05 December 2025

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Rural dental residency program receives a lifeline from donor organizations

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Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s rural dental residency program in the state of New Hampshire trains dentists to care for vulnerable patients in remote regions of the Granite State, with the goal of creating a pipeline of early-career dentists who will stay in the state and expand the number of dental providers there. Well into its third year, the successful program hit a roadblock earlier this year when federal funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) that supports it was frozen by the federal government.

“We were facing the dire prospect of no longer being able to financially support the program. It put at risk thousands of medically compromised and special needs individuals in rural New Hampshire who were receiving comprehensive dental care and emergency care from our dental residents,” said Christine Riedy Murphy, Massachusetts Delta Dental Associate Professor of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology at HSDM, and principal investigator for the grant.

That’s when a coalition of regional partners stepped forward to ensure the program’s stability. Dental insurance company Northeast Delta Dental and charitable foundations—the Neil and Louise Tillotson Fund and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation—gave a combined gift of just over $300,000 to keep the program afloat. 

“We are so glad we could support the New Hampshire AEGD Residency Program,” said Tom Raffio, president & CEO of Northeast Delta Dental. “Our organization and other supporting charitable foundations in New Hampshire have a shared mission with Harvard School of Dental Medicine to strengthen access to care and advance dental education in underserved areas. It demonstrates what’s possible when mission-driven organizations come together to ensure that no community is left behind in access to care.”

Their financial support will sustain clinical training for residents, provide critical patient care, and bolster community partnerships for the next 12 months. 

Through a partnership with the Bi-State Primary Care Association, dental residents rotate between seven rural clinical care sites, including Federally Qualified Community Health Centers (FQHCs) and the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC). 

“We currently have two dental residents in the program who treat patients across rural New Hampshire, while at the same time learning essential skills in caring for vulnerable populations. It’s a relief to know that the program can continue uninterrupted,” said John Zdanowicz, program director and assistant professor in Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology.

Already, residents in the program have had more than 2,500 patient visits, and the need is steadily growing. And while federal funding to Harvard was restored recently, HSDM is focused on building long-term, sustainable support for the program that will expand its impact.

“The generosity of these organizations and their confidence in our work are both inspiring and sustaining as we navigate ongoing funding uncertainties,” said Catherine Hayes, chair of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology at HSDM. “Their investment has been nothing short of lifesaving for our residency program and the patients it serves.”

Source: https://www.hsdm.harvard.edu/