Oral Health 2014 Initiative
November 2011
The Oral Health 2014 Initiative—funded by the DentaQuest Foundation—is providing resources for the creation of a statewide implementation plan for Act 235, legislation passed by the SC General Assembly in 2010. Act 235 calls on the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to establish a statewide dental screening initiative and make enhancements to the state’s oral health infrastructure relying, in part, on a new network of community oral health coordinators (COHC).
The SC Rural Health Research Center, working on behalf of the SC State Oral Health Coalition, has partnered with IMPH, DHEC, the SC Dental Association and Palmetto Project to develop a statewide plan of action that moves Act 235 from a legislative concept to a sustainable public health response. The goal of this effort is to create an implementation plan that will be integrated into the State Oral Health Plan and carried out in ways that produce measurable improvements in oral health outcomes—particularly among vulnerable children. The implementation plan will address the underlying imperatives of Act 235, which are (a) identification of at-risk children, (b) care coordination, especially between dental and medical providers, and (c) parent engagement.
Four teams will be formed to address those imperatives: Science, Medical-Dental Safety Net, Community Engagement and Sustainability Workgroups. White Papers will be developed by each workgroup to inform the implementation plan. In facilitating the Sustainability Workgroup, IMPH will engage leaders from key areas of influence to formulate recommendations as to how the implementation plan can be sustained beyond the period of this initiative.
Please contact Lee Pearson for more information on the Institute’s role in the Oral Health 2014 Initiative.
