The Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation announced a matching grant of up to $250,000 to Hawkeye Community College in Black Hawk County, as part of its System and Capacity Building grant program. This grant will support costs associated with the renovation, expansion, and purchase of dental equipment for the dental clinic located in the Grundy Hall Health Sciences building located on Hawkeye’s main campus. Hawkeye will use the funding for its $3.79 million state-of-the-art dental clinic, a key component of renovating Grundy Hall into a cutting-edge health sciences teaching facility designed to unite all health sciences, dental care, and emergency medical services training under one roof.
The $21 million Grundy Hall renovation is part of Hawkeye’s strategic plan to increase access to high-demand education and to fill a critical need for skilled healthcare workers. The building, also funded by a voter-approved 2015 bond referendum, is being rebuilt from the ground up and includes additional space for dental care. Hawkeye’s dental program serves both students and patients from across the state. The renovations and expansion will provide a 25% increase in students able to enroll in the dental hygiene program, while providing a 25% increase in patient services.
“For 52 years, Hawkeye Community College has provided low-cost dental services to Iowans who otherwise would not have access to affordable dental care while simultaneously training new dental workforce professionals,” said Suzanne Heckenlaible, executive director, Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. “The demand for highly trained dental professionals continues to increase and remains a key priority for the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation.”
“As one of only six dental hygiene programs in Iowa, and one of four providing preventive and periodontal care in an on-site clinic, this grant from the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation will ensure more students have access to hands-on training with the latest dental technology,” said Dr. Emily Boge, dental administrative chair, Hawkeye Community College. “The expansion of our dental clinic will also enable us to provide more patients with access to top quality oral health care in an integrated health setting. We want to thank Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation for this unique opportunity to align the mission of Hawkeye with the mission of their foundation board.”
With the initial $250,000 matching grant from Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation, the Hawkeye Community College Foundation will be pursuing funding from other public partners, private donations, and individual donors to fund the dental clinic renovation and expansion project. To learn more about how to contribute to this project, contact Dr. Emily Boge.
About Delta Dental of Iowa
Delta Dental of Iowa, a not-for-profit health and wellness company, provides dental and vision benefits to more than 1.5 million Iowans. Locally focused and nationally networked, Delta Dental of Iowa and its Foundation invest in robust community systems and partnerships. These efforts empower and engage all Iowans to have optimal oral, vision, and overall health. Since 2002, Delta Dental has invested more than $55 million to improve the oral and overall health of Iowans.
Delta Dental of Iowa is a member of the Delta Dental Plans Association, the leading national network of independent dental service corporations. The Delta Dental member companies provide dental benefits to more than 80 million Americans in more than 141,000 employee groups throughout the country. For more information, visit the website at www.deltadentalia.com.
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