DELTA DENTAL FUND D/B/A DELTA DENTAL FOUNDATION

THE DELTA DENTAL FUND'S (FUND) MISSION IS TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE ORAL AND OVERALL HEALTH. THE FUND HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO THIS PURPOSE FOR OVER FOUR DECADES. OVER THAT TIME, THOUSANDS HAVE BENEFITED FROM GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS AND CONTINUING EDUCATION PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY THE FUND. SINCE IT WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1980, THE FUND HAS CONTINUALLY INCREASED ITS EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS IN MICHIGAN, OHIO, INDIANA AND NORTH CAROLINA.SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATIONFOR MANY PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY COMMUNITIES HISTORICALLY OR SYSTEMICALLY EXPOSED TO INEQUITIES, SIMPLY HAVING ACCESS TO A DENTIST IS NOT ENOUGH TO ACHIEVE GOOD ORAL HEALTH. WHAT THEY NEED ARE FAIR AND JUST OPPORTUNITIES-AND ALL THE RESOURCES THEREIN-TO LIVE THEIR BEST, HEALTHIEST LIVES, NO MATTER WHO THEY ARE OR WHERE THEY COME FROM. WHICH IS WHY THE FUND SUPPORTS PROGRAMS AIMED AT HEALTH EQUITY.IN 2023, THE FUND SUPPORTED PROGRAMS FOCUSED ON ACCESS TO ORAL HEALTH CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES INCLUDING: THE POSITIVE EXPOSURE PHOTO GALLERIES TO ADVOCATE FOR ACCESS AND INCLUSION FOR DENTAL CARE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PROVIDED TRAINING BY FUNDING A SERIES OF FREE ONLINE COURSES, AND SENDING DENTAL STUDENTS TO CONFERENCES, SUCH AS THE SPECIAL CARE DENTISTRY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TREATING PATIENTS WITH DISABILITIES. THE FUND ALSO CONTINUED THE CENTERS FOR INCLUSIVE DENTISTRY PROGRAM, A PROJECT TO PROVIDE RESOURCES AND IMMERSIVE TRAINING TO DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY DENTAL TREATMENT TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AT DESIGNATED FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS WITH MORE THAN 50 PEOPLE RECEIVING TRAINING BY THE END OF 2023 AND 11 CLINICS PARTICIPATING. SINCE INCEPTION, MORE THAN $2 MILLION HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO MORE THAN A THOUSAND DENTAL STUDENTS THROUGH SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS. IN 2023, 21 DENTAL, DENTAL HYGIENE, AND DENTAL ASSISTANT STUDENTS FROM DENTAL AND DENTAL HYGIENE SCHOOLS IN MICHIGAN, OHIO AND INDIANA RECEIVED FINANCIAL SUPPORT THROUGH THE FUND TO APPLY TOWARD THE COST OF EDUCATION. COMMUNITY COMMITMENT AWARDS OF $25,000 EACH WERE AWARDED TO FIVE GRADUATING DENTAL STUDENTS WHO COMMITTED TO PRACTICING FOR AT LEAST ONE YEAR IN AN IDENTIFIED HIGH-NEEDS COMMUNITY IN THE STATE IN WHICH THEY GRADUATED.WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING DENTAL EDUCATION MORE ACCESSIBLE, HELPING TO DIVERSIFY THE DENTAL PROFESSION, AND IMPROVING ORAL HEALTH EQUITY, THE DDF CONTINUED ITS $25,000 DIVERSITY DENTAL SCHOLARSHIP. GIVEN ANNUALLY, THIS SCHOLARSHIP IS AWARDED TO STUDENTS FROM SYSTEMICALLY DISADVANTAGED RACIAL AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS ENTERING DENTAL SCHOOL. IN 2023, FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW, SCHOLARSHIPS WERE GIVEN TO FIVE STUDENTS-ONE STUDENT FROM EACH DENTAL SCHOOL IN MICHIGAN, OHIO AND INDIANA.EDUCATION DOES NOT STOP WITH GRADUATION. CONTINUING EDUCATION IS NECESSARY TO STAY CURRENT WITH ADVANCEMENTS IN TREATMENT AND POLICIES AND IS MANDATORY TO MAINTAIN A LICENSE IN SOME STATES. THE FUND ASSISTED PRACTICING DENTISTS BY SPONSORING AND CO-SPONSORING SEMINARS IN DENTAL SCIENCE AND RELATED TOPICS. IN 2023, THE FUND CONTINUED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY TO SUPPORT TWO CONTINUING EDUCATION