Project Grant UK753021

NETWORKS FOR ORAL HEALTH INTEGRATION WITHIN THE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH SAFETY NET - COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT 4300 CHERRY CREEK DR. SOUTH, DENVER, CO 80246 ASHLEIGH KIRK 303-692-2269 ASHLEIGH.KIRK@STATE.CO.US COORALHEALTH.ORG HRSA-24-039: MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH - IMPROVING ORAL HEALTH INTEGRATION DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS THE COLORADO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT (CDPHE), IN COLLABORATION WITH DENVER HEALTH (DH) AND THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO (CU), WILL ENHANCE ACCESS TO PREVENTIVE ORAL HEALTH CARE AND REDUCE ORAL HEALTH INEQUITIES AMONG THE MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH POPULATION AGED 1-21 IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. THE PROJECT, INFORMED BY A NETWORK OF ORAL HEALTH PARTNERS, FOCUSES ON STRATEGIES TO ELEVATE UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES, UTILIZE EQUITY-INFORMED DATA, INTEGRATE PREVENTIVE ORAL HEALTH SERVICES AND WORKFLOWS INTO PRIMARY CARE AND OTHER HEALTH CARE SETTINGS, AND COORDINATE EFFORTS FOR ORAL HEALTH LITERACY. COLORADO RECOGNIZES THE DISPARITIES IN ORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, EMPHASIZING THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL DETERMINANTS, GEOGRAPHIC, AND OTHER COMMUNITY BARRIERS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CAVITY FREE CARE NETWORK (CFCN), AND WILL PRIORITIZE MEDICAL-DENTAL INTEGRATION, ORAL HEALTH LITERACY, AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO BRIDGE GAPS IN ACCESS AND AWARENESS. COLORADO IS CONFRONTED WITH SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES IN ACCESS TO ORAL HEALTH CARE, PARTICULARLY AMONG CHILDREN AGED 0-21, AS EVIDENCED BY STATE AND NATIONAL DATA, RESEARCH OUTCOMES, AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. ESCALATING RATES OF UNTREATED DECAY, ESPECIALLY AMONG COMMUNITIES WITH INEQUITABLE ORAL HEALTH OUTCOMES, ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE 2022-2023 COLORADO BASIC SCREENING SURVEY. GEOGRAPHIC BARRIERS IN RURAL AND DENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL SHORTAGE AREAS AND LACK OF AFFORDABLE DENTAL SERVICES REGARDLESS OF INSURANCE STATUS, CONTRIBUTE TO LIMITED ACCESS. SOCIAL DETERMINANTS, INSURANCE STATUS, AND LANGUAGE VARIATIONS FURTHER AMPLIFY ORAL HEALTH INEQUITIES. THE CFCN, LED BY EXPERTS AT CDPHE, DH, AND CU, WILL IMPROVE ACCESS TO PREVENTIVE ORAL HEALTH CARE (POHC) AND ADDRESS ORAL HEALTH INEQUITIES. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: - IDENTIFY IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS POLICY AND PRACTICE GAPS THAT CAUSE BARRIERS TO THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF POHC WITHIN PRIMARY CARE SETTINGS, AND WITH THE CFCN ALLIANCE, ENGAGE THE COLORADO ORAL HEALTH COALITION TO ENACT POLICY CHANGE. - ESTABLISH THE CFCN ALLIANCE, COMPOSED OF KEY PARTNERS, TO SUPPORT THE CFCN AND PROVIDE EXPERTISE IN HEALTH LITERACY AND PREVENTIVE ORAL HEALTH CARE. THE ALLIANCE, COMPRISING EXPERTS IN MEDICAL-DENTAL INTEGRATION, ORAL HEALTH LITERACY, POLICY, AND MORE, WILL PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORT AND CONTRIBUTE TO CFCN ACTIVITIES. - DEVELOP THE CAVITY FREE LITERACY PROJECT, INCLUDING ORAL HEALTH LITERACY TOOLS, TRAINING, AND RESOURCES TO ENHANCE ORAL HEALTH LITERACY AMONG HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS AND PATIENTS. - UTILIZE THE COLORADO PRIORITY COMMUNITY INDEX TO MAP SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH AND ORAL HEALTH ACCESS TO IDENTIFY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES. - DEVELOP THE BEYOND EARLY SMILES: CAVITY FREE YOUTH CURRICULUM TO EXPAND THE EXISTING POHC INFRASTRUCTURE ACROSS AGES 1-21, ADDRESSING GAPS IN TRAINING, RESOURCES, AND ACCESS TO CARE. - SUPPORT PRIMARY CARE SITES TO DEVELOP POHC WORKFLOWS, INCLUDING USING TELEORALHEALTH AND SUPPORTIVE HEALTHCARE WORKERS TO INTEGRATE ORAL HEALTH INTO MEDICAL CARE. - ENHANCE COLORADO'S ORAL HEALTH SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM BY EXPANDING THE BASIC SCREENING SURVEY'S SCALE, SCOPE, AND TIMEFRAME, TO INCREASE COMPREHENSIVE DATA ON ORAL HEALTH IN COLORADO. - DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN EVALUATION FRAMEWORK TO ASSESS THE PROGRESS OF THE CFCN IN ADDRESSING DISPARITIES IN ACCESS AND USE OF POHC. COLORADO'S CFCN PROJECT REPRESENTS A COMPREHENSIVE EFFORT TO ADVANCE ORAL HEALTH EQUITY, TARGETING POLICY, INFRASTRUCTURE, EDUCATION, AND ACCESS BARRIERS. BY STRATEGICALLY ENGAGING PARTNERS, ADDRESSING UNMET NEEDS, AND LEVERAGING COMMUNITY INSIGHTS, THE PROJECT AIMS TO CREATE LASTING IMPACT AND REDUCE ORAL HEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.