50 million Americans access the care and coverage they need. Through employers, industry partners and government programs, Sun Life U.S. offers a portfolio of benefits and services, including dental, vision, disability, absence management, life, supplemental health, medical stop-loss insurance, and healthcare navigation. Sun Life employs more than 8,500 people in the U.S., including associates in our partner dental practices and affiliated companies in asset management. Group insurance policies are issued by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Wellesley Hills, Mass.), except in New York, where policies are issued by Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.) (Lansing, Mich.). For more information visit our website and newsroom.

Media contacts

Maya Linson
Sun Life U.S.
[email protected]
202-794-3738

Bethany Almendarez
Karis Community Health
[email protected]
(423) 244-3740

Connect with Sun Life U.S.

SOURCE Sun Life U.S.