The MolinaCares Accord to Improve Minority Access to Dental Care Through New Ohio Scholarship Program
The MolinaCares Accord to Improve Minority Access to Dental Care Through New Ohio Scholarship Program
Media Contact: Caroline Zubieta, Caroline.Zubieta@molinahealthcare.com, 562-951-1588
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 12, 2021 – The MolinaCares Accord, with support from Molina Healthcare of Ohio, today announced the launch of its Dental Scholarship Program, aimed at increasing access to dental care services among minorities in underserved communities across Ohio.
Access to dental care is a serious issue in low-income and minority communities, with recent research indicating Black adults suffer from untreated dental disease 2 times more frequently when compared with their white counterparts and Hispanic adults are 1 1/2 times more likely than their white counterparts. Unmet dental needs have a profound impact on a person’s health and their economic opportunity, as people in low-income communities are 100 times more likely to experience difficulties doing their job because of oral health conditions, and they are 200 times more likely to have oral pain than those at higher incomes.
“The MolinaCares Accord is focused on building stronger communities and addressing racial disparities in health care,” said Ami Cole, plan president, Molina Healthcare of Ohio. “The Dental Scholarship Program will increase the number of Black and other minority dentists serving low-income communities across the state, and help expand access to dental care for people in these communities, especially among minorities who typically use these services more when they are provided by minority dentists.”
As part of this program, starting in fall 2021, The MolinaCares Accord will fund scholarships at the two top dental schools in the state of Ohio for candidates that support diversity. The scholarships represent a $1.4 million investment over four years and will be awarded to one student admitted and enrolled in each of the four School of Dental Medicine class years at both schools. Recipients will be asked to practice dentistry upon graduation in a dental shortage area of Ohio and to serve indigent patients, including through Medicaid.
For more information about The MolinaCares Accord’s efforts to help strengthen communities in Ohio, please visit Molina-Cares.com.
About MolinaCares Accord
Established by Molina Healthcare, Inc. in 2020, The MolinaCares Accord oversees a community investment platform created to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities. The MolinaCares Accord funds such measures through The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation Inc., a 501(c)(3) established in 2020 by Molina Healthcare, Inc.
About Molina Healthcare of Ohio
Since 2005, Molina Healthcare of Ohio has been providing government-funded, quality health care to low-income individuals. As of September 30, 2020, the company serves approximately 348,000 members through Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare-Medicaid (Duals) and Health Insurance Exchange programs across the state. For more information, visit MolinaHealthcare.com.