Delta Dental adds $500,000 to endowment

PROVIDENCE – In a major expansion of its philanthropic initiatives for 2012, Dental Dental of Rhode Island announced that it was adding $500,000 to its current $3 million endowment.
In its Jan. 24 announcement, the state’s leading dental insurer also detailed some of its ongoing initiatives to help provide dental care to underserved populations throughout the state.
“Our mission is to help improve the oral health of all Rhode Islanders, not just those lucky enough to have Delta Dental of Rhode Island coverage,” said Joseph A. Nagle, president and CEO of Delta Dental. “Whether for the under, or uninsured, the working poor, for children, for the elderly, the need has never been greater, especially given the current economic conditions in Rhode Island.”
Since its inception in 2005, the charitable Delta Dental of Rhode Island Fund, administered by The Rhode Island Foundation, has committed more than $750,000 to dental-related organizations. These include: Thundermist Health Center, Blackstone Valley Community Health Center and Providence Community Health Center; the Wisdom Tooth Mobile Van; the Samuels Sinclair Dental Center at Rhode Island Hospital, and the Little Sisters of the Poor.
“In 2012, we are taking our philanthropic efforts to a new level, and challenging others to bring their innovative ideas and programs to our attention as we work to improve dental care for all Rhode Islanders,” said Nagle.