ADEA Symposium: Alaska Dental Health Aide Program
A must see and read. A beautiful publication ― pictures and text ― of an evidence-based dental therapist program that should be the model for emulation in the Lower 48. Click here for the report.
Howard Speaks. UOP Listens
Howard Pollick, BDS, MPH, the immediate past chair, Oral Health Section, APHA, delivered the Keynote address at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific, Research and Clinical Excellence Day on May 20, 2009.
This was the first time that a Keynote Address had been part of this annual event, now in its 11th year.
The title of Dr. Pollick’s presentation was: "Research and Public Policy: Dental Caries and Fluoridation." He spoke about the research he led in the early 1990s on the oral health needs of California children and the progress that has been made in California and the United States in the reduction of caries prevalence, the reduction in the proportion of decay that is untreated, the reduction in extractions in adults, the increase in dental sealants and the increase in fluoridation for the proportion of the population that is served by public water supplies in California and the nation. “It was a great honor and privilege to have delivered this First Keynote Address at the Pacific Research Day & Clinical Excellence Day 2009 at the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, University of the Pacific” Dr. Pollick said.
(From: UOP News and Events)
Increasing Access to Care in Medicaid: Targeted Programs for Four Populations
Poor access to oral health care and low use of oral health services by publicly insured people have been persistent problems that states and their Medicaid programs have grappled with for decades. However, there are groups of Medicaid beneficiaries ― such as young children, pregnant women, people with developmental disabilities, and people living in rural areas ― who face particular threats to their oral health. These populations can benefit from interventions targeted at their specific needs.
This issue brief, which is drawn from a literature review and interviews with stakeholders across the country, describes strategies that several states have used to better address the oral health of these people….Click here for the report.
California HealthCare Foundation, Issue Brief, March 2009
New Report on Topical Fluoride Recommendations and Decision Support Matrix
The summary report of an expert meeting on topical fluoride recommendations has been released. The purpose of the meeting, held on Oct. 22-23, 2007, in Washington, D.C., was to translate guidelines and recommendations on the use of topical fluorides in children at high risk for dental caries into a decision support matrix that can be used primarily by program staff and non-oral health professionals working in public health settings (e.g., child care centers, Head Start programs, WIC, community clinics, primary care) in designing appropriate interventions.
The Decision Support Matrix for Topical Fluoride Recommendations is included in the report, which also describes the panel's process. The matrix provides a definition of high-risk children and recommendations for fluoride toothpaste, fluoride varnish, and fluoride mouth rinses, gel or foam. The meeting agenda and participant list are included. Click here for the full report.
The Altarum Institute, Washington, D.C. October 2007
Is Kaiser the Future of Health Care?
Single-payer national health insurance, advocated by many as a solution to our health care crises, addresses only the financing of health care. How health care services are organized and delivered is equally if not more important. This 2004 article, published in the NY Times, describes the goals and achievements of the Kaiser-Permanente Health Plan.
"Obviously, there is no single model for revamping the nation's costly, disjointed health care system, and Kaiser certainly has its share of problems. But according to economists and medical experts, Kaiser is a leader in the drive both to increase the quality of care and to spend health dollars more wisely, using technology and incentives tailored to those goals."
"Quality health care in America will never be cheap, but Kaiser probably does it better than anywhere else," said Uwe E. Reinhardt, an economist at Princeton who specializes in health issues."
Click here for the complete article.