Baton Rouge, La. Several Delta Dental member companies, led by Delta Dental companies in California, banded together today to donate more than $300,000 dollars directly to Louisiana dental school students displaced by Hurricane Katrina.
Each of the 312 dental students from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Dentistry will receive a check for $1,000, thanks to a grant funded primarily by Delta Dental of California and Delta Dental of Arkansas. Delta Dental of Colorado also contributed to seven of the school's students who have temporarily relocated to that state. Additional grant funding was provided by Delta Dental member companies in Iowa, Pennsylvania, New York, Rhode Island, Virginia and Wisconsin, as well as from Delta Dental of California's advertising agency, Warren Kremer Paino, of New York City.
Hurricane Katrina devastated LSUHSC's campus in New Orleans, which housed the only dental school in the state. Subsequently, students and faculty were relocated to a temporary campus some 80 miles away in Baton Rouge, where they are expected to remain for some months.
"When we heard the plight of these students, many of whom lost not only their school but their residences and personal belongings in the hurricane, we knew we wanted to step in and help," said Marilynn Belek, DMD, who presented students with checks today at a ceremony in Baton Rouge. "These students are the next generation of dental care practitioners, and by assisting them in continuing their education, we are investing in the future."
A concurrent ceremony was held today in Colorado to present checks to the seven LSUHSC students who have temporarily relocated to the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.
"Delta Dental's support will go a long way toward helping our students recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures that cost many of them everything they owned," said Eric Hovland, DDS, MEd, MBA, Dean of LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans' School of Dentistry. "Besides helping them replace lost educational resources, Delta Dental's generosity will also help restore our students' spirits. Such expressions of concern and kindness are even more deeply felt and appreciated at times like this."
Despite the challenges of faculty, staff, and students scattered across the United States, crippled communications, no classrooms, housing, or educational materials, LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans kept its commitment to its students and to Louisiana's health. Classes resumed temporarily in Baton Rouge, mere weeks after the storm. Through innovative thinking, classroom space was identified, including building a 30-chair teaching clinic next to pasture land.
"I am extremely proud of the dedication and determination of our faculty, staff and students," said Hovland. "They did what no one has ever done before built a dental school, almost from scratch, in about two months."
Ed Choate, President and CEO of Delta Dental of Arkansas, noted that LSUHSC is responsible for educating many Arkansas dentists, as that state does not have its own dental school.
"These students and LSUHSC are to be commended for continuing the dental program in the wake of such a grave tragedy," Choate said, noting that students are attending classes including on Saturday to make up for lost time in the classroom and for required practice hours.
"Living in a constant state of unknown has been the greatest challenge for the students and, I think, the administration alike," said Melissa Gray, President of LSUHSC's freshman dental class. "We have never experienced a tragedy of such great magnitude and writing the instruction book on where to go from here has been a learning experience for all of us. But the compassion and generosity of those who have helped us will be examples and lessons we carry with us for a lifetime."
About Delta Dental
Delta Dental of California, Delta Dental of Arkansas, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania, Delta Dental of Colorado and other affiliated Delta Dental member companies are part of the Delta Dental Plans Association, the nation's largest dental benefits system, which jointly covers about 46 million of the estimated 160 million Americans with dental insurance.
About LSUHSC's School of Dentistry
The School of Dentistry at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, the only dental school in Louisiana, has been considered one of the finest dental schools in the world. Its state-of-the-art facility offered students the best possible clinical education complimented by opportunities in research, national externships and community service. Students and faculty have provided over 100,000 patient visits annually in 22 locations throughout the state, serving as a valuable resource for Louisiana citizens. Research, through the school's Center of Excellence in Oral and Craniofacial Biology, creates a rich research environment for the education and development of students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty researchers in oral and craniofacial biology.
Contacts:
Delta Dental of California Jeff Album
(415) 972-8418
jalbum[at]delta.org
LSUHSC School of Dentistry Leslie Capo
(504) 452-9166
lcapo[at]lsuhsc.edu