- 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
- 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
- Biden Administration Sets Higher Staffing Mandates. Most Nursing Homes Don't Meet Them.
- Rural Jails Turn to Community Health Workers To Help the Newly Released Succeed
- Rural Communities Face Primary Care Physician Shortage
- 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
- Across the Country, Amish Populations Are on the Rise
- Using Medicaid to Address Young People's Mental Health Needs in School Settings
- 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
American Academy of Pediatrics Launches New Fluoridation Webpage
The American Academy of Pediatrics recently launched a new fluoridation webpage. It provides numerous downloadable resources for health professionals and families and tackles frequently asked questions including questions rooted in misinformation. The new webpage also includes videos about fluoridation, infographics, and posters that are able to be printed.
Updated Pennsylvania State Health Assessment Report Published
The Pennsylvania Department of Health Office of Operational Excellence recently published the updated 2023 Pennsylvania State Health Assessment (SHA). The report, “The State of Our Health: A Statewide Health Assessment of Pennsylvania,” was first published in August 2023. The report highlights the need for more dentists in Pennsylvania, especially for those enrolled in Medicaid. It also touches on the importance of oral health and dental caries as one of the most chronic diseases in the country. Thanks to the Pennsylvania Department of Health for including PA Coalition for Oral Health as a stakeholder for this important report.
Pennsylvania Department of Health Releases Updated Basic Oral Health Screening Survey Report
The Pennsylvania Department of Health Oral Health Program released an updated report, “2021-2022 Oral Health Basic Screening Survey of Third Graders.” With support from PCOH, a basic screening survey (BSS) was conducted on third-grade children to collect data on their oral health status during the 2021-2022 academic year. This report summarizes the findings of the state-wide sample and provides valuable insights into the current oral health status of children in third grade in Pennsylvania, informing future policies and programs promoting oral health among the state’s youth. They also released a one-pager of the findings briefly summarizing the report.
Click here to read the updated report.
Click here to read the one-pager.
Pennsylvania Oral Health Legislative Update
See below for important updates on oral health legislation in Pennsylvania. For more information on the bills, please contact Nicole at nicole@paoralhealth.org.
School Screenings by Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioners
House Bill 1478 would amend the Public School Code allowing school districts to utilize a Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner (PHDHP) to fulfill requirements of Section 1403 of the Public School Code relating to mandated dental screenings in districts that do not employ a Certified School Dental Hygienist. This bill successfully passed through the House in October and was approved by the Senate Education Committee yesterday. HB 1478 will now move to the full Senate for consideration.
Restoring Adult Dental Coverage for Medicaid
Today, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will review House Bill 1417 for its third and final consideration. The advancement of HB 1417 reiterates the impact that advocates can make along with the commitment of legislators to address the oral health needs of Pennsylvanians.
Expansion of Dental Care through Technology Act
Today, House Bill 1585 will be reviewed by the House Appropriations Committee. If passed out of committee, the bill will be returned to the House Floor for its third and final consideration. This bill would define teledentistry, and more importantly authorize the regulation of teledentistry by the State Board of Dentistry, as well as ensure that teledentistry services are covered by insurance carriers.
Rural Oral Health Needs Report Released
The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health recently released a new report, “Still Searching: Meeting Oral Health Needs in Rural Settings.” The report explores why rural populations have worse oral health care access in comparison with urban populations and how providers can reduce these disparities.
Pennsylvania Oral Health Coalition Announces Community Water Fluoridation Funding Opportunity
Calling all Pennsylvania water systems! PCOH has additional funds available and is requesting proposals for Community Water Fluoridation (CWF) Equipment Grants. This grant seeks to issue funds to those public water systems wishing to initiate, update or expand the practice of community water fluoridation. This funding round gives priority to community water systems that are initiating a fluoridation program. Systems may be at any stage in the initiation process. Systems which have previously received equipment grants from PCOH may apply for equipment updates and replacements, although first-time applicants will receive priority consideration. The maximum request per water system currently fluoridating or wishing to initiate fluoridating may not exceed $50,000.
Applications are due December 31 by 5 pm. Please share with your local water system or municipality.
Click here for the guidelines.
Funding for this project is through the Pennsylvania Department of Health through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Grant NU58DP006467: Using Surveillance Data and Evidence-based Interventions to Improve Oral Health Outcomes in Pennsylvania. 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.
Updated Best Approaches for Early Childhood Caries Prevention and Management Released
The Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) Best Practices Committee has published their updated “ASTDD Best Practice Approach Report: Early Childhood Caries Prevention and Management.” Early childhood caries is the clinical term for tooth decay that affects children younger than age six and is the most common disease in young children. This report describes a public health strategy, assesses the strength of evidence for the effectiveness of this strategy, and uses practice examples to illustrate successful and innovative implementation.
Oral Health Coalition Announces Update for Funding Opportunity for Community Water Systems
As a reminder, PCOH is requesting proposals for Community Water Fluoridation Equipment Grants. This grant seeks to issue funds to those public water systems wishing to initiate, update, or expand the practice of community water fluoridation. This funding round gives priority to community water systems that are initiating a fluoridation program. Systems may be at any stage in the initiation process. Systems which have previously received equipment grants from PCOH may apply for equipment updates and replacements, though first-time applicants will receive priority consideration. The maximum request per water system wishing to initiate or currently fluoridating has just increased and now may not exceed $50,000. If funds remain after the first application deadline, a second funding round will be announced.
Applications are due November 9th by 5pm.
Click here for the guidelines and application.
Funding for this project is through the Pennsylvania Department of Health through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Grant NU58DP006467: Using Surveillance Data and Evidence-based Interventions to Improve Oral Health Outcomes in Pennsylvania. 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.
ADA Tips for Referring Patients to State QuitLines
The American Dental Association (ADA) released a toolkit that offers dentists and other dental providers guidance on referring patients to State QuitLines to support tobacco and vaping cessation efforts. Oral health providers are well-positioned to integrate tobacco cessation into routine practice, and state QuitLines make an excellent partner by providing free services to help individuals quit tobacco.
New Training Series Announced! Building Confidence in Serving People with Disabilities
Oral Health Kansas and the Pathways to Oral Health Team are partnering with the University of Kansas Medical Center and Aetna Better Health of Kansas to offer a new training series, “Accessible Oral Health 2023: Building Confidence in Serving People with Disabilities.” This Project ECHO series will help dental teams learn more about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, communication strategies, sensory awareness, as well as tools and resources for treating people with disabilities. Private practice dental teams, community health centers, and care coordinators are encouraged to attend. The five-part series is available at lunchtime and is free of charge.
The first session will be held on October 19.