Delta Dental of Virginia is offering $1 million to support the state’s dental practices and patients, provide financial assistance for safety net dental clinics, and support local nonprofits working to meet needs in their communities.
“The world seems to have changed overnight, and we want to do all we can to protect our employees, dentists, and customers,” said Frank Lucia, president and CEO. “As a Virginia-based company, we’re in a unique position to observe the needs in our communities. That’s why we’ve decided to provide these funds now to help protect so many vital services.”
Available through the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation, the funding includes $500,000 in grants to support the continued operations for 32 dental safety net clinics that are ineligible to receive federal stimulus funds.
It also includes the $250,000 Dental Practice Relief Fund to support practices impacted by COVID-19 closures and have minimal or no access to alternative funding. The company also is modifying some policies to provide appeal-filing grace periods and ensure that dentists can charge and be compensated for procedures performed via teledentistry.
There also will be $200,000 in one-time grants of up to $25,000 to up to nine nonprofits working to meet local community needs relating to oral and overall health. And, there will be $50,000 to provide toothbrushes to families as part of select bagged lunch programs run by school districts and Boys & Girls Clubs.
“The crisis has impacted every sector of our home and work lives, and while many things have been put on hold, critical health services cannot be one of them,” said Lucia.
“Delta Dental is committed to our vision of more smiles and healthier people and, as a not-for-profit organization, we feel the need to make an immediate infusion into care delivery systems and other nonprofits that are working to keep families fed and meet emergency needs,” said Lucia.
“We will continue evaluating all ongoing needs and are committed to supporting our communities through this crisis,” said Lucia.
Delta Dental said that it is taking a comprehensive approach to the crisis.
“While we’re taking swift action to protect the health of Virginians, we can’t neglect the health and wellbeing of our own employees,” said Lucia. “Fortunately, our system is built to allow our teams to work remotely, which empowers us to offer the same level of service to our customers and partners.”
Related Articles
DSO Donates Masks and Gloves to Toronto Hospitals
Teledentistry Company’s 3-D Printers Begin Producing PPE
More Practices Close in Response to the Coronavirus
