At Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, we know that diversifying the oral health care workforce helps us achieve greater health outcomes for all. According to the Colorado Health Institute, Black and Hispanic patients with providers of the same race are more likely to be satisfied with their health care overall and consistently seek preventive care. Ensuring that workforce development is accessible for aspiring and existing health care professionals is an important part of being able to fulfill our mission — to elevate the well-being of all Coloradans by advancing oral health equity. We’re seeing our 2023 grants come to fruition with the recent opening of Front Range Community College’s (FRCC) Dr. Clarence Holmes Dental Hygiene Suite, which will help prepare the future generations of dental hygienists in Northern Colorado and help to expand the diversity of the oral health care workforce for years to come.
“Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation is proud to collaborate with the FRCC family because the college has a strong track record of elevating equity in health. Our investment in this facility is strategic,” explained DJ Close, the foundation’s executive director.
The development of this program and state-of-the-art facility is designed to support FRCC’s pursuit to expand access and entry points into dental hygiene and practice in Northern Colorado. It also comes at a crucial time as the oral health care industry is facing increasing workforce shortages. Currently, in many regions of Colorado, the dentist-to-patient ratio is 1 to 5,000 according to Kaiser Family Foundation. This ratio doubles when it comes to dental hygienists.
“By attending a program here in Northern Colorado like the FRCC dental hygiene program, I know I will be provided with many opportunities to be a highly skilled and talented individual, and I’m looking forward to being a part of it,” stated Ximena Lerma, one of the first incoming students to the dental hygiene program.
The new facility is also a nod to the history of Colorado’s dental industry, particularly that of Dr. Clarence Holmes — Colorado’s second-ever African-American dentist whom the suite is named after. Students, like Ximena, will carry on Dr. Holmes’s legacy while building one of their own as they become part of the healthcare workforce upon graduation—helping to address the dental workforce shortages while helping to create a more racially and ethnically diverse oral health workforce that reflects the demographics of our state. Through the expansion of the dental hygiene suite, Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation and FRCC will continue to provide opportunities for up to 40 future dental hygiene students a year. We’re excited to see the outcome of powerful partnerships and grant funding, and can’t wait for these students to flourish and have a positive impact on the Front Range community.