- New Infections Accelerate in Rural America while Falling in Urban Counties
- USDA Invests $1 Billion to Improve Community Infrastructure for People Living in Rural Towns Across the Country
- HHS Distributing $2 Billion More in Provider Relief Fund Payments to Health Care Providers Impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic
- NC Study Finds Three Financial Indicators that Could Predict the Closure of a Rural Hospital
- For Second Consecutive Week, Rural Counties Break Record for New Infections
- Growth in Rural Vaccination Rate Slows in Last Month
- HHS Announces Availability of $13 Million to Increase Behavioral Health Care Access in Rural Communities
- How a Rural Alabama Pharmacy Became a Frontline in the Fight Against COVID
- Vaccine Access for Kids in Rural America Can Be a Struggle
- Rural Counties Break Record for Most Covid-19 Infections in a Single Week
- Kids Who Lost Parents to COVID Deserve Help, Advocates Say
- After Starting in Metro Counties, Omicron Begins to Move into Rural Areas
- OSTP: Request for Information on Strengthening Community Health Through Technology
- New National Poll Shows Encouraging Signs of Reduced Stigma Around Farmer Mental Health
- As Covid Hits Nursing Homes' Finances, Town Residents Fight to Save Alzheimer's Facility
All About Fluoride Resource – 2022 Updates
The American Dental Association (ADA) has updated their “All About Fluoride” one-pager to reflect a 2022 edition which includes an update to the hyperlinked files in the resource. Stakeholders are encouraged to share this resource with all audiences, especially dental providers looking for guidance on how to take action on fluoride.
Good Faith Estimate Requirements for Health Center Dental Programs
The Good Faith Estimates (GFE) requirements of the No Surprise Bills Act went into effect January 1, 2022. Visit the CMS website for more information about the new requirements related to surprise medical bills.
Increasing Female Dentists Improves Health Equity
A study conducted by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University of Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies found that increasing the number of female dentists in the workforce improves health equity. The study, “Evaluating the Impact of Dentists’ Personal Characteristics on Workforce Participation,” found that the percentage of active dentists who are women is increasing with the mean age of female dentists as significantly lower than that of male dentists. Female dentists were also more likely to be racially/ethnically diverse compared to male dentists.
Increasing Female Dentists Improves Health Equity
A new study, Evaluating the Impact of Dentists’ Personal Characteristics on Workforce Participation: https://oralhealthworkforce.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/OHWRC-Evaluating-the-Impact-of-Dentists-Personal-Characteristics-on-Workforce-Participation-2021.pdf conducted by the Oral Health Workforce Research Center (OHWRC) at the University at Albany’s Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) builds on their previous work. A National Study of the Practice Characteristics of Women in Dentistry and Potential Impacts on Access to Care for Underserved Communities that suggested that “female dentists treat more children and more publicly insured patients than their male counterparts. The growth in the number of women in dentistry may expand the capacity of the delivery system to better meet the needs of the population, particularly the underserved.”
Delayed & Missed Child Preventive Checkups During the Pandemic
A new study from the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) found that more than 1 in 4 households have delayed or missed children’s preventive checkups due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, “Missed and Delayed Preventive Health Care Visits Among U.S. Children Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic,” was published by Public Health Reports and uses data collected in April and May of 2021.
Primary Care and Oral Health Integration
A new article, “What Primary Care Innovation Teaches Us About Oral Health Integration” emphasizes the role of primary care and oral health integration in improving population health and addressing health inequities. The article was published in the in the January 2022 issue of the American Medical Association (AMA) Journal of Ethics. The article offers five lessons from the patient-centered medical home movement to inform primary and oral health care integration.
Dental Assistant Workforce Needs Assessment
The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) is conducting a needs assessment to better understand the current state and needs of community health centers’ dental assistant workforce. The results of this needs assessment will inform the development of national resources to assist with the recruitment, retention and training of dental assistants. The needs assessment will take five minutes to complete and is intended for dental leadership and dental assistants working in community health centers. By completing the needs assessment, you will be eligible to enter a drawing for a $50 Amazon gift card. The needs assessment will close on January 31, 2022. Click here to complete.
Oral Health Resources Available in Spanish
The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) worked with the Puerto Rico Primary Care Association and released many of their popular oral health resources in Spanish. They are in the process of translating more materials that will be published in the coming weeks.
ASTDD to Launch National Oral Health Data Portal
The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) is working to create the nation’s first comprehensive oral health data portal. The ASTDD National Oral Health Data Portal will bring oral health status, workforce, access, cost, and quality of life information from existing federal, state, and other datasets into one consolidated, publicly-accessible website. ASTDD will be hosting a webinar on January 10th at 3 pm ET to launch the portal.
New Report Released on Oral Health in America
The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIH) recently released “Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges.” The report is a culmination of two years of research and writing by over 400 contributors. It is a follow up to the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health in America, which explores the nation’s oral health over the last 20 years.