Delta Dental of Iowa and Foundation Provides $3.3 Million to Iowa Health Projects and Programs in 2021

Posted on April 12, 2022 in Corporate

Across the state of Iowa, Delta Dental of Iowa and its Foundation provided $3.3 million to 264 organizations to address oral and overall health needs in 2021. Delta Dental’s giving had an impact in all 99 counties of Iowa and supported a wide variety of projects that address health equity and access to care.

“As a not-for-profit insurance company, we are passionate about improving the health and wellness of the communities we serve,” said Jeff Russell, president and CEO, Delta Dental of Iowa. “From providing toothbrushes at Head Start to hosting our first ever free vision clinic to funding the expansion of community health centers, Delta Dental works with nonprofit partners to build stronger and healthier communities. These partnerships remove barriers, expand access and increase health equity for all Iowans.”

Delta Dental focuses its giving on programs that strengthen the connections between oral and overall health, including wellness, vision and healthcare related activities, and projects that promote healthy smiles of all Iowans. Highlights of projects and grant programs in 2021 include:

• Awarding three FIND (Fulfilling Iowa’s Need for Dentists) Loan Repayment recipients in Marshalltown, Muscatine and Decorah.
• System and Capacity Building Grants totaling nearly $1.5 million which included $500,000 for the Eastern Iowa Health Center dental clinic expansion and $72,000 to Healthy Birth Day, Inc. to promote oral health care during pregnancy and improve maternal health outcomes. Delta Dental also allocated funding to address health inequities and are working toward expanding care to underserved populations.
• More than $410,000 for Ignite & Innovation grants which provided up to $25,000 to 20 projects seeking to infuse a spark, encourage learning or supporting transformative dental, vision, and overall wellness projects.
• Invested $400,000 for the Rethink Your Drink program which provided 89 Iowa schools with new water bottle filling stations, impacting 37,400 students and staff. Seven communities received filling stations for community access points such as trails and public parks. Since 2017, Delta Dental and partners have provided $1.7 million for the Rethink Your Drink program, reaching 375 Iowa school buildings and 184,400 students and staff.
• New in 2021, Delta Dental and DeltaVision worked in partnership with OneSight, Prevent Blindness Iowa and Oakridge Neighborhood to provide more than 400 vision screenings, 347 eye exams, and 299 free pairs of glasses to community members. This volunteer-led, three-day effort was free to Oakridge Neighborhood community members.

Delta Dental of Iowa serves 1.5 million members and more than 3,900 Iowa employers to provide dental and vision insurance benefits for their employees. To view the Delta Dental of Iowa 2021 annual report, click here. To download a copy of the annual report, click here.