Delta Dental Grant to Support Housing for Dental Workforce
The Horizon Health Foundation has received a three-year $50,000 grant from the Delta Dental of South Dakota Foundation for workforce development.
The grant will be used to house dental students while they complete rotations at Horizon Health. Horizon has had a student dental rotation program since 2007 hosting 107 students. Students come to Horizon through agreements with the University of Minnesota, University of Iowa, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Creighton University and the A.T. Stills University School of Dentistry and Oral Health in Arizona. The South Dakota Department of Health provided a stipend to house students from the University of Minnesota. The Delta Dental grant money will provide housing for students from the other universities.
The grant money will help break down barriers for students, Horizon’s Chief Dental Office Michelle Scholtz said. It will allow students from all the universities with which Horizon works to experience the great things the state has to offer.
Tracy Pardy, Executive Director of the Horizon Health Foundation stated, "Developing a robust dental workforce requires a collaborative approach that leverages the strengths of various stakeholders. Delta Dental of South Dakota Foundation has been an incredible partner of ours for decades. Through their generosity the recruitment of a skilled dental workforce is crucial to addressing the oral health needs of our communities to ensure that rural and underserved areas receive the care they need.”
“South Dakota is one of the few states that doesn’t have a dental school so it’s important to provide these exposures to dental students otherwise they may not know some of the opportunities that are out there,” Scholtz said. “Within Horizon it’s been a great recruitment opportunity. We’ve been able to recruit many students back to our clinics who have enjoyed working with the patients and working in rural South Dakota.”
Half of the dentists currently working at Horizon completed a student dental rotation with the organization.
“The Delta Dental of South Dakota Foundation is pleased to be able to partner with the Horizon Health dental program to recruit future dental professionals to practice in South Dakota. Strengthening our dental workforce is essential to our mission of ensuring every South Dakotan can achieve good oral health,” said Connie Halverson, vice president of public benefit for Delta Dental.