OurChallenge
Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation’s mission is to elevate the well-being of all Coloradans by advancing oral health equity. As the Foundation incorporated new funding priorities designed to advance oral health equity in the areas of prevention, access to oral health care and workforce development into a new grant cycle. This resulted in historic investments in four Colorado community colleges to either create or expand dental hygiene programs to address an existing workforce shortage in the dental industry.
Barefoot PR’s challenge was to share the news of these investments and the anticipated long-term impact in a way that carried the story of the dollar amount awarded to the four local community colleges.
OurSolution
To serve a variety of audiences, such as grantees, elected officials, leaders from the Colorado Community College System and more, Barefoot PR recommended an in-person event in coordination with Governor Polis to focus on workforce development and the staffing needs that healthcare providers face across the state.
While the Barefoot PR team did draft a press release and conduct traditional media relations, they also worked with Pikes Peak State College to share the story of dental student Paola Hernandez, and how these grants will enable her to achieve her dream of being a dental hygienist. Paola shared firsthand how she selected a dental assistant program because there were no hygiene programs available near her in Southern Colorado.
Barefoot PR planned and executed a press event featuring remarks from Gov. Polis and facilitated interviews with leaders from Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation and its grantees. These efforts resulted in robust coverage of the event and grants in local outlets such as CBS Colorado, The Colorado Sun, KRDO and The Denver Post in addition to national trade outlets.
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