- Miles for Milk: How Student-Run Grocery Store Reshaped Rural Community's Food Access
- Native Americans Have Shorter Life Spans, and It's Not Just Due to Lack of Health Care
- Promotoras Play Essential Role in Connecting Farmworkers with Health Care in Rural NorCal
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Sunsets, Wildlife and Limited Care: Challenges of Aging in Place in Rural America
- City-Country Mortality Gap Widens amid Persistent Holes in Rural Health Care Access
- Tribal Environmental Impact Network
- Minnesota's Rural Ambulance Providers Look to State Capitol for Their Own Lifeline
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Action to Support the Primary Care Workforce
- Over 3,000 Homes on the Navajo Nation Receive Accurate Addresses for the First Time
- Rural Population Grows for Second Consecutive Year
- Rapides Library Offers Telehealth to a Town Without Doctors
- Rural Infection Preventionists Need Community Support
- New Federal Health IT Strategy Sets Sights on a Heathier, More Innovative, and More Equitable Health Care Experience
Infographic Focuses on Oral Health & Health Equity
The National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) Foundation created an infographic focusing on the state of oral health disparities in the United States. The infographic highlights the challenges to achieving optimal oral health and identifies opportunities for advancing health equity moving forward.
Free Dental Services to be Offered at MOM-n-PA in Philadelphia
The Mission of Mercy event at Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry at Temple University in Philadelphia is just days away! Doors open at 6 am on September 24th and 25th.There are no eligibility or income requirements for patients, treatment will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis. The number of patients seen will be limited to 400 patients per day. Dental services for children and adults include examinations, fillings, cleanings, extractions, root canal treatments, and limited denture care. Volunteers will also screen for HbA1C, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
Integrating Oral Health Care into Primary Care
The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center and the National Network for Oral Health Access supported the Partnership for Integrating Oral Health Care into Primary Care (PIOHCPC) project. The purpose of the project was to improve access to oral health care by integrating the interprofessional oral health core clinical competencies into primary care. The final report provides information about the implementation of the PIOHCPC project, details project findings and strategies to integrate oral health care into primary care, and highlights technical activities provided to and feedback received from project teams.
Oral Health Care for People with Special Health Care Needs
The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) released a report, Best Practice Approach: Oral Health Care of People with Special Health Care Needs (SHCN). This report describes a public health strategy and uses practice examples to illustrate successful implementation for providing care to these individuals who often have complex medical and behavioral issues that require specialized training and the right setting to provide this care.
Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan Mini-Grant Program Announced
PCOH is requesting proposals for the 2021-2022 Oral Health Plan Mini-Grant Program. The purpose of this program is to facilitate the implementation of the goals and recommendations of the 2020-2030 PA Oral Health Plan, as well as to advance the oral health of all Pennsylvanians. Requests may not exceed $4,000.
Applications are due September 30th.
Click here to view the guidelines.
Funding for this project is through the Pennsylvania Department of Health through Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under the Preventative Health and Health Services Block Grant. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by CDC, HHS or the U.S. Government.
Talking to Youth and Young Adults to Prevent E-Cigarette Use
A new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) article looks at the issue of youth e-cigarette use. About 1 in 5 high school students and 1 in 20 middle school students reported using e-cigarettes in 2020. Any tobacco use by youth and young adults, including e-cigarettes, is unsafe. Most e-cigarette products sold contain nicotine, which is the same addictive drug found in other tobacco products, including cigarettes and cigars. The nicotine content information on e-cigarette packaging is often misleading or inaccurate. This resource provides information about e-cigarette products and gives examples of what they can look like.
Oral Health Access Teledentistry User’s Guide
The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) released a new “Oral Health Access Teledentistry User’s Guide.” Teledentistry is an emerging trend to help improve access to oral health care, improve the dental care delivery system, and lower costs. NNOHA has worked with health centers since Spring 2020 to develop and test a variety of strategies to deliver dental services via synchronous teledentistry. This guide gives an overview of teledentistry, describes its use in health center dental programs, and includes practical tools for implementing teledentistry.
New Report: Oral Health Care of People with Special Health Care Needs
The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) released a report, “Best Practice Approach: Oral Health Care of People with Special Health Care Needs (SHCN).” People with SHCN often have complex medical and behavioral issues that require specialized training and appropriate settings to provide comprehensive oral health care. This report describes a public health strategy and uses practice examples to illustrate successful implementation.
Teledentistry User’s Guide
The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) has worked with health centers since the spring of 2020 to develop and test a variety of strategies to deliver dental services via synchronous teledentistry. Their new User’s Guide gives an overview of teledentistry, describes its use in health center dental programs, and includes practical tools for implementing teledentistry. NNOHA is a HRSA-funded National Training and Technical Assistance Partner (NTTAP).
CMS Announces First-Ever Chief Dental Officer
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced Dr. Natalia Chalmers as its first-ever Chief Dental Officer in the Office of the Administrator. In her role as CMS’s chief dental officer, Dr. Chalmers will advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to care for the whole person, a key to reducing health disparities and advancing health equity.