- 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
CDC Updates Dental Settings Guidance During COVID-19, Again
On Aug. 28, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) again updated its Guidance for Dental Settings During the COVID-19 Response. This updated guidance helps give clarifies the previous interim guidance and offers the following:
- Provides a section for routine delivery of care during the pandemic and a second section for delivery of care recommendations for patients with suspected or known COVID-19
- Offers a reminder for dental health care professionals of transmission risks outside of patient care areas
- Offers clarification on engineering controls for open bay operatories, reprocessing treatment areas between patients and alternative disinfection methods
The last dental update for Pennsylvania was the August 13, 2020 PA Health Alert Network (PAHAN) regarding Exposure to COVID-19 in the Dental Care Settings.
Campaign for Dental Health Releases New Media
The Campaign for Dental Health released several new memes and video snips on their website. Four new memes include messages on brushing, drinking water, mouth-body connection, and oral health integration. Each carries the 75th anniversary of community water fluoridation medallion. Five new video snips feature three pediatricians emphasizing the benefits of drinking water with fluoride and the importance of oral health for the entire family, especially those most affected by dental disease.
Oral Health Value-Based Care: The FQHC Story
The DentaQuest Partnership and the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) published a new white paper, “Oral Health Value-Based Care: The Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) Story.” FQHCs are remaking modern health care with an integrated oral health care approach. FQHCs and their dental programs are using telehealth and implementing value-based tools for prevention, creating better disease management, and positive patient oral health and overall health outcomes.
COVID-19 & Oral Health: Resource for School Nurses
During the current pandemic, school nurses may be the only avenue for assuring that children receive dental screenings/referrals. The Association and State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) and the National Association of School Nurses have collaborated to develop a resource to assist with doing so. Please share the below resource with any school nurses you may work with or know.
Report Focuses on Networks for Oral Health Integration
The National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) produced a report that provides information about the “Networks for Oral Health Integration Within the Maternal and Child Health Safety Net” projects funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The goal of the 5-year initiative is to improve access to and utilization of comprehensive, high-quality oral health care in community health centers for target populations (i.e., pregnant women, infants and children from birth to age 40 months, children ages 6–11) at high risk for oral disease.
The Importance of Good Oral Health During the Pandemic
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published “The Importance of Good Oral Health During the Pandemic” written by C. Eve J Kimball, MD, FAAP & Anupama Rao Tate, DMD, MPHB. The article discusses why oral health is important during the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to prevent dental problems.
USPHS Chief Dental Officer Newsletter & Healthy People 2030
The 51st issue of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Chief Dental Officer Newsletter features an article about the launch of Healthy People 2030. There is information and links to all of the Healthy People 2030 objectives related to oral health. The newsletter also includes COVID-related news bites, non-COVID news, a list of upcoming events, and information about Immunization Awareness Month.
Funding Received to Support Oral Health in Pennsylvania RHCs
Pennsylvania has received grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for the project titled “New Approaches to Oral Health Infrastructure and Capacity.” The project aims to integrate oral health services into two Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) located in DHPSAs.
Health Access for Infants and Toddlers in Rural Areas
A new report, “Health Care Access for Infants and Toddlers in Rural Areas,” examines state-level differences in how infants and toddlers living in rural areas are faring compared to other children. Among a number of key findings, the report concluded that infants and toddlers living in rural areas are less likely to receive a preventive medical or dental visit and less likely to receive recommended vaccines.
Case Study: Iowa’s I-Smile Program Promoting Dental Care
A unique partnership between the Iowa Medicaid and public health agencies, Iowa’s I-Smile program addresses the disproportionate impact of dental disease on low-income individuals and families. The initiative is supported through cooperative agreement between the National Organizations of State and Local Health Officials and the Health Resources and Services Administration. Read more here.