DELTA DENTAL OF SOUTH CAROLINA AWARDS $42,000+ TO EDWARD VIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE TO HELP PEOPLE GET VITAL DENTAL CARE
SPARTANBURG, SC. (May 14, 2024) … To help meet the dental health needs of adults, Delta Dental of South Carolina – a leading dental benefits provider and a non-profit organization – recently awarded more than $42,000 in an oral health grant to the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM). The funds will expand the free dental services offered to underserved individuals through its mobile medical units to include oral cancer screenings, as well as efforts to enhance oral cancer screening knowledge among physicians and medical learners.
The funding is part of Delta Dental of South Carolina’s 2024 mission giving initiatives, which included awarding more than $132,000 in oral health grants to three organizations to support oral health initiatives, educational programs and charitable causes across the state.
“VCOM is honored to receive this funding award from Delta Dental for our work Utilizing Primary Care Physicians to Improve Oral Cancer Screenings in Underserved Populations,” said Alexis Stoner, associate professor, discipline chair for Preventive Medicine and Public Health for VCOM. “We look forward to providing oral cancer screenings to medically underserved populations in South Carolina, using our mobile medical unit and creating an educational initiative for South Carolina physicians and medical learners to improve knowledge, skills and attitudes regarding oral cancer screenings. Through early detection and education, we aim to improve health outcomes associated with oral cancer.”
“Through our oral health grant program, we strive to help people live better lives through improved dental health,” said Stacy Harris, community outreach supervisor at Delta Dental of South Carolina. “By providing grants to a variety of organizations and institutions—like the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine—together, we can help thousands get vital dental care.”
The company awards grants for general operations, programs, projects and capacity-building efforts promoting the oral health of individuals in South Carolina. Objectives of its grant program include:
• Reducing oral disease through education, prevention and treatment
• Ensuring access to affordable, timely and high-quality dental care
• Enhancing the awareness of good oral health with a focus on children and individuals in need
• Making a measurable difference in the oral health of South Carolinians
• Helping to ensure that South Carolina is among the states with the highest indicators of oral health
To learn more, visit https://www.deltadentalsc.com/AboutUs/oral-health-grant-program.
About Delta Dental of South Carolina
Delta Dental of South Carolina is a trade name of Delta Dental of Missouri, a dental benefits provider and a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization, which operates in South Carolina under that name. It provides more than 370,000 members in South Carolina with access to affordable, high-quality dental care through group plans tailored to meet the needs of organizations of all sizes, from large corporations to small businesses with two or more employees. Delta Dental also offers dental benefit plans directly to individuals and families. It also provides access to affordable, high-quality vision care through group vision benefit plans. The company proudly supports oral health initiatives, educational programs and charitable causes that help educate people about the importance of dental health and provide free dental care to those in need. It also created the South Carolina Dental Care Resource Guide to help individuals access information about low-cost and free dental care options in their area—available online at www.DeltaDentalSC.com/ResourceGuide1. To learn more about the company, visit www.DeltaDentalSC.com.