FOR RELEASE: May 4, 2020
Contact: Elaine Loyack, Vice President of Community Engagement and Government Relations, Delta Dental of North Carolina 919-397-6944
Raleigh, North Carolina- The Delta Dental Foundation is pleased to announce the North Carolina Community Health Center Association (NCCHCA) will receive an $80,000 award for COVID-19 emergency assistance. The Delta Dental Foundation (DDF), the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and North Carolina, has set aside a total of $100,000 for its COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund in North Carolina.
Dentists nationwide have been asked to close their practices for routine care and open only to treat dental emergencies; however, with so many Americans without a dental home, many turn to hospital emergency departments. The DDF grant will help support members of the NCCHCA in their ability to serve dental emergency patients without having to resort to emergency department visits.
“Our safety-net dental systems need support so they can continue providing emergency dental care and help alleviate the burden on hospital emergency departments during this pandemic,” said Curt Ladig, CEO of Delta Dental of North Carolina. “With the high level of layoffs and job losses, many people are now uninsured and are facing financial instability. We want to make sure these clinics can still serve those most at risk in our community.”
NCCHCA is distributing funds to member health centers quickly so that they can use the funds to keep their doors open during this critical time for primary health and dental services.
“We are thankful to the Delta Dental Foundation for thinking of our member Community Health Centers who are on the front lines of primary care in our state’s medically underserved areas. Not only do they work every day to improve the health of all their patients, but they are also providing important COVID-19 testing and educational services to those most susceptible to the disease,” said Chris Shank, CEO and president of NCCHCA.
About the North Carolina Community Health Center Association
The mission of NCCHCA is to promote and support patient-governed community health care organizations and the populations they serve. Over 40 percent of NCCHCA’s patient population is uninsured and over 90 percent of patients are categorized as low-income. The Association believes that every North Carolina community and resident should have access to a patient-centered, patient-governed, culturally competent health care home that provides high-quality services, regardless of a person’s ability to pay. Access to essential healthcare is more important than ever now that communities are working to treat and contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
About the Delta Dental Foundation
The Delta Dental Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization established in 1980, which serves as the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina. The foundation’s goals are to support education and research for the advancement of dental science, and to promote the oral health of the public through education and service activities, particularly for those with special needs. For more information, visit nc.deltadental.com/ddf.
About Delta Dental of North Carolina
Delta Dental of North Carolina is a not-for-profit dental service corporation created in 1970 to provide dental benefits throughout the state. Its mission is to improve the oral health of the communities it serves. It does so by providing affordable access to oral health care with the largest network of providers, including two out of every three dentists, in North Carolina. For more information, visit nc.deltadental.com.
