News and Views

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Diversifying dentistry

Friday, July 8, 2022 | Posted in GEHA Connection Dental Network Provider Newsletter

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Diversifying dentistry
GEHA has a long history of giving, dating back to our roots as an organization founded by Railway Mail Clerks who would pass the hat to help one another in times of need. Today, GEHA’s philanthropic efforts are focused on health equity and improving social determinants of health.

Many communities of color are underrepresented in the dental and dental hygienist fields. This can affect long-term health outcomes in many ways, including apprehension and omission of care appointments, cultural and language misunderstandings and peer-to-peer learning opportunities. To create meaningful, sustainable change, GEHA Solutions created a $150,000 scholarship and fellowship with the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s (UMKC) School of Dentistry to fund opportunities for students representing historically marginalized communities.

Representing the largest gift of its kind to UMKC’s School of Dentistry in more than a decade, these investments include five $20,000 dental scholarships, five $5,000 dental hygiene scholarships and five $5,000 pre-dental fellowships to prepare dental school students for testing and interviews. GEHA leaders will also be present for engagement opportunities with scholarship recipients throughout the school year.

GEHA started out of the tradition of passing the hat among postal workers nearly 100 years ago. In 1997, GEHA Solutions went to market with GEHA's Connection Dental Network as a solution to lower claims costs for dental payers. Today, GEHA Solutions offers multiple dental PPO networks for lease, branded as CDFLEX, as well as a Medicare Advantage Network Option.

As one of the nation’s leading dental network leasing companies, GEHA Solutions provides several network offerings to improve accessibility for clients such as third-party administrators, insurance companies, consultants, brokers and self-insured employer groups. Today, GEHA Solutions’ team utilizes and shares more than 100 years of industry expertise to provide products, industry advice and tools to help clients retain and grow their business.