Arlington Free Clinic Awarded $75K Grant From Delta Dental Foundation

ARLINGTON, VA — The Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation awarded the Arlington Free Clinic a $75,000 grant to support the clinic’s efforts to provide its patients with oral health care.

The Arlington Free Clinic’s dental program began in 2015 with a part-time dentist. In 2017, a gift helped build a three-chair dental clinic that now provides onsite dentistry.

The grant from the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation, awarded on June 2, will address “patient barriers to accessing complete oral health care,” the foundation said.

“Even affording the Clinic’s reduced fees can be a challenge for many patients,” the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation said in a news release Wednesday. “With grant support, AFC is addressing cost and additional barriers to comprehensive dental care via staffing and operations changes.”

In total, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation announced Wednesday that it funded 12 grantees through its 2023 grant cycle.

The other grant recipients in Virginia were: Appalachian Highlands Community Dental Center; Bradley Free Clinic; Charlottesville Free Clinic; Chesapeake Care Clinic; Child Health Investment Partnership of the Roanoke Valley; Crossover Healthcare Ministry; Lloyd F. Moss Free Clinic, operated by Fredericksburg Area Regional Health Council; Goochland Cares; Park Place Health and Dental Clinic; Piedmont Regional Dental Clinic; and Rescue Mission of Roanoke.

“We are committed to expanding access to oral health programs throughout the state, and this year, more than ever before, our safety-net clinic partners tell us they are facing workforce challenges that are limiting access for the region’s most vulnerable patients,” said Frank Lucia, president and CEO officer of Delta Dental of Virginia.

“With these grants and other workforce initiatives throughout the state, we are implementing long-term strategies to help grow and diversify Virginia’s dental workforce," Lucia said.

Since its inception in 2012, the Delta Dental of Virginia Foundation has implemented partnerships with community health and wellness centers across the state to promote oral health initiatives.

Founded in 1994, the Arlington Free Clinic's volunteer providers treat patients for chronic diabetes, cancer and other conditions. Mental health counselors also help patients cope with the stresses of serious illness and poverty. The clinic is located near the intersection of Columbia Pike and Walter Reed Drive.