Company: GEHA (Government Employees Health Association, Inc.)
Company Description: GEHA is a nonprofit member association that provides medical and dental benefits to more than 2 million federal employees and retirees, military retirees and their families. Offering one of the largest medical and dental benefit provider networks available to federal employees in the United States, GEHA empowers health and wellness by meeting its members where they are, when they need care.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year - At Organizations With Up to 2,500 Employees
 Nomination Title: GEHA/UMKC School of Dentistry - Diversity in Dentistry/Dental Hygiene Scholarships and Fellowships
- Which will you submit for your nomination in this category, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the achievements of the nominated organization since January 1 2021, OR written answers to the questions for this category? (Choose one):
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this first question: Briefly describe the nominated organization: its history and past performance (up to 200 words):
Total 182 words used.
GEHA (Government Employees Health Association, Inc., pronounced G.E.H.A.) is a nonprofit member association that provides medical and dental benefits to more than 2 million federal employees and retirees, military retirees and their families. Offering one of the largest medical and dental benefit provider networks available to federal employees in the United States, GEHA empowers health and wellness by meeting its members where they are, when they need care.
Headquartered in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, with approximately 1,600 employees, GEHA is committed to its members and their communities.
GEHA has gained distinctive civic recognition by being named one of the top 100 Healthiest Workplaces in America, 2022 Corporate Partner of the Year for the Mid-America LGBT Chamber of Commerce, the 2022 Nonprofit Champion of Diversity for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the 2022 Truly the Best Business of the Year for Lee's Summit (Missouri) Chamber of Commerce and named a top 20 finalist for the 2022 NACD Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award. In 2022, GEHA signed the CEO Action Pledge, furthering its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this second question: Outline the organization's achievements since the beginning of 2021 that you wish to bring to the judges' attention (up to 250 words):
Total 240 words used.
GEHA has established itself as an industry leader within community impact toward health equity, particularly in positively affecting the social determinants of health for historically underserved communities in its hometown of Kansas City and throughout the United States.
Two key areas comprise GEHA's health equity focus: racial disparities in healthcare and the unique needs of military veterans and their families. With a keen understanding that oral health equity and access to care is a key determinant for overall health, statistics show that members of historically underserved ethnic communities (Black/African American, Hispanic/Latine, Native American/Indigenous) are at higher risk of the long-term effects and maladies associated with proper dental care.
To make an impact on this systemic issue, since March 2021, GEHA has provided $370,000 for 24 scholarships and 20 fellowships to the University of Missouri-Kansas City's School of Dentistry to bridge the divide in access to care for students from historically marginalized backgrounds. These scholarships, for dental and dental hygiene students, have resulted in an unprecedented growth in enrollment for these students of color at UMKC's School of Dentistry, representing a 400% year-over-year increase for dental students (5 to 20 students) and a 63% increase in dental hygiene students (5 to 8 students) for the 2023-24 incoming class.
Understanding the needs of students from culturally diverse backgrounds, GEHA has also invested in wraparound support for these students, including executive engagement opportunities and classroom best practices for building a dental business.
- If you are providing written answers for your submission, you must provide an answer to this third question: Explain why the achievements you have highlighted are unique or significant. If possible compare the achievements to the performance of other players in your industry and/or to the organization's past performance (up to 250 words):
Total 250 words used.
As of 2019, less than 15% of dental students come from underrepresented backgrounds. (Journal of Dental Education). With GEHA's investment and partnership, UMKC's School of Dentistry will represent a 19% dental student body class that is composed of Black/African American, Hispanic/Latine, and Native American/Indigenous students, which formerly stood at 8.4% in 2021.
The impact on the dental hygiene student body is similar, with this constituency representing 23% of the dental hygiene incoming class; two years prior, this sat at 16.6%. Contextually, fewer than 12% of professional dental hygienists are Black/African American or Hispanic/Latine as of 2019.
The scholarships and fellowships are important, seeing that race and socioeconomics have a major overlay in the pursuit of dental careers:
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Less than 1% of Black/African American dentists graduate with no student debt.
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Average educational debt at dental school graduation (2019): $314,360 (Black/African American); $286,437 (Hispanic/Latinx); $283,046 (white); $225,750 (Asian).
GEHA's Diversity in Dentistry/Dental Hygiene Scholarships addresses the likelihood of historically underserved communities seeing themselves and their cultural experiences/languages represented in care over the course of a lifetime. In 2018, the following percentages of senior citizens identified as having seen a dentist: 54.8% (white); 40.5% (Asian); 31.8% (Hispanic/Latinx); 28.8% (Black/African American). (American Dental Association Health Policy Institute; April 2021). Older non-Hispanic Black or Mexican American adults have 2-3 times the rate of untreated cavities as older non-Hispanic white adults. Among working-age adults, over 40% of low-income and non-Hispanic Black adults have untreated tooth decay.
- You have the option to answer this final question: Reference any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
Total 39 words used.
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