Capital Blue Cross recently donated $250,000 to support the St. Luke’s Dental Van Campaign. Over the next five years the funds will help replace an aging fleet of dental vans that visit schools throughout the Lehigh Valley to provide oral health services to students.

The program provides much-needed dental care for those without insurance or access to reliable transportation at 40 schools within Lehigh, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Bucks and Monroe counties. One-third of the children treated on the vans are not covered by health insurance, and about half of the children have never been to a dentist.

For many students these vans are their only access to dental care.

“Capital Blue Cross is committed to improving the health and well-being of both our members and the communities they call home, and our ongoing work with St. Luke’s reflects that commitment,” said Capital Blue Cross Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing David Skerpon. “The dental van campaign will not only help keep kids healthy, but it will also help us reach children who otherwise might not be able to access preventive dental care that benefits entire families and communities.”

Capital’s support of the St. Luke’s van is part of its larger commitment to improve dental health across Central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley. Since 2021, Capital has committed $835,000 toward a variety of dental initiatives in its 21-county service area.

Research shows that dental health and scholastic success are closely linked, and that untreated dental conditions can lead to pain, weight loss, missed school days and decreased self-esteem.

Capital’s support of the dental van program is one of several ways the insurer collaborates with St. Luke’s to bring high-quality, affordable care to the Lehigh Valley.

The check presentation was held on Aug. 11 at the Hispanic Center of the Lehigh Valley (HCLV), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help low-income community members overcome obstacles that accompany poverty, including access to healthcare.