The ADA and ADA Foundation are working with the Executive Director of the Colegio, Mr. Gilberto Rios and the Dean of the University of Puerto Rico, Dr. Ana N. Lopez to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. According to Mr. Rios only 50 of 1,200 dentists in Puerto Rico are working, on a limited basis, due to the destruction of their offices and/or limited access to generators. This service spans across the 3.4 million residents on the island. The University was fortunate that there was nominal damage to the school, however, the majority of students and staff have lost their homes or personal belongings.
If you are interested in assisting Puerto Rico, the following site has been established to make monetary donations or learn what resources are being requested and where they can be shipped:
www.ada.org/HelpPuertoRico. (If you prefer to wire funds to either the Colegio or the University of Puerto Rico, contact the ADA Outreach Manager for PR, Bridget Baxter at
baxterb@ada.org for information.