- RPHARM Program Fulfills Need for Rural Pharmacists
- Farmers Don't Do Mental Health
- A Pilot Program in Rural Vermont Hopes to Build a Blueprint for Substance Abuse Recovery
- Rural Telehealth Extension Reintroduced in Congress
- Students From Across the State Emphasized the Need for Mental Health Resources in Rural Alaska During a Conference
- The South Was the Center of Rural Population Growth Last Year
- How HHS SUD Confidentiality Regulations Will Impact Rural Providers
- VA Announces Expansion of "Close to Me" Cancer Program as Part of the Cancer Moonshot, Bringing Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment Closer to Thousands of Veterans
- Navajo Psychiatrist Bridges Gaps Between Native American Culture and Behavioral Health Care
- Biden-Harris Administration Releases National Strategy for Suicide Prevention and First-Ever Federal Action Plan
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Historic Action to Increase Access to Quality Care, and Support to Families and Care Workers
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
- Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers To Help the Newly Released Succeed
- Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don't Meet Them.
- Miles for Milk: How Student-Run Grocery Store Reshaped Rural Community's Food Access
Actions Anyone Can Take to Start Addressing Structural Racism in Health Care
In a follow-up blog post to a recent CareQuest Institute webinar, our expert panel from oral health and primary care shared several practical ways individuals and organizations can get started on their journey to build antiracist policies and practices into their local settings.
Take a Deep Dive into Better Medical & Dental Collaboration
On the heels of the first implementation guides to help bridge the communication gap between primary care and oral health, Sean Boynes, DMD, MS, CareQuest Institute’s vice president of health improvement, talked to Medical World News about how the guides will improve collaboration and care.
How Do Patients Feel about a Dental Benefit in Medicare?
According to CareQuest Institute research, more than 90% of survey respondents agreed that dental should be covered in Medicare. Survey respondents who had at least one unmet oral health need, such as a cracked tooth or swollen/bleeding gums, were 2.5% more likely to agree that Medicare should cover dental services. And those who rated their oral health as poor were 4.5% more likely to agree than those who rated their oral health as excellent.
How to Read a Study About Fluoride or Fluoridation
A new guide jointly produced by the British Fluoridation Society and the American Fluoridation Society, “How to Read a Study About Fluoride or Fluoridation,” can help dental and public health professionals strengthen their ability to assess water fluoridation research quality. The guide offers nine scientifically-based suggestions for assessing the quality of published research. The guide is accompanied by a “spoof research paper” that can be used to to apply these nine suggestions.
WHO Adds Dental Treatments to Essential Medicines List
The World Health Organization (WHO) added glass ionomer cement, silver diamine fluoride, and topical fluoride-containing preparations such as toothpaste in its updated “Model List of Essential Medicines for Adults and Children.” This is the first time that the WHO has deemed the dental preparations to be essential. The listings aim to address global health priorities, identifying the medicines that provide the greatest benefits, and which should be available and affordable for all.
Reducing Opioid Prescribing by Oral Health Professionals
The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) released a policy statement, “Reducing Opioid Prescribing by Oral Health Professionals.” Dentists have been identified as the second most frequent prescribers of opioids after family physicians. The statement offers relevant data and highlights policies and strategies that have been implemented to reduce prescription of opioids in oral health care.
New Video Released on Importance of Oral-Systemic Connection
The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health released a new video, “The Oral-Systemic Connection and Why It’s Important for Dental Professionals.” The video features Dr. Sean Boynes, Vice President of Health Improvement. Dr. Boynes emphasizes the importance of recognizing that the mouth is part of the body. A disease in the mouth affects the rest of an individual’s systemic wellbeing.
PA Physician General Presents Water Fluoridation Awards
Pennsylvania Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson presented water fluoridation awards on behalf of the American Dental Association (ADA), the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week at the Water Works Operators’ Association of PA conference. This was the first time PA is honoring award winners in-person at the conference.
See below for a list of awardees:
50 Year Award (50 years of continuous service):
Beaver Falls Municipal Water Authority, Reading Area Water Authority, Chester Water Authority, Red Lion Municipal Authority, Aqua Pennsylvania – Shenango Valley,
and Suez Middleton Water
Community Water Fluoridation Reaffirmation Award:
Ebensburg Borough Municipal Authority and Shippensburg Borough Water Authority
Community Initiative Award:
Meadville Area Water Authority
Water Fluoridation Quality Award:
Greenville Water Authority and Municipal Authority of the Borough of Lewistown
CDC Training: Building the Safest Dental Visit
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a free online training safe dental practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. The online, self-paced training gives an overview of infection prevention and control principles that form the basis for the CDC recommendations for dental settings. It is designed to educate dental healthcare personnel, infection prevention coordinators, educators, consultants, and others.
New Federal Maternal and Child Health-Oral Health Webpage Launched
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) introduced a new webpage featuring program priorities and investments in oral health. Oral health is vital to the health and well-being of pregnant individuals, children, adolescents, young adults, and families. To improve oral health, MCHB aims to increase access to preventive services, foster and integrated workforce, and achieve health equity.