DELTA DENTAL’S $3M GIFT TO MASSCOLLEGE OF PHARMACY
TO INCREASE ORAL HEALTH CARE ACCESS IN UNDERSERVED AREAS
(Boston, MA) – Delta Dental of Massachusetts announced today that it will provide a $3 million gift to the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS.) The grant will help the school establish a Master’s Degree Program, which will increase the number of faculty for hygienist programs across the country. The program will also emphasize the public health perspective of oral health, train hygienists in underserved areas, and increase access to oral health care in these communities.
As a first step, the gift will establish an endowed full-time professor of community oral health charged with implementing and expanding community service programs in Boston, particularly for elderly, disabled or homeless residents. Outreach activities will include the expansion of student involvement in oral health programs at Boston Medical Center Pediatric Dental Clinic, the Massachusetts Dental Society Dental Van and BostonPublic Schools. This new initiative will also bring interdisciplinary teams of health care providers into nursing homes and homeless shelters for preventive screenings.
“It's great to have a resource like this right in our neighborhood," said Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez (D-15th Suffolk). "MCPHS Forsyth and Delta Dental are addressing an important community need.”
The endowment will also establish a Master of Science in Dental Hygiene program with a major focus on community oral health. This new degree program will prepare dental hygienists for leadership roles in public health settings by providing a strong foundation in preventive medicine, health promotion and public health practices. Graduates will be well-trained in teaching patients the best ways to prevent dental disease. The degree will also give hygienists the background to go into faculty positions at local and national hygiene schools.
“This gift is intended to address systemic problems we’re seeing in underserved areas – thousands of residents lack access to routine oral health care. We need more oral health professionals caring for people right in their neighborhood,” said Dr. Kathleen O’Loughlin, President and CEO of Delta Dental of Massachusetts. “This is not about having a nice smile. It is a critical issue that affects overall health – millions of school days and work hours are missed each year due to dental disease.”
Studies have shown that dental disease severely impacts overall health and has been linked to heart and lung disease, diabetes and stroke. The new MCPHS Forsyth initiative emphasizes this connection by integrating oral health curricula into the college’s related health science disciplines.
“Access to dental care and periodic oral examinations are the keys to preventing oral diseases. This is a fantastic opportunity for MCPHS Forsyth and its students to reach residents in significant need of routine care,” said Charles F. Monahan, Jr., the College’s President. “This endowment allows us to support our faculty and student hygienists in expanding community service programs and identifying new ways to reach vulnerable populations.”
“Oral health is a key need of the Mission Hill community. We have a large eclectic group of residents from seniors who need implants to youth with dental caries,” said Harrison Lee, president of The Mission Hill Health Movement Inc. “Having the presence of MCPHS Forsyth in leading the Mission Hill community to look closely at oral health will keep generations of residents smiling and appreciating what neighborhood institutional partnerships are all about.”
Delta Dental of Massachusetts is the largest provider of dental benefits in the state. Delta Dental strives to achieve better quality of life for all through the universal attainment of optimal oral health. In order to attain this goal, Delta Dental established the Oral Health Foundation in January 2000 to provide grants to qualified community organizations. Delta Dental is looking towards the future to find new, innovative, and sustainable ways to achieve its objectives.
Founded in 1823, The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (www.mcphs.edu), with campuses in Boston and Worcester, Massachusetts and Manchester, New Hampshire, is home to the largest pharmacy program in the United States. Today, in addition to its traditional programs in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, the College offers a growing list of health-related degree programs including nursing, physician assistant studies, radiologic sciences, health psychology, pre-medical and health studies, and dental hygiene. The Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene, the oldest program of its kind in the United States, was acquired by the College in 2002.