- Weathering the Storm Together: Community Resiliency Hubs Hold the Promise of Local Self-Sufficiency and Supportive Mutual Aid
- Virginia Tech Researchers Bring Rural Families into the Nation's Largest Study of Early Brain and Child Development
- Expanding Access to Cancer Care for Rural Veterans
- VA: Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee, Notice of Meeting
- Scaling Rural Wellness with Clever Collaboration
- Stroudwater Associates Enhances Rural Healthcare Dashboard with New Data to Support State Rural Transformation Grant Applications
- Harvest Season Is Here: Busy Times Call for Increased Focus on Safety and Health
- HHS Dispatches More Than 70 Public Health Service Officers to Strengthen Care in Tribal Communities
- Wisconsin Rural Hospitals Team up to Form Network
- CMS Launches Landmark $50 Billion Rural Health Transformation Program
- American Heart Association Provides Blood Pressure Kits at Southeast Arkansas Regional Libraries to Support Rural Health
- Broadening Access to Minimally Invasive Surgery Could Narrow Rural-Urban Health Gaps
- Instead of Selling, Some Rural Hospitals Band Together To Survive
- Help Line Gives Pediatricians Crucial Mental Health Information to Help Kids, Families
- Rural Health: A Strategic Opportunity for Governors
New Oral Health Collaboration Targets School Nurses
PCOH is excited to announce a new partnership with Certified School Nurses and the PA Association of School Nurses and Practitioners (PASNAP). This partnership will help to educate students, families, and school professionals about the importance of oral health, including the role of community water fluoridation. By collaborating with these dedicated professionals, we will be able to provide communities with knowledge and resources to support optimal oral health for all.
New Resource Published: How Health Professionals Can Work With Head Start
This handout series offers tips on what dentists, dental hygienists, and medical professionals can do to improve the oral health needs of children and pregnant women and people enrolled in Head Start programs. It highlights the importance of oral health for school readiness and describes the oral health services offered by Head Start programs.
CareQuest Releases New Teledentistry Toolkit
The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health has released Teledentistry Regulation and Policy Guidance: A Toolkit to Promote Access and Quality Care Through Teledentistry. This document identifies primary considerations for regulators and policymakers regarding teledentistry and includes key recommendations. Model teledentistry rules within the toolkit can form a basis for discussions on how to improve the regulatory climate for teledentistry moving forward.
In Pennsylvania, there is legislation pending in the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee (HB1585) that would direct our State Board of Dentistry to develop guidelines for Pennsylvania.
Policy Statement Released on Integrating Oral Health into Primary Care
The ASTDD Dental Public Health policy committee is pleased to announce the availability of a new ASTDD policy statement, Integrating Oral Health into Primary Care. They extend their appreciation to Katrina Holt, MPH, MS, RD, FAND; Katy Battani, RDH, MS; and Ruth Barzel, MA, of the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center for their support and collaboration in the development of this document.
New Practice Guideline Released on on Acute Oral Pain Management
A new practice guideline developed by the American Dental Association, the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, and the Center for Integrative Global Oral Health at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine details acute pain management strategies. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs taken alone or along with acetaminophen are recommended as first-line treatments for managing short-term dental pain in adults and adolescents aged 12 or older. Former PCOH Board Member/Board Chair Dr. Deborah Polk, University of Pittsburgh, was an author on this project.
New Pennsylvania Oral Health Coalition Resource Published: Oral Health IS Public Health
PCOH has added a new resource to the website, “Oral Health IS Public Health.” This resource details the connection between oral health and public health, why dentists and dental students should infuse public health in their work, and how providers can advance public health. The second page includes a redesigned look for the existing “Scholarship, Loan Repayment, and Loan Forgiveness Options for Dentists and Dental Program Students.” This is intended for dental students, newly-graduated dentists, and any other dental provider looking to become more involved in public health.
Just Released! 2024 Progress Update on Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan Outcomes
PCOH recently published “2024 Progress Update on Measurable Outcomes for the Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan 2020-2030.” This resource tracks the efforts of 22 measurable outcomes across three priority areas including in the Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan 2020-2030. The resource identifies a baseline data point, the current status, and 2030 goal for each outcome. Check it out to see how Pennsylvania is doing with improving oral health!
Pennsylvania Oral Health Coalition Published 2023 Impact Report
PCOH is pleased to announce the release of our 2023 Impact Report. Thank you to all of our stakeholders, partners, and funders for making this work possible. We look forward to working collaboratively to improve oral health in 2024 and beyond!
Act Now: Sign on to Improve Dental Care Access for Pennsylvanians with IDDs
Make a difference in dental care inclusivity for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) in Pennsylvania. You have the opportunity to support a crucial initiative that would support equitable access to dental care for the 1 in 4 Pennsylvanians with a disability. The Governor’s Exceptional Medically Underserved Population (EMUP) designation is an opportunity for Pennsylvania to access additional federal funding for vital needs like increasing primary care access, provider loan repayment, incentivized reimbursement, and much more. Lend your organization’s support – sign on today to improve dental care access for Pennsylvanians with IDD.
Click here for more information.
Click here to sign on to the letter.
New CareQuest Report Highlights Oral-Systemic Interaction
The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health released a new report, Oral-Systemic Interaction and Medical-Integration: A Life Course Approach. The report provides an overview of the bidirectional nature of oral and systemic diseases across phases of life and explores how integrated care delivery improves access and health outcomes.