DELTA DENTAL OF SOUTH CAROLINA AWARDS MORE THAN $121,000 IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT GRANTS
COLUMBIA, SC. (Aug 30, 2023) … Delta Dental of South Carolina – a leading dental benefits provider and a non-profit organization – recently awarded more than $121,000 in Workforce Development grants to two organizations in Charleston and Columbia to promote the growth of a diverse dental workforce and expand access to oral healthcare in rural and minority communities. Each funded organization is developing innovative programs for high school and college students and/or working-age adults from underrepresented racial, ethnic or socioeconomic backgrounds to introduce them to and prepare them for career paths in dental health professions.
Delta Dental of South Carolina’s Workforce Development grants awarded in the state include the following:
• Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Foundation in Charleston received $99,633 to launch a Community Dental Health Coordination Program, which aims to strengthen and enhance the dental assistant and hygienist workforce in an effort to address oral health inequities in rural communities. The program will work to increase the number of professionals and students who are ADA-certified, while partnering with dental hygiene training programs to develop an application to the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education for a degree completion program in dental public health hygiene.
• Deeper Than Dentistry in Columbia received $21,500 to support programming to empower individuals to explore careers in dentistry and other areas of healthcare with a focus on rural dental shortage areas and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. The grant will allow the organization to provide mentoring/shadowing, scholarships, free dental services and supply programs, as well as speaking engagements with youth regarding careers in healthcare, life skills and small business ownership.
“Driving a diverse oral health workforce is critical to advancing oral health equity,” said Rob Goren, president and chief executive officer at Delta Dental of South Carolina. “We’re proud to partner with these organizations to help support and inspire underrepresented students of all ages to become vital dental care professionals. Investing in the future of our dental workforce will help people from all backgrounds live better lives through improved dental health and overall health.”
A recent report from the Oral Health Workforce Research Center found that improving racial and ethnic diversity among the nation’s dental health professionals is crucial for reducing the disparity in access to care and health outcomes and to better address the oral health needs of an increasingly diverse population.
The goal of Delta Dental of South Carolina’s grant program is to address three key dental workforce challenges, including:
• Lack of access to care in low-income and rural communities designated as Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas
• Decline in the dental workforce, which raises concerns about the adequacy to address oral healthcare needs statewide, and
• Lack of diversity in the dental workforce and access to care in minority communities.
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 330,000 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.