Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation Receives Hope Gala Innovation Award
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October 27th, 2015

Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation Receives Hope Gala Innovation Award

Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation Receives Innovation Award

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (October 27, 2015)- Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation received the Innovation Award from The People’s Center Health Services, a community health center dedicated to offering programs that increase access to direct health care and prevention education.

Prior to receiving the award, the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation funded People’s Center Health Services’ (PCHS) Integrated Health Care Model project. Grant funding enabled PCHS to hire new staff, purchase equipment, and enhance systems to better meet the complex medical and oral health needs of patients experiencing health disparities. With the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation grant funds, People’s Center Health Services recently opened a new dental clinic in Cedar Riverside, where they will be able to integrate oral health into their medical practice.

The People’s Center planning committee which consisted of staff, board members and volunteers reviewed and rated each funder and partner for their contribution to the organization in terms of:

  • Scope of project
  • Technical assistance provided by the partner
  • Dollars funded
  • Foundation’s staff’s involvement with People’s Center

Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation met all the criteria and received the award at the organization’s Hope Gala on Thursday, October 15, 2015.

“The People’s Center has been serving the community for more than 45 years, and Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation is proud to be a part of their continued progress,” said Joe Lally, Interim Executive Director of the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation. “More than 65 years ago, Minnesotan Hubert H. Humphrey challenged the country to serve those in ‘the dawn of life (children), in the shadows of life (the disabled), and in the twilight of life (the elderly)’ and the People’s Center continues to reach out to all these populations in an effective and efficient way.”

“We are thrilled to give The People’s Center Innovation Award to Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation,” said Sahra Noor, Chief Executive Officer of The People’s Center Health Services. “With Delta Dental’s help, People’s Center has become a leader in dental care innovation through the creation of a Dental Mini-Clinic model. We are excited to give this award to a partner who shares our mission of providing accessible and affordable dental care to those who need it the most.”

To learn more about The People’s Center Health Services, visit: http://www.peoples-center.org.

About the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation:

Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation supports Delta Dental of Minnesota's mission of improving the oral health of the people in Minnesota. The Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation supports initiatives that promote access to oral health for the underserved, especially in rural areas and for people living with low incomes across the state.

About Delta Dental of Minnesota:

Delta Dental of Minnesota is an independent, tax-exempt, nonprofit health services company that serves the oral health needs of Minnesota and North Dakota residents. Since 1969, Delta Dental of Minnesota has accomplished this mission by providing the best access across the state to oral health care through affordable dental plans. Delta Dental is an authorized licensee of the Delta Dental Plans Association of Oak Brook, Illinois. To learn more, go to www.deltadentalmn.org.