Allan Allford, president and CEO Delta Dental of Arizona; Bob Meyer, CEO Phoenix Children’s Hospital; Julie Bowman, Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Phoenix Children’s Hospital; Steve Schnall, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer Phoenix Children’s Hospital Foundation (l-r)
Glendale, Ariz. — Delta Dental of Arizona (DDAZ) is pleased to announce a new partnership with Phoenix Children’s Hospital (PCH) to improve the medical outcomes of children undergoing treatment. DDAZ is committing nearly $300,000 to a two-year pilot program for the creation of the Delta Dental Oral Health Education Program.
The funding from DDAZ will allow PCH to hire an Oral Health Educator who will be responsible for running the program and providing oral health training to clinical staff, along with patients and their families. This two-year pilot program will focus on improving the medical outcomes of children currently undergoing treatment at PCH’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD). Oral health protocols will become standardized for all patients with PICC lines in the CCBD.
“Through the Delta Dental Oral Health Education Program, an oral health educator will help inform patients, their families, and hospital staff about essential oral health practices which can improve outcomes for children undergoing treatment at Phoenix Children’s Hospital who may not be able to prioritize oral health amid other diagnoses and treatment protocols,” said Allan Allford, CEO of Delta Dental of Arizona. “This partnership with Phoenix Children’s Hospital allows us to carry out our mission – to improve lives by promoting optimal oral health – and we couldn’t be more excited to share the news with the community.”
The Delta Dental Oral Health Education Program will also include a hospital-wide, 18-month assessment of the oral health needs of patients in the hospital. The project will be facilitated by the oral health educator with a goal of directing prioritization of the Delta Dental Oral Health Education Program into additional areas and patient populations within the hospital.
About Delta Dental of Arizona
Delta Dental of Arizona is the leading dental benefits provider in Arizona, serving more than 1 million enrollees and more than 3,400 contracted dentists across the state. Passionate about oral health and its importance to generations of families, Delta Dental of Arizona has worked for more than 45 years to improve oral health by emphasizing preventive care and making dental coverage accessible to a wide variety of employers, groups and individuals. For more information about Delta Dental of Arizona, visit www.deltadentalaz.com.
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