Delta Dental of Arizona has partnered with Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health (NOAH) and HonorHealth Foundation to fund expert emergency dental treatment at NOAH for uninsured patients who visit HonorHealth emergency departments with dental issues.
Through Dental Connect, funded by a $525,000 gift from Delta Dental, when an uninsured patient checks into an HonorHealth emergency room and presents with a dental emergency or an oral health issue, he or she will be referred to the appropriate NOAH dental staff member for care. Because transportation can keep some people from receiving the care they need, Delta Dental will also fund transportation costs.
Goals of the Dental Connect program are to:
• lower dental-related visits and re-visits at five Maricopa County HonorHealth emergency departments (HonorHealth Shea, HonorHealth Osborn, John C. Lincoln Hospital, HonorHealth Deer Valley and HonorHealth Sonoran Crossing);
• proactively address the opioid crisis by managing dental issues early, thus decreasing patients’ need for opioids to manage pain of untreated dental issues;• increase the number of patients with a regular dental home thanks to NOAH; and
• improve the overall health in the community through effective oral care.
– The Arizona 100 reports