At Delta Dental of Washington, we are deeply saddened by the racism we see in our country and the continued loss of black lives because of it. We denounce racism and stand in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement to support Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) employees, members, partners, and communities.
We are driven by our vision of ensuring good oral and overall health for all people, with no one left behind. This vision has informed our company values and it guides the actions we take to reduce oral health disparities across Washington State. We recognize that racism in our country is a health care issue, impacting health by reducing access to employment, housing, education and care. Our vision is unattainable if we ignore systemic racism and the injustice that continues to hurt our communities and especially BIPOC individuals.
As a not-for-profit company, Delta Dental of Washington funds Arcora Foundation to make lasting improvements in oral health across Washington. Since 2009, Arcora Foundation has invested more than $18 million in safety net and tribal clinics to address oral health disparities and expand access to dental care for lower income individuals and families in this state. The foundation has long recognized the wisdom and power of working alongside Black, Indigenous and other communities of color to improve oral and overall health and has taken a strong stand against racism. Additionally, Delta Dental of Washington has provided over $12 million in direct support to Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, NeighborCare Health at Pacific Tower, Center for Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Washington, Providence Dental Residency program in Spokane, Community Health Association of Spokane, and the Swinomish Dental Clinic.
We know that sustained change starts with each of us - and our commitment to one another. Over the past month, we have spent time to listen, learn, reflect, and most importantly begin to act on the changes we need to make internally. We have accelerated the identification of systemic changes that need to occur within our organization, so that we can better serve our customers, employees, and communities across Washington. Further, we will identify ways that we can use our role in the communities we touch to advocate for and demand change that eliminates systemic racism. We recognize that this is a journey, we have much to learn, and we are compelled to be part of the change.