The Saint Francis Foundation recently announced that it has been awarded a $150,000 grant from the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliates. The funding will support the foundation’s efforts to improve access to affordable, high-quality health care for vulnerable populations in San Francisco, particularly those in the Tenderloin neighborhood.
Since 2011, the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation has contributed more than $150 million to local community partners across 15 states and Washington, D.C. The foundation’s access to care grants program is designed to address health disparities, advance health equity, and promote innovation in oral health.
“With this generous grant from Delta Dental, we will be able to enhance our emergency department’s capacity by adding dedicated behavioral health social workers who will focus on overall health needs,” said Kate Smith, president of Saint Francis Foundation. “These social workers will provide intake assessments to identify patient needs related to housing, substance use, and mental health, and will connect patients to vital resources. By increasing access to health and wellness services, we can better address the social determinants of health impacting our most vulnerable patients.”
The grant will fund full-time behavioral health social workers, who will assist patients in navigating care and connecting with community partners for ongoing support. Additionally, the funding will provide training for emergency department staff on trauma-informed care, de-escalation techniques, and stigma reduction, ensuring that all patients receive the compassionate, high-quality care they deserve.
For more information about Saint Francis Foundation’s work and the impact of this grant, please visit www.saintfrancisfoundation.org.
About Saint Francis Foundation
Founded in 1979, the Saint Francis Foundation is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization entrusted to provide philanthropic support for community health outcomes. Through the legacy and generosity of donors, the foundation is responsible for managing funds and reviewing and distributing grants with the goal of fostering outstanding health services to the local community, focusing on innovation, behavioral health, aging, and crisis response.
About Delta Dental Community Care Foundation
The Delta Dental Community Care Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California and its affiliated companies, including Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, and Delta Dental of New York, Inc. Since 2011, the foundation has awarded more than $150 million in funding and support to increase access to quality dental care, provide oral health education, and advance scientific research across the company’s 15-state service area and Washington, D.C.
For more information about the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation, please visit https://www1.deltadentalins.com/foundation.html.
About Delta Dental of California and Affiliates
Since 1955, Delta Dental of California and its affiliates have offered comprehensive, high-quality oral health care coverage to millions of enrollees, building the strongest network of dental providers in the country. The Delta Dental of California enterprise includes its affiliates: Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Delta Dental of New York, Inc., Delta Dental of the District of Columbia, Delta Dental of Delaware, Inc., and Delta Dental of West Virginia. Together, they provide dental benefits to more than 31 million people across 15 states and the District of Columbia. All are members of the Delta Dental Plans Association based in Oak Brook, Illinois, a nonprofit national association that, through a national network of Delta Dental companies, collectively covers millions of people nationwide. For more information about Delta Dental of California and its affiliates, please visit www.deltadentalins.com.
Delta Dental of California and its affiliates provide dental benefit plans in Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, West Virginia, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
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