b'You cant have good overall health without good oral health, President and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental TomRaffio explains.Its that philosophy that has motivated Delta Dental and Raffio, who has been in his post since 1995, to support accessible dental care in New Hampshire and beyond. In August 2024, Delta Dentals Board of Directors in the Granite State Our Impact approved a donation of $400,000 toward the relocation and expansion of the Concord Hospital Dental Center in Concord. In addition to moving to the Memorial Medical Office Building on the Concord campus, the update features a modernized EXPANDING space with five operatories, a digital panoramic radiograph, and additional equipment and furnishing upgrades.The refurbished space responds to intentional support of the growing need for affordable dental care for some of the SMILES most vulnerable members of the community, including about 90,000 adults eligible through the Northeast Delta Dental-sponsored Medicaid program. The clinic also supports military veterans who arent eligible to receive dental benefits through the Veterans Administration.Generosity from Northeast Delta Dental is nothing new. The organization shares a similar mission to CHHS in taking steps to improve community health. Delta Dental already sponsors mobile dental clinics across New Hampshire nearly every weekend that serve Medicaid-eligible adults. The expanded services at CHHS will be an essential additional option to help meet the patient demand currently seen at the mobile clinics. Raffio himself works hard to create awareness for the dental clinic through appearances on radio shows, on social media, and by leveraging communications between Delta Dental, CHHS, and the State of New Hampshire.I couldnt be happier to know that the clinic will have more operatories and the best technology, Raffio says. When we were approached for this $400,000 grant, we got behind it quickly because our mission is to improve access to oral health; Concord Hospital provides this important and needed service for patients in this area.Over the last several years, the existing Dental Center was inundated with people seeking oral care, indicating a high demand and less-than-ideal capacity. That came along with a growing public understandingand supporting researchthat dental care plays a significant role in overall well-being. Dental health is not just the icing on the cake, Raffio says, its as important as an annual physical.In spite of that health connection, many people are forced to neglect their oral health due to economic barriers. For CHHS, CONCORD HOSPITAL DENTAL CENTERTom Raffio| the Dental Center expansion and relocation are part of a larger intentional growth effort that also includes the move of Concord Hospital Family Health Center to the Memorial Medical Office Building.Raffio shares that he visits the mobile dental clinics when theyre in Concord and frequently hears from grateful patients about how dental care has increased their confidence and overall health.I hear this at least once a week, how Now that Im taking care of my teeth, I can go to a family reunion, I can go to a wedding, I can smile. I can bite into an apple,\'" he says. Everybody deserves a healthy smile.64 CONCORD HOSPITAL HEALTH SYSTEM |Financial Independence'