DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Delta Dental of Colorado CEO Helen Drexler announced March 8 that Delta Dental is making a $1.5 million gift to support the dental hygiene programs offered by the Colorado Community College System (CCCS). Drexler made the announcement at the Phi Theta Kappa luncheon to honor the highest achieving students at CCCS colleges. Drexler was the keynote speaker at the luncheon. The gift will provide student scholarships, faculty support, and funding for state-of-the-art equipment acquisition.
CCCS offers dental hygiene programs at Colorado Northwestern Community College in Rangely (CNCC), the Community College of Denver (CCD), and Pueblo Community College (PCC). All three colleges offer Associate of Applied Science degree programs in Dental Hygiene, and CCD and PCC also offer Bachelor of Applied Science degree programs in Dental Hygiene.
The gift from Delta Dental of Colorado aims to strategically advance the field of dental hygiene in Colorado by:
- Attracting and retaining top faculty to work in high-quality educational facilities and programs;
- Ensuring programs have current equipment, technology and supplies to foster a learning environment centered on evidence-based dental care; and
- Providing scholarships for dental hygiene students, prioritizing students who are committed to career paths in public health or community clinics, education, and/or rural communities.
Dr. Nancy McCallin, president of the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), said, “This generous gift from Delta Dental of Colorado will greatly enhance the dental hygiene programs in CCCS. It will help to build our workforce throughout the state and strategically advance the field of dental hygiene."
“We are proud to invest in these dental hygiene programs that play such a key role in developing future public health leaders,” said Helen Drexler, CEO of Delta Dental of Colorado. “Working with CCCS, we feel we can make a tremendous impact preparing students for careers in dental hygiene, especially in rural and underserved communities.”
Delta Dental of Colorado, established in 1958, is the largest dental benefits provider in the state. It is a nonprofit organization that serves over 1.2 million Coloradans. Delta Dental of Colorado’s mission is to improve the oral health of the communities it serves. Delta Dental of Colorado is a member of the national Delta Dental Plans Association (DDPA). Delta Dental member companies serve more than 62 million people nationwide.
