Delta Dental Community Care Foundation Awards $585,000 Grant to Columbia University College of Dental Medicine

NEW YORK, Nov. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation announced today it awarded Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM) a $585,000 grant to purchase a new mobile dental clinic to serve children in Harlem, Washington Heights, Inwood, and the Bronx through the school's Community DentCare program.

The new van, replacing an outdated model, will help CDM improve access to dental care for underserved children, many of whom rely upon the clinic as their sole source of oral health care. It will also reach previously inaccessible sites, reduce costs, and upgrade the clinic with state-of-the-art equipment custom-designed for CDM. At present, DentCare's mobile clinic visits nearly 70 Head Start, daycare, and foster care facilities, providing over 3,000 dental visits per year, regardless of ability to pay. Through six school-based clinics in underserved communities, DentCare provided approximately 26,000 dental visits in the last three years. The program also offers oral health screenings to the elderly at local community centers.

"As the largest provider of oral health care in our upper Manhattan communities, Columbia University relies on our mobile clinic to care for children most in need," said Christian S. Stohler, DMD, DrMedDent, dean of Columbia University College of Dental Medicine and senior vice president of Columbia University Irving Medical Center. "Delta Dental's generosity will help us improve our facilities as well as our reach. We are deeply grateful for their generosity."

"Our Foundation's mission is to increase access to quality dental care and we could not do so without dedicated partners such as Columbia University," said Karen Robinson, vice president of corporate affairs for Delta Dental and executive director of the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation. "Together, we can make a lasting impact to improve the health and enhance the lives of children and adults in New York."

The grant is one of 20 given in New York this year by the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation to help improve the oral health of disadvantaged children and adults by removing barriers to quality dental care. Since its inception in 2011, the Foundation has awarded more than $2.5 million in grants to organizations throughout New York.

About Delta Dental Community Care Foundation
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of New York, Inc., and its affiliated companies including Delta Dental of California, Delta Dental Insurance Company and Delta Dental of Pennsylvania. Since 2011, the Foundation has awarded nearly $39 million in funding and support to increase access to quality dental care, oral health education, and advance scientific research across the company's 15-state service area and the District of Columbia.

About Columbia University College of Dental Medicine
Columbia University College of Dental Medicine (CDM), one of the nation's first dental schools, educates general dentists and specialists to practice dentistry as the oral health specialty of medicine. CDM provides comprehensive, precision care to over 30,000 patients each year through more than 130,000 visits, making CDM the largest source of oral healthcare to underserved upper Manhattan communities. A centerpiece of the school's offerings is the new Center for Precision Dental Medicine, a clinic that will personalize care and education through big data and first-of-its-kind technology. Other programs bring oral healthcare to local schools, seniors, and community centers. For more information, visit dental.columbia.edu.

Columbia University Irving Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Irving Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. For more information, visit cuimc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.

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SOURCE Delta Dental Community Care Foundation