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DentaQuest Invests in California Organizations Supporting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Oral Health

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DentaQuest has announced an investment in organizations that advance and promote diversity, equity and inclusion in oral healthcare. With this investment, DentaQuest is supporting efforts to break down barriers to accessing oral health care, and toward that goal is contributing $65,000 to five organizations across California to aid in their work, including:

  • Western University of Health Sciencesย College of Dental Medicineย is creatingย aย dentalย school safety net externship
  • Children Now is advocatingย to reduceย barriersย forย children of colorย to reach their full potential
  • GeriSmilesย Dental Health Foundation is bringing mobile dental services to regional schools and to geriatric populations in need of oral health care
  • Theย Pediatric Dental Initiative (PDI)ย is providingย pediatric and special needs patientsย with oral health prevention education and dental careย services
  • United American Indian Involvementย (UAII)ย isย creating a pathway for American Indians/Alaskan Nativesย to pursue a career in dentistry

โ€œThe overarching goal of theseย fiveย organizations is to create a more equitable healthcare system and to break down barriers to affordable, accessible, quality dental care,โ€ saysย Steve Pollock, DentaQuestย president and CEO. โ€œBy investing in organizations that promote and implement programs based in diversity, equity and inclusion, weโ€™re advancing grassroots efforts to improve the oral health of all.โ€

Western Universityย of Health Sciences College of Dental Medicine

DentaQuestโ€™s contribution toย Western University of Health Sciencesย College of Dental Medicineย will be used to launch a California Dental School Safety-Net program specifically for externships.ย This externshipย program willย helpย dentalย students in their junior or seniorย academicย yearย completeย their required externship experience. As part of the program, these students must provide care to those with limited access toย oral healthcare, such as patients inย ruralย areas, or to specific vulnerable populations, such asย those withย special needsย or veterans.

Children Now

DentaQuestโ€™s donation toย Children Nowย will support theย organizationโ€™sย implementation of the California Oral Health Plan (2018-2028)ย by working with stakeholders in theย state,ย includingย local health jurisdictionsย inย Alameda, Marin and Santa Clara counties.

GeriSmilesย Dental Health Foundation

The GeriSmiles Dental Health Foundationย promotes oral health and works onย aย partnership basis withย stateย agencies, oral healthcare professionals, consumer groups, the oral healthcare industry, the community,ย and education sectors in order to provide oral health treatment to California residents. With DentaQuestโ€™s contribution,ย GeriSmilesย will provideย preventiveย and restorative oral health careย toย hard-to-reach and medically underserved populations in Riverside and San Bernadino counties,ย regardlessย of their ability to pay.

Pediatric Dental Initiative

PDIย delivers safe, high-quality, specialized, surgical dental treatment to underserved youth and promotes oral health through education to communities of Northern California. DentaQuestโ€™s donation will support the organizationโ€™s oral health prevention education, community outreach and dental careย deliveryย to pediatric and special needs patients.

United American Indian Involvementย 

DentaQuestโ€™s donation toย UAIIย will beย applied to the organizationโ€™s Workforce Development and Training department, whichย providesย young adults ages 15 to 25 years old with opportunities toย enterย professionalย careers.ย UAII will offer an online orientation of dentalย programsย and provide online or virtual workshops to build interest in the dental industry.

Todayโ€™s announcement is DentaQuestโ€™s latest investment inย programs dedicated toย addressingย racial inequity and advancing the dental profession. Previously, DentaQuest announced aย $100,000 investment in two university research projects, $30,000 investment in three universityย externship programsย and a $20,000 investment in aย dental school admissions pilot programย with the Society of American Indian Dentists.

About DentaQuestโ€ฏ

DentaQuest is a purpose-driven health care company dedicated to improving the oral health of all. We do this throughย Preventistry โ€” our inclusive approach to quality care and expanded access built on trusted partnerships between patients, providers and payors. As one of the nationโ€™s largest and most experienced Medicaid dental benefits administrators, we manage dental and vision benefits for more than 33 million Americans through a nationwide network of providers in all 50 states. Our outcomes-based, cost-effective dental solutions are designed for Medicaid and CHIP, Medicare Advantage, small and large businesses, and individuals. At the same time, we are expanding our footprint of more than 70 oral health centers in six states to deliver direct patient care in rural and underserved populations. Learn moreย atย DentaQuest.com.

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