DELTA DENTAL PLAN OF COLORADO

Access to health: creating systemic change and equitable advancement in the community. Influenced and informed policies that increase access to oral health care for community members. Developed a blueprint for future programs that can be replicated by other regions in colorado.

With the recent launch of our new strategic plan, we find ourselves in a moment of reflection-looking forward while celebrating the achievements of the past. Over the last five years, our previous strategic plan guided us through transformative initiatives in workforce development, access to oral health care, and prevention. From 2021-2025, delta dental of colorado foundation (ddcof) committed more than 23m in contributions and supported 167 grants and mission-related investments (mris) to address systemic challenges and the root causes of oral health disparities. This was a marked shift in our strategy, focusing our efforts on upstream solutions. Below, we highlight some of the accomplishments achieved during this time. As we turn the page to a new chapter, we take pride in the progress we've made together in our mission to elevate the well-being of all coloradans by advancing oral health equity. Expanding and diversifying dental hygiene programs across the state in partnership with colorado's higher education system: while our workforce development initiative encompassed various strategies including scholarships and career pathways, ddcof dedicated nearly 5m in grants to expanding and diversifying dental hygiene programs in colorado. The impact of this initiative is truly astonishing, more than doubling the number of available seats in dental hygiene programs across the state and helping to ease colorado's oral health workforce shortage. Additionally, the number of seats available to students in existing dental hygiene programs at community college of denver has increased. Embedding oral health screenings into universal preschool programs: ddcof's original mission was dedicated to preventing childhood caries, the number one disease faced by our children. The prevention initiative continued our efforts to encourage and offer preventive services to our youngest generation. The healthy universal preschool collaborative (hupc) is embedding oral health screenings into universal preschool programs across diverse settings, including home, center, and school-based sites. This groundbreaking effort will reach more than 4,700 children statewide, some of whom may have never visited a dentist before. Through partnerships with nonprofits, childcare health consultants, and educators, hupc empowers local communities with innovative tools, training, and resources. More than 100 universal preschool programs are now integrating dental screenings with the support of more than 75 community partners across urban and rural areas. Looking ahead, the project plans to grow its impact by equipping even more local coordinating organizations and childcare health consultants with resources tailored to meet the 2025 healthy development quality standards. Introducing mission-related investments to ddcof: as the only dedicated oral health funder in colorado, ddcof expanded its support beyond grantmaking by introducing mission-related investments (mris). These mri's provide low-interest loans to fund oral health-related capital needs of community-based dental providers, services, and clinics, offering organizations access to financial support for their capital needs. Continuing the journey toward oral health equity: as we move forward with our new strategic plan, delta dental of colorado foundation remains steadfast in its mission to advance oral health equity across the state. The achievements shared are a testament to the power of partnership, innovative thinking, and a shared commitment to the well-being of all coloradans. With the lessons of the past as our guide and the support of our community partners, we are inspired to continue fostering systemic change and creating a future where everyone has the opportunity to have a healthy mouth.