Click on the links below to skip to other articles:
2007 Legislative Priorities
Annual Excellence in Oral Health Award Winners Announced
February is National Children's Dental Health Month
KMOM Free Dental Clinic Scheduled in February
Advocacy Day Expanded to 3 Days of Events
KHI Launches New Website
Save the Date: 2007 Oral Health Conference
OHK Welcomes New Staff Member
Oral Health Kansas:
Making oral health
a priority in Kansas... because it matters!
Oral Health Kansas
800 SW Jackson St.
Suite 1120
Topeka, KS 66612
Phone:
(785) 235-6039
Fax:
(785) 233-5564
E-mail:
ohks@oralhealthkansas.org
To unsubscribe to this newsletter, please e-mail us at the address listed above and type ?unsubscribe? in the subject line.
2007 Legislative Priorities
Extended Care Permits (ECP): During the first week of the 2007 legislative session, Oral Health Kansas (OHK) introduced a bill in the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee. The bill essentially recommends changes to the current statute related to the use of ECPs. The recommendations are based on two years of experience working with communities to set up community-based dental hygiene programs. The changes are based on stakeholder feedback and are designed to increase the number of the most vulnerable Kansans receiving prevention and early intervention services by incorporating a wider range of eligible children, adults and elders.
OHK is in process of working with the Revisor's office to draft the final version of the bill. We will keep you posted once a bill number has been assigned, and will keep you updated on the bill's progress.
Any organization wishing to lend support to the bill by providing oral or written testimony, please call Teresa Schwab at 785.235.6039.
Click here for a summary of the recommendations.
Click here for an ECP fact sheet to use in discussions with Legislators or others.
Adult Medicaid Dental Services: In 2006, the Legislature expanded dental coverage to individuals receiving services through Home and Community-Based Service (HCBS) waiver programs, including developmental disabilities, physical disabilities and head injuries. In 2007, OHK is working toward expanding dental coverage to all adults eligible for Medicaid. The Kansas Health Policy Authority (KPHA) did include this as one of their enhancement priorities for this session as well, listing the appropriation request at $3.5 million state general fund (SGF), $8.8 million all funds (AF). In addition to KHPA's interest in dental, the Kansas State Department of Aging (KDoA) has listed dental as their number one priority this session-their request is for expansion of Medicaid dental coverage to adults on the HCBS/FE (frail elderly) waiver as well as coverage for dentures for individuals on the HCBS/FE waiver. The KDoA's request is included in the Governor's budget.
Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD): In 2006, the Legislature appropriated $415,000 each year for three years for the creation of the residency program. In addition to the Legislative appropriation, nearly $1 million has been raised in private funds. The AEGD Committee is continuing to work diligently to hire a program director and have the program ready for a first class of residents in August 2008. The program will be affiliated with Wichita State University, Via Christi Hospital and will primarily be located at the GraceMed Dental Clinic, Wichita.
Click here for a copy of the letter OHK sent to the Governor with our FY 2008 appropriations requests.
Click here for a complete look at OHK's overall 2007 advocacy agenda.
Annual Excellence in Oral Health Award Winners Announced
At our 2006 annual conference, Oral Health Kansas recognized two individuals, a Wamego dental hygienist and a Wichita dentist, and a Pittsburg organization for their commitment to improving oral health for Kansans.
Kathy Hunt, RDH
Kathy Hunt, Wamego, was honored in the Outstanding Community Member category. Hunt was recognized for the exemplary service she has provided through the Community Health Ministry Healthy Smiles Dental Hygiene Program, as well as her services in helping to establish similar programs throughout the state. Caron Shipley, RDH, BS, said, "Kathy is an inspiration for others, not just dental hygienists, but ALL caregivers. She has great ideas and serves as a great role model to others. Her passion for providing care to those who need it most is evident." Hunt works part-time as a Registered Dental Hygienist in a private practice, but she also works in the community using an Extended Care Permit (ECP).
Roger Nolte, DDS
Dr. Roger Nolte, Wichita, was honored in the Outstanding Clinician category. Dr. Nolte was recognized for the exemplary service he has provided through the GraceMed Dental Clinic in Wichita. David Sanford, the Executive Director of the GraceMed Clinic, said, "Dr. Nolte is the person you can count on to be there day in and day out. He works Fridays and won't leave until the last patient is satisfied with the care they received. He responds to emergencies on weekends and weeknights, and most of all, he cares for the patients we serve and believes, as we all do, that access to quality health care should be a right." In addition to seeing patients, Dr. Nolte was also a key player in GraceMed's recent planning process to design and remodel a new facility to accommodate six new dental operatories.
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas
The Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK), located in Pittsburg, Kansas, was honored in the category of Outstanding Organization. Krista Postai, CEO of CHC/SEK, accepted the award on behalf of the organization.
The health center now treats an average of 40 dental patients per day, which will translate into 9,000 patient visits per year. In addition, through a collaborative partnership with Fort Scott Community College, it will see the first class of dental hygiene students trained within the facility graduate in 2007. Dr. Daniel Minnis, a private practice dentist in Pittsburg, said, "In my eighteen years of practice, I have never witnessed any organization more devoted to solving the access to care problem and exceeding their goals in record time."
