1. ORAL HEALTH COALITIONS A CRITICAL ELEMENT OF SUCCESSBUT WHY? Minnesota Oral Health Summit January 23, 2009

2. What is a Coalition?

Definition:a group of individuals and/or organizations with a common interest who agree to work together toward a common goal.

Coalitions may be loose associations in which members work for a short time to achieve a specific goal, and then disband, or they may also become organizations in themselves, with governing bodies, particular community responsibilities, funding, and permanence.

Regardless of their size and structure, they exist to create and/or support efforts to reach a particular set of goals.

3. Goals of a Coalition

Coalition goals are as varied as coalitions themselves, but often contain elements of one or more of the following:

Influencing or developing public policy, usually around a specific issue.

Changing people's behavior.

Building a healthy community.

4. Why Develop a Coaliltion?

Concentrate the community's focus on a particular problem.

Create alliances among those who might not normally work together.

Keep the community's approach to issues consistent.

5. Early View of Oral Health in Kansas

No dental school, limited number of dental hygiene programs

Very limited dental services offered in safety net clinics

No Medicaid coverage for adult dental services

Very few providers accepting Medicaid or SCHIP

No state leadership or funding

Relatively no data

Programs focused at the community level, with little impact

LOTS of frustration

One pricipal funder with oral health as a priority (interest in community water fluoridation)

6. The Straw that Broke the Camels Back 7. Something Had to be Done!

The answer?A coalition!

Convened multiple interested stakeholders

Formed steering committee

Engaged professional support

Initiated regular communication

Determined areas of priority

Created a short-term strategic plan

Hired an Executive Director

Oral Health Kansas (OHK) was born in 2003

8. OHK Mission & Priorities

Mission:

To improve oral

health in Kansas

through advocacy,

public awareness

and education

Priority Areas:

Workforce

Access to Care

Prevention

Oral Health Status

Leadership

9. OHK Public Policy Success

State office of oral health & dental director

Legislative task force on access for adults

Medicaid reimbursement to physicians for application of fluoride varnish

AEGD clinical residency program

Extension of Medicaid dental benefits to certain adult populations (frail elders; developmentally and physically disabled and head injured; pregnant women)

Extended Care Permit law for registered dental hygienists

Changes made to the Dental Practice Act to allow rural areas more flexibility to hire dental providers

Oral health included in health reform conversation

10. OHK Programs and Projects

Annual oral health conference

Dental Champions Leadership Program

Extended Care Permit project designed to increase the number of RDHs and community based programs providing preventive oral health services

System of care projects for specific populations, including the developmentally disabled and frail elders

Sponsored reports:The Declining Supply of Dental Services:Implications for Access and Options for Reform(KHI, 2005) andKansas Health Reform:Options for Adding Dental Benefits(NASHP, 2008); Oral Health Report Card (OHA, 2009)

11. Elements of Success

Vision, leadership & passion

Collaboration

Funding

Members from multiple disciplines, including some unusual suspects

Advocay infused throughout all priority areas

Coalition independent of the OOH

Focus on systems level change, in advocacy & programs

Decisions made by consensus, put off issues that caused controversy

Early victories = trust & credibility

12. A View of Kansas Today

Increase in the number of dentists accepting Medicaid/SCHIP

Educational opportunities soon to be available for dentists through AEGD program, increased number of dental hygiene training programs

Safety net clinic capacity has nearly tripled since 2003, thanks in large part to the shared investments of private philanthropy and the state of Kansas

Dental hub and spoke model implemented in the safety net system

Approximately 90 RDHs now taking advantage of Extended Care Permits

13. And, Kansas Grade Today? 14. Resources

Coalition building:University of Kansas Community Tool Box atwww.ctb.ku.edu

Kansas oral health data and reports:Kansas Health Institute atwww.khi.org

Oral Health Kansas atwww.oralhealthkansas.org

Contact me:Teresa Schwab at[email_address]or at 785.393.0039.