Brighter Way Institute, an Arizona-based non-profit organization, with a mission to provide comprehensive oral health care for vulnerable adults, children, veterans, those experiencing homelessness, and individuals with special needs, has been honored with a $350,000 gift from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. This capital support expanded access to implant services at Brighter Way’s downtown center. This state-of-the-art surgical suite that was completed in February 2025, will significantly help increase complex surgical oral implant procedures for low-income adult patients. This initiative is coordinated by Brighter Way Institute’s Program Director, Dr. Todd Erickson, DDS, MS, the only dually certified oral/maxillofacial surgeon/radiologist in the nation.
On April 11, 2025, Brighter Way hosted a dedication of this suite to Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, “in appreciation for its leadership in increasing access to quality oral health care. Emily Mead and Karen Leland from the Trust were in attendance. Two additional surgical suites honored and recognized both Dr. Jack Dillenberg, a long-time Brighter Way Board Member, and the Janis Chapman Merrill Foundation.
Steve Zabilski, President & CEO of Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, remarked, “This project is serving such a critical need for quality, accessible oral health care for under-served older adults in our community. Piper Trust commends the innovative work Brighter Way Institute is doing in the field of oral health implant surgery.”
The Diane & Bruce Halle Brighter Way Dental Center is co-located on the Phoenix Human Services Campus (HSC) with 16 complimentary non-profits all serving low-income and homeless adults to meet physical, mental health, employment, housing, food insecurity and other needs. The 2024 homelessness Point-In-Time (PIT) Count in Maricopa County has reported a total of 9,435 people experiencing homelessness with 43% unsheltered. The majority of these people live in Phoenix with over 30% of the homeless population experiencing chronic and severe dental disease with limited or no oral health coverage.
Brighter Way Institute was founded by Dr. Kris Volcheck in 2001 and operated as a pilot project out of a small trailer located at the Human Services Campus in downtown Phoenix. In 2016, Brighter Way Institute became a separate non-profit organization, to operate under an expanded framework that includes all vulnerable members of our community and does not limit care to only those experiencing homelessness. Today, Brighter Way Institute’s two dental centers and Mobile Dental Center provide comprehensive routine, restorative and reconstruction services that include dentures, implants, and a full range of conscious and unconscious sedation options for children.
Dr. Kris Volcheck, DDS, Founding CEO of Brighter Way expressed, “It is such an honor to receive our first donation from Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. This grant is transformational as more of our under-served adult population will now receive the complex oral health care, they need to eliminate chronic pain, eat nutritious food, and gain greater independence. Self-confidence is renewed, and through collaborations at the Human Services Campus, we can help address other social factors impacting patients’ overall well-being. For the first time in years, these individuals return to their community with their wholeness restored and a bright future in store for them. Our thanks to Piper Trust.”
Utilizing an innovative model that incorporates staff and volunteer dentists, local dental educational institutions, and engages both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, Brighter Way Institute has navigated gaps in oral health care to significantly address the growing needs and health inequities among vulnerable individuals in Maricopa County. To learn more about Brighter Way Institute, visit www.brighterwaydental.org.
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