- Rural Governments Often Fail To Communicate With Residents Who Aren't Proficient in English
- Prescription Delivery in Missouri Faces Delays under USPS Rural Service Plan
- Mental Health Association Launches Hub To Help Rural Residents
- Creating a Clearer Path to Rural Heart Health
- USDA Announces New Federal Order, Begins National Milk Testing Strategy to Address H5N1 in Dairy Herds
- Getting Rural Parents Started On Their Breastfeeding Journey
- Number of U.S. Hospitals Offering Obstetric Care Is Declining
- NRHA Announces 2025 Rural Health Fellows
- New RSV Drug Delivers Promising Results in Alaska's Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
- Lack of Civic Infrastructure Drives Rural Health Disparities
- EOP: National Rural Health Day, 2024
- VA: Solicitation of Nomination for Appointment to the Veterans' Rural Health Advisory Committee
- Distance, Workforce Shortages Complicate Mental Health Access in Rural Nevada Communities
- Bird Flu Is Racing Through Farms, but Northwest States Are Rarely Testing Workers
- After Helene, Clinician Teams Brought Critical Care To Isolated WNC Communities
Community Water Fluoridation Equipment Grant Applications Being Accepted
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. Priority will be given to initiation projects. A total of $20,000 will be awarded in the first half of 2021. Additional grants may be awarded in 2021 as funding becomes available. All grant applicants must complete the State Fluoridation Equipment Survey prior to submitting applications. Applications are due March 1, 2021.
Click here to take the survey.
Click here for the guidelines.
ADA Releases New Fluoride Resource for Dentists
The American Dental Association (ADA) released a new fluoride resource for dentists. The purpose of the document is to educate and encourage dentists to talk to their patients about community water fluoridation and to serve as community advocates. While intended for dentists, there is is information relevant to an interprofessional audience.
Pennsylvania Allows Dentists to Administer COVID-19 Vaccines
With many more pending, Pennsylvania joins more than a dozen other states in allowing dentists to administer the COVID-19 vaccine when delegated by a medical doctor or an osteopathic physician. As supplies of the vaccine are expected to increase considerably over the next few months, dental providers may play an important role in vaccine clinics.
PPE Supplies for Dental Available
The Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP) announced that the dental industry now has ample supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) including surgical masks, respirators, and disposable gowns. PPE optimization is no longer necessary.
2021 Basic Screening Survey in Pennsylvania: PHDHPs Needed
Pennsylvania has few state-level data on dental caries rates in children. In response, the state is launching a program called the Basic Screening Survey (BSS). A list of 80 schools have been identified based on enrollment, demographics, geography, and other factors to serve as a representative sample of the state as a whole. Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioners (PHDHPs) will serve as screeners during the 2021-2022 school year and will conduct a quick screening (less than 2 minutes) on all third grade students. Screeners will enter data for each school visited and attend a paid virtual training session this summer. Screeners will be paid a stipend for every school site they complete and all materials will be provided.
Applications are due April 8, 2021.
Click here for more information.
Click here for qualifications.
Click here for the application.
PHDHP Site Expansion Finalized in Pennsylvania
The Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioner (PHDHP) site expansion to medical settings in Pennsylvania has been published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin and is effective upon this final-form rulemaking publication January 16, 2021. Please access this link for further information.
Regional Virtual Dental Listening Sessions
The American Dental Association recently revised its code of professional conduct to include the duty to provide dental health care, or make an appropriate referral, to patients experiencing disabilities. This listening series is for dental providers who are looking to better serve patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Do you have questions about payment, treatment models, or best practices? Join the PA Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) and Achieva, the ARC of Greater Pittsburgh, for a series of regional virtual listening sessions in January and February for dental providers and MA-enrolled Public Health Dental Hygiene Practitioners (PHDHPs). You will also be able to share your thoughts, concerns and most importantly, suggestions, on how they can help providers to provide this care. The first 20 participants for each session will receive an e-gift card for $15.00 (limit one per provider). Click on the call that is accessible for your schedule. (Although listed by regions, you can register for any call.)
New Online: Dental Risk Management Tool
The Dental Toolkit, now available on the Clinical Risk Management Program website, includes resources to help risk and safety leaders protect patients and employees, ensure compliance with federal and state laws and implement and foster a culture of safety in dental settings. Key resources include:
Dental Handbook on Nutritional Counseling for Obesity Prevention
Temple University Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry in Philadelphia has developed Nutritional Counseling for Obesity Prevention (NCOP) in Children: A Handbook for the Dental Community. This handbook is an evidence-based resource that will increase the knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals in childhood obesity prevention, healthy nutrition, and dietary counseling. The handbook also has a NCOP screener that can be integrated into electronic health record systems to help identify children who are at high risk for both dental caries and obesity. This useful resource for community health centers is available at no cost.
DentaQuest Partnership Releases New Oral Health Report
The DentaQuest Partnership released a report, “Public Health Dental Providers Embrace COVID-19-Related Changes.” This new report outlines how dental public health providers are taking strategic action in response to COVID-19. The report also discusses how some dental providers are preparing for long-term changes expected beyond the pandemic.