American Institute Awarded $102,225 Grant for Dental Workforce Education
Delta Dental’s SMILE Workforce Grant Will Support Dental Assisting Students in New Jersey and Connecticut
(Tampa, Fla. – August 7, 2024) Delta Dental of New Jersey and Connecticut’s philanthropic arm, the Delta Dental Foundation, has awarded a $102,225 grant to American Institute to fund Dental Assisting scholarships for new and continuing students at five American Institute campuses located in New Jersey and Connecticut over the next year.
The grant funding can also be used to support students with basic needs and wraparound services, contributing to program completion and addressing the critical demand for highly skilled dental assistants in the region.
Data sourced from Lightcast, a global leader in labor market analytics, indicates that the turnover rate in the last year for Dental Assistants was more than 70 percent. These shortages have led to increased patient wait times of over two weeks on average according to the American Dental Association. Increased wait times negatively affect dental patient satisfaction leading to increased patient attrition rates. Patients receiving less regular care ultimately results in negative oral health overall. A more robust workforce will decrease wait times, increase patient satisfaction, and lead to better oral health.
“American Institute plays an important role in addressing Dental Assisting workforce shortages in New Jersey and Connecticut,” said Christopher Coutts, SVP, Ground Strategic Operations at AI. “With such a significant shortage of Dental Assistants, this grant funding from Delta Dental will make an incredible impact on our students, alleviating financial pressures and with the additional support, help our students maintain a high academic standard.”
“We’re dedicated to supporting our students in every step of their education so they can go on and be successful in their chosen fields,” said Stephen Schwartz, SVP, Ground Finance and Operations at AI. “With financial support to meet basic needs as well as cover tuition, we can help more students complete the Dental Assisting program successfully and make a difference for their patients.”
In September 2023, American Institute became part of the UMA Education, Inc. organization, which is headquartered in Tampa, Fla., and operates Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA). UMA provides online healthcare education programs to students across the country, plus in-person instruction for clinical programs at its ground campus in Clearwater, Fla. UMA Education Inc. President Thomas Rametta praised the grant award to American Institute.
“This grant funding is an investment in the culture of care we value so highly at Ultimate Medical Academy and American Institute,” Rametta said. “Sometimes students need help with more than just tuition. With this grant, we can make sure students have their basic needs met and provide other wraparound services so they can complete their program successfully and go on to have meaningful careers in healthcare.”
About American Institute
American Institute is a career education school providing healthcare and skilled trades training. With five campus locations in Connecticut and New Jersey, American Institute is committed to excellence with a mission to provide quality distance and on-site education, realistic laboratory experiences and hands-on experiences in field-appropriate facilities. Through its model, American Institute enables students to develop and exhibit the professional skills, personal behaviors and record of reliability necessary to successfully obtain entry-level employment. American Institute is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES, www.abhes.org).
About Ultimate Medical Academy
The need for skilled healthcare workers in the United States continues to grow. Ultimate Medical Academy (UMA) is an accredited, nonprofit educational institution that helps to meet that need by equipping and empowering students to do vital work at the heart of healthcare. In addition to offering diploma and degree programs, UMA works closely with healthcare companies to connect students directly to job opportunities.
Based in Tampa, Florida, and operating for 30 years, UMA offers hands-on learning at its main campus in Clearwater, Florida as well as content-rich, interactive programs through its online campus. The institution supports students through every step of their journey with access to academic support, interview and resume coaching, job search assistance, technical support and more.
UMA has more than 85,000 alumni and more than 14,000 students nationwide. The institution also provides certified continuing medical education (CME) through ongoing training and professional development opportunities to physicians, nurses and other medical professionals throughout the U.S. annually.
UMA is institutionally accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES, www.abhes.org). The continuing medical education programs are individually accredited and are not included within the institution’s grant of accreditation from ABHES. Learn more by visiting www.ultimatemedical.edu .
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