SEMINARS. IN ADDITION, FOR THE THIRD YEAR THE FUND PROVIDED $50,000 TO PENN DENTAL MEDICINE TO SPONSOR A VIRTUAL CE SERIES FOR DENTAL PROFESSIONALS AIMED AT INCREASING KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO CARE FOR PATIENTS WITH DISABILITIES. IN 2023, THE COMMUNITY MINI-GRANT PROGRAM CONTINUED IN MICHIGAN, OHIO AND INDIANA. THROUGH THE PROGRAM, 64 ORGANIZATIONS WERE AWARDED A TOTAL OF $259,000 IN SMALL GRANTS OF $5,000 OR LESS TO IMPROVE ORAL HEALTH IN THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH THE FUND SERVES. THIRTY-THREE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS WERE AWARDED FUNDING THROUGH THE NORTH CAROLINA SMILES FOR KIDS GRANT PROGRAM, WHICH FOCUSES EXCLUSIVELY ON CHILDREN'S ORAL HEALTH WITHIN THE STATE. THIS MARKED THE 13TH YEAR THAT THESE GRANTS HAVE BEEN OFFERED IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE FUND PROVIDED A GRANT TO THE CITY OF DETROIT TO FUND A PILOT SELF-DRIVING SHUTTLE THAT WILL TRANSPORT OLDER ADULTS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO DENTAL APPOINTMENTS. THE FUND RENEWED FUNDING FOR THE IMPRESSION 5 SCIENCE CENTER STEM KIT PROGRAM. EVERY OTHER MONTH, IMPRESSION 5 SCIENCE CENTER DISTRIBUTES EDUCATION KITS TO HEAD START CHILDREN THREE TO FIVE YEARS OLD IN THE LANSING, MICHIGAN, AREA. EACH KIT HAS A DIFFERENT THEME, INCLUDING SCIENCE AND ORAL HEALTH, WITH CONCEPTS THAT INCORPORATE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LITERACY AND MATH. THE FUND ALSO CONTINUED ITS SUPPORT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SCHOOL OF DENTISTRY'S VICTORS FOR VETERANS. THE PROGRAM IS PART OF A FOUR-YEAR "IMMERSION PATHWAY" AT THE SCHOOL WHERE STUDENTS DIRECT THEIR OWN LEARNING THROUGH AN IMMERSIVE CAPSTONE PROJECT AND PROVIDE TREATMENT TO VETERANS FREE-OF-CHARGE. BEGINNING THIS YEAR, STUDENTS WILL VISIT THE UNITED WE SMILE CLINIC IN TRAVERSE CITY TO PROVIDE CARE TO VETERANS AND CHILDREN. IN 2023, THE FUND PROVIDED A LARGE GRANT TO SUPPORT THE PRECLINICAL SIMULATION CLINIC AT THE NORTHEAST OHIO MEDICAL UNIVERSITY. THE BITONTE COLLEGE OF DENTISTRY IS ON TRACK TO WELCOME THEIR FIRST CLASS OF DENTAL STUDENTS IN 2025. THE FUND CONTINUED ITS LONGSTANDING PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES FOR THE SEAL MICHIGAN SCHOOL-BASED SEALANT AND COMMUNITY WATER FLUORIDATION PROGRAMS. SUPPORT WAS ALSO RENEWED FOR THE OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH'S FLUORIDATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. THE FUND CONTINUED ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH MCMILLEN HEALTH BY PROVIDING FUNDING FOR THE BRUSH PRE-SCHOOL ORAL HEALTH PROGRAM AND "I NEED MY TEETH," AN ORAL HEALTH MUSICAL PRODUCTION. MCMILLEN CONTINUED PROVIDING THE ASSEMBLY IN A LIVE VIRTUAL FORMAT AND CONTINUED TO OFFER IT TO SCHOOLS IN MICHIGAN, OHIO AND INDIANA. FORTY PERFORMANCES WERE PRESENTED TO SCHOOLS, WHICH REACHED THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND PARENTS. THE FUND'S TOTAL GRANTS HAVE NOW EXCEEDED $61 MILLION SINCE ITS INCEPTION. THIS FUNDING HAS IMPROVED ORAL AND OVERALL HEALTH AND HEALTH EQUITY, HELPED STUDENTS ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS AND IMPROVED THE WELL-BEING OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS IN MICHIGAN, OHIO, INDIANA AND NORTH CAROLINA. EMPOWERED PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES ARE CRITICAL TO MAKING CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES POSSIBLE-AND THAT MEANS SUPPORTING WORK BY AND FOR THE COMMUNITIES BEING SERVED. THE FUND IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING AND ESTABLISHING STRONG TWO-WAY RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS ALIGNED WITH ITS AIMS.