The oral health component of CHC/SEK is only one service of the health center. In July 2006, the center broke ground on a new 15,000 sq. ft. medical facility which will provide medical, mental health and pharmaceutical services for 30,000 patient visits per year.
CONGRATULATIONS to all of the award winners!
February is National Children's Dental Health Month
The annual observance of children's dental health began as a one-day event in Cleveland, Ohio on February 3, 1941. During that year, February 3-7 was designated as Children's Dental Health Week in Akron, Ohio.
The American Dental Association held the first national observance of Children's Dental Health Day on February 8, 1949. This single day observance became a week-long event in 1955. In 1981, the program was extended to a month-long celebration known today as National Children's Dental Health Month (NCDHM).
Since 1941, the observance has grown from a two-city event into a nationwide program. NCDHM messages reach millions of people in communities across the country and at numerous armed service bases abroad. Local observances often include poster, coloring, and essay contests, health fairs, free dental screenings, museum exhibits, classroom presentations and dental office tours.
History of event provided by the American Dental Association. Visit their website for more information as well as fun activities for
kids: http://www.ada.org/public/events/ncdhm/index.asp.
Also visit the Kansas Dental Association website for more information: http://www.ksdental.org/pub/cdhm.htm.
KMOM Free Dental Clinic Scheduled in February
This year's Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM) free dental clinic, a project of the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundations (KDCF), will be held February 2-3, 2007 in Topeka.
This event will be located at Landon Arena, Kansas Expocentre, at South Topeka Boulevard and 17th Street.
Doors will open to patients at 5am each day.
For more information, visit the KDCF website at www.ksdentalfoundation.org/kmom/kmom.htm
This Year's Advocacy Day Expanded to Three Days of Events
In celebration of National Children's Dental Health Month, we encourage you to join us for all or part of this year's events. A separate invitation will be sent via e-mail in the next few days, or you may RSVP now to Jessica at jbarr@oralhealthkansas.org.
February 21-23, 2007
Topeka, Kansas
Schedule of Events:
Wednesday, Feb. 21
12 - 1 p.m.
Advocacy training & Issues Update
Sponsored by: Oral Health Kansas, the Kansas Dental Hygienists' Association & Kansas Dental Association
Ramada Inn, Topeka
1 - 4 p.m.
Meetings with Legislators, Capitol Tours, Observe Health Committees or Floor Action
Sponsored By: Oral Health Kansas, the Kansas Dental Hygienists' Association & Kansas Dental Association
Kansas State Capitol, Topeka
Thursday, Feb. 22
7 - 9 p.m.
Legislative Reception for Oral Health Kansas Members & all Kansas Legislators and Staff
Sponsored By: Oral Health Kansas
Ramada Inn, Topeka
Friday, Feb. 23
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
State Oral Health Planning Summit
Sponsored By: Oral Health Kansas & the Kansas State Office of Oral Health
Ramada Inn, Topeka
KHI Launches New Website
Below, find a letter written by Dr. Robert St. Peter, President & CEO of Kansas Health Institute, regarding the launch of their new website, www.khi.org :
Dear Friend of KHI:
For more than 10 years, the Kansas Health Institute has provided policymakers with objective information on critical health issues. The quality of our research and analysis has made us a trusted voice at the Statehouse, in state agencies and among organizations dedicated to improving the health of Kansans.
But we believe we can do more.
So, we're launching the KHI News Service - a Web-based resource for state and national health policy information. A single place where you can access both in-depth features and daily reports on urgent and emerging issues.
To ensure the news service is of the highest quality, we have recruited a team of award-winning Kansas journalists to work with our staff of health policy researchers and analysts to produce it.
Headed by Jim McLean, KHI's vice president for public affairs and a former managing editor at the Topeka Capital-Journal, the news service team includes: Mike Shields, who until recently was the city editor at the Lawrence Journal-World; Dave Ranney, a longtime journalist who has earned a statewide reputation for his in-depth reporting for the Journal-World and The Wichita Eagle; Web Specialist Cathy McNorton; and Sarah Green, a former online editor for The Hutchinson News.
The primary goal of the news service is to improve the health policy discussion in Kansas by connecting the participants and sharing reliable information. We want to go beyond the headlines and beyond the politics to the heart of the issues that challenge us.
But the news service is just one of the ways in which we hope to do that. The KHI Web site has been redesigned to more prominently feature our latest policy reports and to make our publications easier to find. A calendar of upcoming events has been added along with daily reports on developments in national health policy.
Please take a moment to explore the new site. And, while you're here, subscribe to receive periodic alerts when new features are posted. Of course, there is no cost to subscribe or to access any of the content.
Finally, please help us to make the site more useful by e-mailing us with your feedback at mailbox@khi.org
Thank you,
Robert F. St. Peter, M.D.
President & CEO
Save the Date: 2007 Oral Health Conference
Please mark your calendars!
This year's Annual Oral Health Conference will be held November 1-3, 2007.
More details to follow...
OHK Welcomes New Staff Member
OHK welcomes Jessica Barr to the team. Jessica started in not-for-profit hospice care in 2002 and has since stayed in the health care arena. Jessica comes to Oral Health Kansas as the first Office Manager for the organization. Jessica is a native Topekan and is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Business.