Behind the smiles
From our President and CEO
For more than six decades, Delta Dental of Rhode Island has been proud to call the Ocean State our home. Our 660,000-plus members are our neighbors, our colleagues and our friends, and we are on a mission to make our home a better place to live and work for all of them.
Throughout our history, Delta Dental of Rhode Island has strived to make oral health care more equitably accessible and affordable for all Rhode Islanders. Over the last decade, we’ve supported the building, expanding or upgrading of dental operatories across Rhode Island, including the Rhode Island Free Clinic, Wood River Health and others. In 2024, we were proud to celebrate the official opening of the Providence Community Health Centers’ new adult dental clinic, a project we supported and one that will help PCHC increase its capacity to serve thousands more Rhode Islanders in need. This year we were also pleased to provide support for the Tri-County Community Action Agency’s Pediatric & Family Dental Center, expanding access to dental care for even more underserved families in our state.
When it comes to the long-term goal of expanding access to care, it’s not just about ensuring Rhode Island has the physical space it needs to deliver oral health services. It’s about the people who are providing the care itself. That’s why Delta Dental of Rhode Island has doubled down on its commitment to supporting workforce development and education efforts in Rhode Island’s oral health industry through funding scholarship initiatives, specialized training programs and more.
As Rhode Island’s largest dental insurer and longtime leader in the state’s healthcare community at large, we at Delta Dental of Rhode Island take seriously our responsibility to give back. We are proud of the impact we were able to make in 2024. We thank our team of dedicated employees and our many partners across the state for all they do on behalf of our neighbors, and we look forward to continuing to advance our shared mission together.
Cover photo: Thomas and his son Elijah, Delta Dental of Rhode Island members. As a Pawtucket Firefighter, Thomas says he loves serving and protecting the community he grew up in. “And with Delta Dental insurance, I feel a sense of security knowing my family will have the coverage and treatment they need.”
All my best,
Joseph R. Perroni President & CEO Delta Dental of Rhode Island
2024 community impact
Through financial support, employee volunteerism and advocacy, Delta Dental of Rhode Island works alongside healthcare and not-for-profit partners to expand access to oral health care, strengthen the state’s oral health workforce and support the individuals and organizations that work to make Rhode Island a better place.
TOTAL DONATED
$1.88 million
175,000 lives impacted
$1.01M
Access to care
Expanding access to oral health care for those who need it most through collaboration with community partners.
$547K
Workforce development and education
Strengthening Rhode Island’s oral health care workforce and training the next generation of dental professionals.
$328K
Community investment
Providing resources and support to organizations that make Rhode Island a better place to live and work.
Scan to see Delta Dental of Rhode Island’s partnerships in action.
Access to care
At Delta Dental of Rhode Island, we believe every Rhode Islander deserves equitable access to oral health care.
RI Mission of Mercy 2024
• 623 patients served
• 3K procedures completed
• 500+ volunteers
• $3.5 million in free dental care since inception
“It’s good for the soul. I feel blessed to have been part of it, and I feel very good with the number of people who we’re able to help every year.”
— Dr. Jeffrey Dodge
Founder
Rhode Island Oral Health Foundation/ Rhode Island Mission of Mercy
Rhode Island Mission of Mercy celebrates 10 years of service
Delta Dental of Rhode Island has been proud to serve as the premier sponsor of the Rhode Island Mission of Mercy, a two-day free dental clinic aimed at providing traditionally underserved individuals with the care they need, since the event’s inception. The 2024 clinic marked the initiative’s 10th year. Thanks to a team of hundreds of volunteer dentists, dental assistants, hygienists and community members, the clinic donated more than $375,000 worth of free services to support more than 600 Rhode Islanders in need.
Supporting local veterans and continuing long-time partnerships
Delta Dental of Rhode Island once again provided funding to support Operation Stand Down Rhode Island, a two-day event dedicated to providing essential health services—including dental care—to veterans experiencing homelessness. As part of our long-standing partnership with Thundermist Health Center, a federally qualified community health center, we remain committed to ensuring that vulnerable Rhode Islanders, especially those who have served our country, receive the oral health care they need. This year, with Delta Dental’s support, Thundermist provided dental care to 59 veterans.
Photo: RI Mission of Mercy volunteers pose for a photo with a patient who received care at the free dental clinic.
Cutting the ribbon on new oral health facilities
To truly expand access to dental care in Rhode Island, we must invest in the places where care is delivered to those who need it most. In 2024, Delta Dental of Rhode Island contributed to the official grand openings of new facilities operated by our partners at Providence Community Health Centers (PCHC) and Tri-County Community Action Agency. These state-of-the-art clinics will help PCHC and Tri-County support thousands of additional dental visits every year, benefitting adults and children in need all across the state.
Helping to provide on-site, immediate dental care to Rhode Island seniors
With support from Delta Dental of Rhode Island, CareLink’s Mobile Dentistry program expanded in 2024, extending vital on-site oral health care beyond long-term care facilities to congregate living facilities and community centers across the state. This expansion enables CareLink’s team of dentists, public health dental hygienists, and dental assistants to reach more older adults who face mobility challenges, transportation barriers, or other obstacles to receiving essential dental care.
