During the month in which we celebrate Veterans Day, let’s thank our veterans for their military service. There are many meaningful ways to support veterans. Most of us want veterans to have everything they need to lead healthy, productive lives, and Northeast Delta Dental would add having a healthy smile to that wish list. Because, unfortunately, many veterans suffer from serious oral health conditions that pose risks to their overall health. That’s why one of our long-standing priorities is to help increase access to oral health care for veterans.
Three years ago, we jointly launched Maine Veterans’ Dental Network (MVDN) with Maine Governor Janet Mills. MVDN provides dental services to qualifying Maine veterans who otherwise could not afford them. The Maine Bureau of Veteran’s Services created a state-wide referral system for the program, which uses eight participating dental clinics to provide preventative, diagnostic, and restorative services. The next year, it received a national Abraham Lincoln Pillars of Excellence award giving them opportunities to share with other bureaus of veterans’ affairs how their program works, with the hope that the MVDN would be replicated in other states. Each year we’ve supported the MVDN, most recently with a $300,000 grant.
We’re also the initial funder of the new Vermont Veterans Outreach Dental Program, with a $100,000 commitment for 2024. As one of the Vermont National Guard Family Programs, it modeled itself after the MVDN. Two dental coordinators recruit dental offices to participate in the program and help veterans through the application process. Dental services are provided to qualifying veterans through in-network dental offices, including Federally Qualified Health Centers and not-for-profit dental clinics.
We also set aside funds annually for an informal New Hampshire program that connects each qualifying veteran with a dental office where care is provided. Here is information on seven options for oral health care for New Hampshire veterans.
Moreover, Northeast Delta Dental gives to nonprofits that provide essential veterans services. For example, we are long-time contributors to Easterseals of New Hampshire and Vermont’s Veterans Count.
Northeast Delta Dental closes on November 11 to observe Veterans Day. We recognize our veteran employee colleagues at our November all colleagues meeting. They’ve served in the Air Force, Army and Marines. Each month, a committee hosts a virtual 5K as part of our “Miles with a Mission” series, committing to an employee-selected charity a donation for each employee and their “plus one” who completes and records their 5K. In November, our charity of choice is Humble Grunt Work, which recognizes and honors veterans from all branches of the military with its services.
On Veterans Day and throughout the year, our veterans deserve our respect and appreciation for preserving and protecting the freedoms from which we all benefit. Let’s not take their sacrifices for granted but thank them often and give them our support.
