Delta Dental Awards Nearly $50,000 For Oral Health Projects Across Chicagoland

Published 08-09-07

Submitted by Delta Dental of Illinois

LISLE, IL - August 9, 2007 - Delta Dental of Illinois is proud to announce it has awarded $49,000 to six agencies across the greater Chicago area in an effort to help promote oral health education and access for Illinois residents.

The oral health grants are part of Delta Dental of Illinois' public benefit program. Part of Delta Dental of Illinois’ mission includes improving the oral health of the communities it serves. As such, Delta Dental of Illinois supports organizations and projects that help improve oral health access or promote oral health education in the state. Delta Dental of Illinois awards grants three times per year. The $49,000 in grants detailed below adds to the already $60,000 awarded this year by Delta Dental of Illinois.

The grants awarded by Delta Dental of Illinois include:

Girls in the Game (South, West and North sides of Chicago). $15,000 awarded to this organization that offers year-round, female-focused programming that combines physical activity and nutrition with health education to create a holistic, healthy lifestyle. The group will introduce a pilot oral health education program by creating an educational workshop for Chicago's underserved and under-resourced neighborhoods.

Easter Seals of Metropolitan Chicago (Chicago, underserved communities in Southwest Cook and Will counties). $10,000 awarded to the organization, which has a dental Program that is one of only a few in the state that specializes in oral health services for patients with developmental disabilities. The majority of people served are low-income adults between ages 19 and 54. It serves approximately 3,000 patients each year.

Oak Park River Forest Infant Welfare Clinic (Oak Park, Cicero, Berwyn, Elmwood Park, Maywood and other neighborhood communities). $10,000 awarded to this clinic that aims to remove barriers to proper dental care for low-income individuals and families. As an organization that never refuses treatment for inability to pay, the five-chair clinic will provide 5,000 restorative and preventative visits to 1,800 patients over the next year.

Erie Family Health Center (Chicago, Albany Park). $5,000 awarded to this organization, which aims to increase access to comprehensive health services for children, pregnant women and diabetic adults. The center expects to serve more than 2,200 unique patients in the next 12 months on the North and Northwest sides of Chicago.

Mercer County Health Department (Mercer, Warren, Henderson, Rock Island, Knox and Henry counties). $5,000 awarded for the Department's Toothmobile mobile dental clinic, which is a school-linked health center that helps to reduce the barriers to proper dental care for low-income families. The health department also ensures that all children in the region who access the Toothmobile through their schools will be able to fulfill policy requirements for dental exams. The Toothmobile serves approximately 1,000 people.

University of Illinois Medical Center (Mile Square, West Side of Chicago). $4,000 awarded for the University's Dental Awareness Waiting Room information program, which is a patient education program designed to educate parents, children and caregivers on the benefits of proper dental care.

"Part of Delta Dental of Illinois' mission is to continually seek ways for residents of Illinois to have access to quality oral health care and education," said Robert Dennison, D.M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of Delta Dental of Illinois. "Through our grant program we are able to assist a number of community-focused organizations in their missions to provide beneficial health programs for the entire state. We are honored to be part of this joint, positive endeavor."

Delta Dental of Illinois (DDIL) is a not-for-profit dental service corporation specializing in providing comprehensive, easy-to-use and cost-effective benefits to over one million employees and family members in more than 3,200 employee groups throughout Illinois. Based in Lisle, Ill., DDIL offers an array of extensive nationwide network-based managed fee-for-service, PPO and dental HMO plans.

Delta Dental of Illinois

Delta Dental of Illinois is a not-for-profit dental service corporation that administers and underwrites easy-to-use and cost-effective dental benefit plans for employers based in Illinois. Delta Dental of Illinois has been offering dental benefit programs to Illinois employers since 1967. Delta Dental of Illinois offers an array of plans for Illinois-based employers with two or more enrolled employees and covers employees nationwide. Delta Dental of Illinois is one of 39 independently operated member companies of the Delta Dental Plans Association. Delta Dental is by far the largest and most experienced dental benefits carrier in the country-larger than the #2 and #3 carriers combined. Delta Dental member companies cover more than 51 million of the estimated 170 million people who have dental insurance in 93,000 groups in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

Delta Dental Awards Nearly $50,000 For Oral Health Projects Across Chicagoland

Delta Dental Awards Nearly $50,000 For Oral Health Projects Across Chicagoland

Delta Dental of Illinois

Delta Dental of Illinois

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