Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation Grants $4.6 Million for New Dental Clinic at Hennepin County Medical Center New Clinic Will Increase Patient Access to Oral Health Care by 60%

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (March 1, 2016) — Today, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners approved an agreement between the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation and the Hennepin Healthcare System to create a new dental clinic funded by a $4.6 million grant from the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation. In recognition of the leadership grant, the clinic will be named the Delta Dental Oral Health Center at HCMC.

The Delta Dental Oral Health Center at HCMC will be located in the new $220.8 million clinic and specialty building, which will consolidate HCMC’s existing downtown clinics in one state of the art, six-story facility. The grant will also fund in-clinic dental services for the highly complex patients who receive care in the HCMC Coordinated Care Clinic.

HCMC and the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation share a long-standing commitment and partnership to improve oral health, as well as the overall health for those individuals and families most in need. A few good examples of the partnership to improve oral health are the collective effort to add preventive dental services to HCMC’s Brooklyn Park Clinic, and the coordinated dental referrals in the emergency department to help patients find regular, less expensive dental care.

“We are extremely excited to partner with such an outstanding organization committed to delivering greater access to oral health care. We believe the development of the Delta Dental Oral Health Center at HCMC will be an important step to help address unmet needs,” said Rodney Young, Chief Executive Officer and President at Delta Dental of Minnesota and Chair, Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation.

The Delta Dental Oral Health Center at HCMC will see and treat the 85% of HCMC’s dental patients who are covered by public programs, are uninsured, or qualify as low income residents. In addition, the clinic will provide enhanced patient-centered care for all patients, especially children and people with special needs. The Delta Dental Oral Health Center at HCMC will increase oral health care access by approximately 60%, or an estimated additional 11,000 visits annually, for a total of 27,500 patient visits per year.

The Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation grant provides approximately one-half of the capital investment to create the clinic, improve infrastructure, equipment and provide some operational funding. The grant enables HCMC to expand capacity in the center to a total of 30 treatment rooms and two consult rooms with teledentistry capabilities. It will also support creating a state-of-the-art lab, expanded space for advanced dental education, improve accessibility for patients with special needs and the latest technology for video interpreters. The satellite dental room in the Coordinated Care Clinic will be used for an estimated 1,100 annual dental visits per year.

“This grant makes it possible to greatly expand access for the most underserved patients,” said Mary Seieroe, DDS, HCMC Chief of Dentistry. “The support from the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation enables us to create an oral healthcare center of excellence in our new medical clinic and specialty center. This partnership will help HCMC lead in establishing best practices for integration of dental and medical care.”

Delta Dental’s involvement with HCMC is part of several other strategic community investments to improve oral health across the state. Recognizing the statewide needs for better dental access, Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation supports and partners with over 100 communities throughout the Twin Cities and in greater Minnesota to tackle barriers to quality dental care access.

About HCMC:

Hennepin County Medical Center is a nationally recognized Level I Adult Trauma Center and Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center with the largest emergency department in Minnesota. It is operated by Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc., a subsidiary corporation of Hennepin County. The comprehensive academic medical center and public teaching hospital and clinic system includes a 484T bed acute care hospital and primary care and specialty clinics located downtown and South Minneapolis and surrounding suburban communities. More at www.hcmc.org.

About Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation:

Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation supports Delta Dental of Minnesota's mission of improving the health of Minnesotans and advancing oral health in Minnesota. Established in 2009 with the proceeds from the sale of a company, Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation supports initiatives that promote access to oral health and, in turn, improve the overall health and vitality of our community. To learn more, visit www.DeltaDentalMN.org.