Wednesday was an inspiring day for the future of oral health care in northern New England. I attended a special dedication ceremony to celebrate the new University of New England (UNE) College of Dental Medicine, which I am proud to say was largely supported by our Board of Directors/Trustees for Delta Dental Plan of Maine, Delta Dental Plan of New Hampshire, and Delta Dental Plan of Vermont as well as the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation. The College of Dental Medicine welcomed their first class of 64 students on September 3, who will be the first dentists formally educated in Maine. The inaugural class of these students includes 25 from Maine, five from New Hampshire, and four from Vermont.
We are extremely proud to partner with organizations in the communities we serve in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont to improve access to oral health education and quality of care. At the dedication, we received tours of the new Oral Health Center, a cutting-edge patient care and educational facility where these students will perfect their knowledge and skills. The Center will welcome residents of the Greater Portland community to receive oral health care in early 2014.
Thank you to everyone who made the UNE College of Dental Medicine possible. I hope that if you are in the Portland area, you are able to visit!
Pictured below from left to right: Chair of the University of New England (UNE) Board of Trustees, Mark Doiron, Founding Dean of the UNE College of Dental Medicine, James Koelbl D.D.S., President of UNE, Danielle Ripich, and President & CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, Thomas Raffio celebrated at the dedication of the UNE College of Dental Medicine on Wednesday, Oct. 2.
Photo credit: Jeff Scher
