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WASHINGTON DC (June 24, 2008) - Unity Health Care (Unity) will open a fully-comprehensive dental suite within its health center located at the Federal City Homeless Assistance Center. The facility will be one of the first of its kind in the nation, providing the District's homeless with comprehensive Oral Health services. As with all Unity Health Care services, dental care will be available regardless of patients' ability to pay, in part, thanks to a generous grant of $79,586 to the Unity Health Care Foundation from CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield (CareFirst).

The dental suite will include two dental stations, a renovated bathroom and patient waiting area. It has been supplied with newly-purchased equipment to include state-of-the art Digital Dental Imaging capabilities. These enhancements will greatly improve the quality of care and increase the capacity to service the homeless individuals. Recent studies show that about 29 percent of adults in the District had not visited the dentist or a dental clinic within the past year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's www.statehealthfacts.org. The inability to access dental care is substantially higher when factors such as lack of transportation and lack of dental coverage are coupled with many of the other challenges faced by homeless individuals.

"For over two decades Unity has been providing services to the District's homeless individuals and this partnership will greatly increase much needed access to dental services for this population," said Vincent A. Keane, President and CEO of Unity Health Care Inc. "Our homeless clients face many challenges that often outweigh any health concern. As a result, they often come into care later and with conditions that cost more to treat. CareFirst's generosity will significantly help us to provide access to treatment for many of the District's homeless and medically underserved."

The Federal City Homeless Assistance Center (CCNV) is located at 425 Second Street, N.W. in Ward 1 and was established in 1970 as the Community for Creative Non-Violence (CCNV). It is the nation's largest homeless shelter with the capacity to serve more than 1,400 individuals nightly. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments reports that on any given night in the District, more than 5,750 people were homeless in 2007, nearly half of the National Capital Area's 11,762 homeless. Unity Health Care has been providing medical and social services for the homeless at Federal City (CCNV) Center since 1985, and in 2007, provided care to nearly 3,000 individuals at the center.

Dr. Jon Shematek, CareFirst Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Director, explained, "The District's homeless are a significant portion of the uninsured population in need of help. Providing comprehensive care while conditions are more easily treatable will prevent many patients from developing severe medical conditions, such as infections, heart disease and gastrointestinal illnesses."

About Unity Health Care, Inc.:
Unity Health Care, Inc., Washington DC's largest nonprofit health and social service organization, serves individuals and families in all eight Wards of the District of Columbia through its network of 11 Community Health Centers, four specialized Health centers, 10 sites serving homeless people and two mobile medical units. More than 80,000 people including the working poor, uninsured, homeless and the formerly incarcerated benefited from services in 2007. Unity Health Care Foundation; an independent 501 (c) 3 organization; cultivates resources with corporations, foundations and private donors that support the mission-driven services within Unity Health Care, Inc. For more information about Unity Health Care, Inc., visit: www.unityhealthcare.org.

About CareFirst:
In its 71st year of service, CareFirst, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, is a not-for-profit health care company which, through its affiliates and subsidiaries, offers a comprehensive portfolio of health insurance products and administrative services to more than 3.2 million individuals and groups in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Through its CareFirst Commitment initiative and other public mission activities, CareFirst supports efforts to increase the accessibility, affordability, safety and quality of health care throughout its market areas. To learn more about CareFirst Commitment, visit: www.carefirstcommunity.com.

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