The dental community serving the local community

By Paul Roberts on August 3, 2016
Foundation and Outreach Director, Missouri Dental Association

The Missouri Mission of Mercy (MOMOM) is more than a free dental clinic. It’s tangible help. It’s giving at its best. That is why I love working on this grand scale inspirational project. Collectively we accomplish something together that we could never do alone. MOMOM is an intersection of three communities. Allow me to unpack […]

CATEGORIES
Oral Health, Uncategorized

Maintaining oral health is all about access

By Gary Harbison on February 19, 2016
Executive Director, Missouri Coalition for Oral Health

Missouri is experiencing a renaissance in attention to oral health policy. Champions in the state legislature are working to ensure oral health policy is a relevant topic through legislation and through the oral health caucus. The Coalition’s annual oral health policy conference brings fresh innovation to the dialog inside and outside of the statewide network […]

read more

CATEGORIES
Oral Health

Decade of Difference: Reaching out to at-risk populations

By HCF Blog Team on February 5, 2016

In addition to new general service clinics, the area also has benefited from an expansion in dental care access for special needs and elderly populations. Oral Health on Wheels, a 40-foot mobile dental clinic operated by Johnson County Community College, provides professional dental cleaning and other maintenance services to special needs populations. A dental services […]

Adult dental benefits in Missouri Medicaid are moving forward

By Gary Harbison on January 7, 2016
Executive Director, Missouri Coalition for Oral Health

On Tuesday of this week, Governor Jay Nixon made an announcement that oral health advocates, dental providers and – most importantly – adults currently eligible for MO HealthNet (Missouri Medicaid) have longed to hear: Missouri will provide MO HealthNet adult dental benefits. Now we must wait up to 90 days for the Centers for Medicare and […]

read more

CATEGORIES
Oral Health

A look back at 2015: What we learned about the next Decade of Difference

By Jane Mosley, PhD on December 23, 2015
Program and Evaluation Officer, Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City

For the past 18 months, HCF has been working on a project that examined how we’ve advanced health in our region over the past 10 years. The fruits of that labor is featured on our new website – HCFDecadeofDifference.org. While most of the report focuses on changes that have occurred, we also heard about health […]

The Little County that could

By Krista Postai on December 18, 2015
CEO & President, Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas

Just over 100 miles southwest of Kansas City, there is a county of just over 13,000 residents that has created a model for community health improvement. A county that admitted collectively that it needed to improve health outcomes. A county that was willing to ask for help. A county that rolled up its sleeves (and […]

Decade of Difference: expansion of oral health workforce

By HCF Blog Team on October 14, 2015

Ed. Note: This is a modified excerpt from our Decade of Difference report. Read more about the region’s health care workforce in our full report. Important developments throughout the dental workforce have played an essential role in supporting the expansion of the area’s oral health safety capacity. Increasingly, dental schools are reaching out to engage students […]

read more

CATEGORIES
A Healthy 10, Oral Health

Decade of Difference: Oral health emerges as public health priority

By HCF Blog Team on October 6, 2015

Ed. Note: This is a modified excerpt from our Decade of Difference report. Read more about the region’s oral health evolution in our full report. Increased oral care capacity, improved collaboration among safety net providers and a growing awareness of the relationship between oral and general health all have helped push oral health care nearer […]

Why having a Missouri dental director matters

By Gary Harbison on October 1, 2015
Executive Director, Missouri Coalition for Oral Health

Oral health advocates have worked together over the past several years to achieve momentum to improve the oral health of Missouri. A key goal has been to ensure that Missouri has a state dental director. The Missouri Coalition for Oral Health has garnered support from elected officials, advocates, health care foundations — including the Health […]

read more

CATEGORIES
A Healthy 10, Oral Health

Dental clinic serves Cass County underserved youth

By Amy Castle on September 25, 2015
Practice Manager, Cass County Dental Clinic

“You’re not healthy without good oral health,” was an oft-repeated phrase from U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop in the early 1980s. This statement stands true today as dental caries (tooth decay) is the single most common chronic disease among children – five times more common than asthma and seven times more likely than hay fever, […]

read more

CATEGORIES
A Healthy 10, Oral Health, Safety Net

HCF's Local Health Buzz Blog aims to discuss health and health policy issues that impact the uninsured and underserved in our service area. To submit a blog, please contact HCF Communications Officers, Jennifer Sykes, at .

Category: Oral Health

The dental community serving the local community

Maintaining oral health is all about access

Decade of Difference: Reaching out to at-risk populations

Adult dental benefits in Missouri Medicaid are moving forward

A look back at 2015: What we learned about the next Decade of Difference

The Little County that could

Decade of Difference: expansion of oral health workforce

Decade of Difference: Oral health emerges as public health priority

Why having a Missouri dental director matters

Dental clinic serves Cass County underserved youth

Archives

Categories