Everyone deserves a healthy smile and that is why the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation is proud to announce more than $570,000 in grants awarded to eight dental safety net organizations in Virginia that are working diligently to provide oral health care to underserved communities.
Our 2022 grant recipients advance positive oral health in Virginia communities through creative programming and a focus on expanded access to dental care. The Foundation awarded a total of $576,100 to organizations serving the most critical oral health needs in our communities, including:
- Arlington Free Clinic to support the integration of dental and medical care to serve low-income, uninsured patients.
- Augusta Regional Free Clinic in support of the expansion of dental health care for Augusta County low-income residents.
- Bradley Free Clinic to increase access to dental services for low-income patients in the Roanoke region.
- Child Health Investment Partnership of the Roanoke Valley to support oral health and supportive services to Spanish-speaking families in the Roanoke area.
- Eastern Shore Rural Health System, Inc. in support of the Northampton County Public Schools Dental Program.
- Free Clinic of Central Virginia to help expand its emergency dental care program in the Lynchburg area.
- GoochlandCares in support of Medicaid adoption and provision efforts.
- Western Tidewater Free Clinic to help expand access to dental care throughout the region.
Click here to learn how each of these organizations plan to use their grants to improve oral health in their communities.
Safety net clinics often provide services with limited resources. Many of the men and women that make up the safety net clinic workforce volunteer their time, creativity and passion to help friends, neighbors and complete strangers in their community. Supporting Virginia’s dental safety net is a critical component to achieving the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation’s goal to create healthy smiles throughout the Commonwealth and we’re eager to continue assisting these organizations and others like them in their extraordinary efforts to keep our communities healthy. Not only do these non-profits provide world-class care, they often connect their patients to social resources in an effort to address the root causes of poor health.
Since its inception in 2012, the Foundation has contributed more than $6 million to our partners and made an additional statewide contribution of more than $4 million in 2020 to support Virginians impacted by COVID-19. While we were able to provide funding to eight safety net organizations in this grant cycle, there are many others that still need help caring for our neighbors who may have found themselves out of work and without insurance. Virginia maintains a robust network of free clinics and federally qualified health centers to help serve those who cannot afford to pay for health and dental services. These clinics offer a host of services that can be provided in one visit to all Virginians, no matter their ability to pay. Services can include primary care, behavioral, pediatrics, OBGYN, pharmaceutical and dental.
If you’re looking for a way to give back to your community in 2022, whether financially or through volunteering, consider helping a safety-net provider near you. Search for a Virginia free clinic or a federally qualified health center to get started. Safety-net clinics are more important than ever and they need support to continue their good work.
