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- Rural Families Have 'Critical' Need for More Hospice, Respite Care
- States Help Child Care Centers Expand in Bid To Create More Slots, Lower Prices
- Rural Telehealth Sees More Policy Wins, but Only Short-Term
- Healing a Dark Past: The Long Road To Reopening Hospitals in the Rural South
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- Q&A: Angela Gonzales (Hopi), on New Indigenous Health Research Dashboard
- Not All Expectant Moms Can Reach a Doctor's Office. This Kentucky Clinic Travels to Them.
- Hawaiʻi's Physician Shortage Hits Maui Hardest
- Choctaw Nation Found a Better Way to Deliver Harm Reduction. It's Working.
- In Rural America, Heart Disease Is Increasingly Claiming Younger Lives
- HHS Launches Healthy Border 2030 Framework Highlighting Health Priorities and Actions to Support Border Communities and Populations
- Gaps in Mental Health Training, Rural Access to Care Compound Az's Maternal Mortality Crisis
- Enticing Rural Residents to Practice Where They Train
- New Round of Federal Funding Open for Rural Health Initiatives
CDC Oral Health Leadership Announced
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Oral Health (DOH) announced Gina Thornton-Evans, DDS, MPH has been selected to serve as Director of the Division of Oral Health in the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP).
HRSA Adds New Oral Health Resources
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has added two new oral health resources to their website as part of the “A Healthy Mouth for Every Body” campaign. The new resources highlight the role of oral health during pregnancy and the relationship between oral health and nutrition.
CMS Launches Oral Health Cross Cutting Initiative
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the inaugural Oral Health Cross Cutting Initiative (CCI) fact sheet. This initiative is committed to ensuring equitable access to oral health care, eliminating disparities, expanding oral health service availability, and effectively engaging stakeholders. It aims to improve the oral health and wellness of individuals who have Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace coverage.
Quality Measures of Oral Health Care for Children Released
The Consortium for Oral Health Systems Integration and Improvement released “Selected Quality Measures of Oral Health Care for Children.” The new brief provides a national summary of selected oral health care quality measures for children including oral evaluation, dental services, topical fluoride for children, and sealant receipt on permanent first molars.
Oral Health Resources for Older Adults Available
PCOH has added two new resources on oral health care for older adults to their Request Materials page. “Oral Health Care Tips for Older Adults” is a resource with tips for oral health care for older adults including the importance of regular dental care and dental access. “Oral Care for Long-Term Care Residents” is a tri-fold brochure with tips providers need to know for treating adults in long-term care facilities. Topics include dry mouth, denture care, and gum disease. These resources, and many others, are available to download or ship for free from the Request Materials page.
CMS Oral Health Cross-Cutting Initiative
On July 23rd, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released its first fact sheet highlighting the CMS’s Oral Health Cross-Cutting Initiative (CCI). The Oral Health CCI, led by the CMS Chief Dental Officer, is committed to ensuring equitable access to oral health care, eliminating disparities, expanding dental service availability, and effectively engaging stakeholders. The fact sheet provides an overview of the CMS’s work to improve access to oral health services across CMS programs, including strengthening coverage for Medicare, Medicaid, and Marketplace beneficiaries, and how it’s using data to identify trends, challenges, and opportunities in oral health care.
New Report: Oral Health Care for Children and Youth with Developmental Disabilities
The American Academy of Pediatrics published “Oral Health Care for Children and Youth With Developmental Disabilities.” This clinical report highlights the oral health needs of children and youth with developmental disabilities and calls for coordinated care.
Updated Oral Health Core Clinical Competencies Guide Released
The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) updated their “User’s Guide for the Implementation of the Oral Health Core Clinical Competencies.” This guide was first created in 2014. The updated guide features new strategies, promising practices, and health center examples focused on integrating oral health and primary care practices.
Article Published on the Integration of Primary and Oral Health
A new article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) focuses on best practices and challenges for integrating oral health into primary care practice. “Integration of Primary and Oral Health Care – An Unrealized Opportunity” explores the solution of using a team-based approach where a variety of professionals collaborate to provide whole-person care.
New Pennsylvania Oral Health Coalition Website Launched
The PA Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) just launched their upgraded website. The site has a new look, improved navigation features, as well as a brand new “Finding Dental Care” page that connects users with resources for dental care and dental referrals across Pennsylvania. Check it out!