Delta Dental Foundation awards grant in support of UA project
The Delta Dental Foundation recently awarded a grant to The University of Akron to support its project, Improving Oral Health of Poor and Low Income Pregnant Women, Mothers, and Children up to Five Years Old: An Intervention at Urban and Rural WIC Program Sites in Northeastern Ohio.
Accepting the grant from Delta Dental are (l-r) Diana Biordi, Ph.D., UA professor in the School of Nursing and the project’s principal investigator; Peter Leahy, Ph.D., senior research associate for UA’s Institute of Bioscience and Social Research and the project’s external evaluator; Erika Cybulskis, Delta Dental government relations; and Roberta DePompei, Ph.D., interim dean of UA’s College of Health Professions.
The project is being administered through the University’s College of Health Professions and is focused on improving oral health and providing oral health education to the public, specifically those who visit WIC (Women, Infants & Children) sites on Merriman Road in Summit County and on South Meridian Street in Portage County.
“We are pleased to receive support from Delta Dental to aide children in our community,” said Dr. Roberta DePompei, interim dean of the College of Health Professions. “Our alliances within the community and with organizations, such as Delta Dental, provide a means for all of us to enhance affordable care for all citizens. We are very appreciative of Delta Dental’s commitment to our project and look forward to additional collaborations with them in the future.”
“The University of Akron is a great example of a local college reaching out to help its surrounding communities,” said Teri Battaglieri, director of the Delta Dental Foundation. “We wanted to show our support for this oral health-focused project, as it fits perfectly with our core values.”
According to DePompei, the grant from Delta Dental will be used to purchase fluoride varnish kits for children, as well as toothbrushes and toothpaste for visitors to the two WIC sites.
About Delta Dental Foundation
The Delta Dental Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization established in 1980, which serves as the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and North Carolina. The Foundation’s goals are to support education and research for the advancement of dental science, and to promote the oral health of the public through education and service activities, particularly for those with special needs. For more information, visit www.deltadentaloh.com.