Collaborative Partnerships to Achieve Oral Health Objectives

Kimberly R. Dehler, MS DDSSeptember 30, 2010

Overview

• Cabarrus County history of collaboration • Regional collaborative activities• Additional local oral health initiatives

1997-2000

• Cabarrus Health Alliance created• Community Needs Assessment by Healthy

Cabarrus–Dental prioritized–Dental Task Force established

• Smart Start Grant• Fixed Clinic Opened (3 chairs)–Cannon Foundation

2001 - 2003

• Public Health Hygienist funded by CHA and Smart Start

• Decay rate surveillance with NC OHS• Increased follow up and referral of children• Pediatric dentist established practice• Clinic expanded to 6 chairs– Cannon Foundation

• Expanded service population to age18

2004 - 2008

• Healthy Cabarrus Community Needs Assessment– Lack of dental care still a top issue

• Hospital ER dental volume • Dental clinic expansion to 12 chairs funded by

hospital and Cannon

Intra Agency Collaborations

• Pediatrics– Dental home referrals– Direct referral / same day access

• Maternity– Referrals for routine and urgent– Centering Pregnancy

• School nurses• WIC• Ryan White

Regional Collaborative Opportunities

What are Public Health Incubators?

• Voluntary groups of local public health agencies leveraging resources for regional collaboration to accomplish shared goals – Improve service delivery– Increase sharing of resources– Foster innovation

Why “Incubators?”

• Borrowed from a business concept, ‘incubating’ new ideas

• Incubators focus on innovation

• Regional partnerships aim to solve common public health problems with new approaches

SPPPH Dental Focus Group2006 - present

• Initiated by SPPPH Finance Focus Group• Endorsed by SPPPH Health Directors• 7 of 11 health departments of the SPPPH• Goals – Identify dental program operational issues– Share resources– Develop best practices

SPPPH Top 10 Issues

1. Lack of Standardized Policies and Procedures for Dental Programs

2. Staff Recruitment3. Financial Issues4. Lack of Oral Health

Awareness 5. Need for Specialty

Referral

6. Need for Maximal Utilization of Public Health Hygienists

7. Patient Service Policies8. Staff Compensation and

Benefits9. Continuity of Care between

Providers10. Need for Interdisciplinary

Communication to Solve Common Problems

2006 - present

• Meet monthly and expanded to include NW PPH dental programs

• Share policy manuals, consents, etc.• Funded a dental clinic efficiency study for 5

counties• Identified barriers and best practices• 3 of the 5 SPPPH counties showed increases in

production 7-25% in first 6 months

Additional Oral Health Initiatives

• HWTF Oral Health Initiative• Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation-Safety Net

Solutions • NC Head Start-AAPD Dental Home Initiative

For More Information Contact:

• http://nciph.sph.unc.edu/incubator/index.htm

• Kimberly R. Dehler, MS,DDSDental DirectorCabarrus Health Alliance(704) 920-1092krdehler@cabarrushealth.org