In 1954, an innovative pilot program was created in Washington state by a small group of caring citizens and dentists to provide longshoreman’s children with dental care. It wasn’t expected to last a year, but it proved popular and eventually grew to include adults – and in the process it pioneered a new industry, dental benefits. In 1965 the Washington State Dental Services Corporation (now Delta Dental of Washington) joined like-minded groups to form the Delta Dental Plans Association, becoming the largest dental benefits provider in the country.
Twenty years later children were again top of mind when Delta Dental of Washington founded the Arcora Foundation – the largest oral health foundation in the state – which advances oral health statewide by operating the SmileMobile, funding the Access to Baby & Child Dentistry (ABCD) program, providing grants to community dental clinics and much more.
Today, not-for-profit Delta Dental of Washington continues to disrupt, transform, and revolutionize the oral health industry to remove barriers to care and improve overall health by offering affordable, high-quality dental plans with the state’s largest network for businesses, individuals and families to meet a variety of needs and budgets.
Recently, Washington Dental Services (WDS), the parent company of Delta Dental of Washington and a leading innovator in the oral healthcare industry, announced the launch of TriForza, a new business providing scalable IT solutions to help dental benefits companies reduce administrative costs, improve their customer’s experiences, and make data-driven decisions.
In that spirit of social justice and in response to community needs, last year Delta Dental of Washington committed $12 million to help open PNWU’s new school of dental medicine to expand statewide access to oral health across the state with a focus on rural and other underserved communities
The 30,000-square-foot state-of-the-art dental school classroom and workspace building – which will open to students in the fall of 2025 – is named Delta Dental Equity Hall in recognition of the shared commitment of PNWU and Delta Dental of Washington to increase equitable access to dental care.
Meet Diane Oakes, MPH: Champion for Oral Health Access
Diane Oakes is the Chief Mission Officer at Delta Dental of Washington and is responsible for leading mission-focused initiatives related to the dental workforce, community-based partnerships, and access to dental care. Previously, she served as CEO and President of the Arcora Foundation, affiliated with Delta Dental, where she played a key role in advancing the Foundation’s oral health initiatives. These initiatives include a nationally acclaimed program that has improved dental care access for low-income children, expanding Community Health Center dental clinics, and successfully advocating for the restoration of dental coverage for low-income adults.
Diane earned her Master’s degrees in Public Health and Social Work from the University of Washington. Outside of her professional endeavors, she enjoys spending time with her two energetic boys.
“Delta Dental of Washington is dedicated to improving oral health by expanding access to care, particularly in rural and underserved communities. As part of our mission, we are committed to growing the dental workforce, especially within communities of color. The Delta Dental Equity Hall at Pacific Northwest University will play a crucial role in training a diverse group of dental professionals, who will bring essential oral health resources to communities throughout the state, making a significant impact on our goal of improving oral and overall health in Washington.” – Diane Oakes, Chief Mission Officer, Delta Dental of Washington