PCHC Adult Dental Clinic
• 9 new operatories
• 13,000 annual patient visits
• On-site laboratory and X-ray capabilities
“The relationship with Delta Dental is really a key component of our mobile dental program because it allows us to have equipment that we need. I get goosebumps thinking of the work we’re doing because it is so so important and so meaningful.”
— Robyn Early Chief Clinical Officer CareLink
Photos: (top) DDRI CEO Joseph Perroni participates in the ribbon cutting for Tri-County Community Action Agency’s new Pediatric and Family Dental Center. (bottom) CareLink staff providing dental care at East Providence Senior Center.
Workforce development
Delta Dental of Rhode Island is committed to ensuring Rhode Island remains a great place to start and grow a career in the oral health field.
Training passionate Rhode Islanders for next-generation oral health jobs
“Dental assistants serve as the heartbeat of any successful practice. We are pleased to offer Rhode Islanders accessible pathways to fulfilling careers in this field, and we thank Delta Dental of Rhode Island for their support.”
—Alison Croke President & CEO Wood River Health
Photos: (top and bottom) Megan Graydon and Ilse
are
enrolled in a free 14-week dental assisting training program.
In partnership with Wood River Health, the Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner and the Community College of Rhode Island, Delta Dental of Rhode Island provided financial support in 2024 to create a dental assistant training cohort at the Westerly Education Center. This 14-week program works to address the nationwide shortage of trained dental assistants by providing classroom and clinical training as well as opportunities to earn necessary industry certifications.
Iglesias
trainees
Investing in Rhode Island’s dental professionals
Building on our long-term efforts to ensure Rhode Island is an attractive and rewarding place to pursue careers in the dental field, Delta Dental of Rhode Island continued its support of the Rhode Island Department of Health’s Health Professional Loan Repayment Program, which offers loan repayment assistance to licensed clinicians who commit to working at least two years in the state. Since this initiative’s launch, Delta Dental has provided roughly $500,000 in financial support.
Strengthening Rhode Island’s dental hygiene sector one graduate at a time
To address the nationwide shortage of dental hygienists, Delta Dental of Rhode Island continued its namesake scholarship program at the Community College of Rhode Island. The program provides financial support to dental hygiene students who commit to working in Rhode Island for at least one year after graduation. Two years into this scholarship program, it’s clear it’s resonating! A survey of scholarship recipients found 100% of respondents plan to continue practicing in Rhode Island following their one-year commitment.
The Delta Dental of Rhode Island Scholarship at CCRI
• 10 recipients annually
• Graduates commit to working in Rhode Island for at least one year
“On behalf of our students, alumni and faculty, we thank Delta Dental of RI for its continuous support of our fast-growing dental program. We are pleased to have the support in place to meet what we’re seeing as a growing demand.”
—Dr. Rosemary Costigan Interim
President
Community College of Rhode Island
Photos: (top) The Delta Dental of Rhode Island team is recognized by the Rhode Island Department of Health for the company’s longtime support of the Health Professional Loan Repayment Program. (bottom) DDRI CEO Joseph Perroni congratulates CCRI’s 2024 Dental Hygiene Program graduates.
2,284 hours volunteered
organizations supported
Investing and volunteering in our communities
Delta Dental of Rhode Island’s culture of giving back to its home state extends far beyond our financial donations; it permeates throughout the entire organization. Year after year, Delta Dental employees find time to volunteer their talent, passion and expertise to causes that both mirror the company’s mission and resonate with them on a personal basis. From fundraising walks for the American Heart Association to volunteering at the RI Mission of Mercy, the RI Community Food Bank and Crossroads RI, our employees are dedicated to giving back and making a meaningful impact in our community.
In 2024, thanks in part to this spirit of generocity, Delta Dental of Rhode Island was named one of the state’s “Best Places to Work” by Providence Business News and earned an Exemplary Award at the 2024 Worksite Health Awards ceremony presented by the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.
Photos: (clockwise from top left) American Heart Association: The team enjoying a beautiful summer morning at the Heart Walk. Rhode Island Mission of Mercy: Delta Dental of Rhode Island volunteers pause for a quick photo during the busy twoday event. Crossroads Rhode Island: Lending a helping hand in the kitchen to provide nourishing meals to shelter guests and individuals receiving respite care. RI Community Food Bank: A team photo before the Empty Bowls fundraiser.
Delta Dental of Rhode Island proudly supports
American Heart Association
Blackstone Valley Community Health Care
Brown University Health
Care New England Health System
CareLink
Community College of Rhode Island
Community Preparatory School
Comprehensive Community Action Program
Crossroads Rhode Island
Dental Lifeline Network
Rhode Island
Hope Health
Junior Achievement of Rhode Island
Make-a-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island
Providence Community Health Centers
Rhode Island Business Group on Health
Rhode Island Community Food Bank
Rhode Island Free Clinic
Rhode Island Health Center Association
Rhode Island KIDS COUNT
Rhode Island Mission of Mercy
Rhode Island Oral Health Coalition
Samuels Sinclair Dental Center
Teach for America
Thundermist Health Center
Tri-County Community Action Agency
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
United Way of Rhode Island
Wood River Health