MO Coalition for Oral Health: Affecting positive change

by VICKI WILBERS  MDA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

From time to time, we have provided information about the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health (Coali- tion), which MDA is a member. In fact, the MDA is a founding member of the Coalition, and in recent years, we have watched the Coalition reform and renew itself as an organization that is taking active steps toward its mission to “improve oral health for all Missourians through sound public policy and public awareness.” Read on to learn more about the Coalition and its efforts.

The MDA plays an integral part in shaping the agenda of the Coalition. I sit on the Coalition’s executive commit- tee and currently serve as its trea- surer. Patrick Baker, the MDA Legislative and Regulatory Director, serves on the Coali- tion’s policy and conference committees.

The Missouri Coalition for Oral Health, in an attempt to achieve its mission, sup- ported in the most recent legislative session Senate Bill 330 (sealants), House Bill 467 (fluoridation) and House Bill 613 (Dental Director). For more information on the status of these and other bills supported by the MDA please visit modental.org/session.

Throughout the legislative session and the interim since the adjournment of this year’s session, the Coalition and the MDA have worked with the executive branch to secure public and private funding for the dental director position. We are pleased to announce the Governor’s office has agreed to hire a dental direc- tor, a position that would report to the Director of Health and Senior Services. While the duties of this posi- tion have yet to be defined,

ally, work is being done to plan an oral health conference in mid-Missouri. The conference will be held in 2014, with the date and theme yet to be announced.

the filling of this position for the first time in a decade is an important first step for the state as it attempts to assist in improving the oral health for all Missourians. Delta Den- tal, Missouri Foundation for Health and REACH Health- care Foundation each have pledge generous amount of money for the private funding of this public position.

Efforts by the Department will continue this summer to interview qualified candidates to fill this position. If you are interested or have a recom- mendation of someone who would be interested in filling this position please contact Patrick Baker for more details.

In conjunction with the Coali- tion’s attempts to pass these legislative agenda items, work is ongoing to raise public awareness about the impor- tance of fluoridating public waters supplies and arming local advocates with the information they will need to ensure that local leaders are educated on this important oral health topic. Addition-

While the MDA and other Coalition members also may advocate for similar positions individually, it helps to have the solidarity of the Coali- tion also speaking about, and trying to affect change on, these important oral health items. It’s for this reason that working in concert with each member of this Coali- tion—including the MDA—is especially important as pri- orities and agenda items for each year can be established only by full consensus of the membership (see a full list of Coalition members on their website).

While the MDA always advo- cates for its dentists mem- bers, you too, as an individual doctor, can become part of the Coalition to support their efforts. I encourage you to learn more about membership and about the Coalition in general at www.oralhealth- missouri.org.

State Dental Director Position Opening

The MDA has been working with the Governor’s office and the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health’s Executive Director Gary Harbison, since the beginning of the year to secure funding, private and public, for the reinstatement of a Dental Director. The MDA is pleased to announce that the Governor’s office has agreed to fill the position. A search by the Department of Health and Senior Services for candidates to fill the position will begin shortly. If you or any dentist you know is interested in serving as Dental Director please contact Vicki Wilbers, or Patrick Baker at the MDA for details as to how you may apply.

ATSU Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health Update

During a Missouri Coalition for Oral Health meeting at the end of June, Dr. Chris Halliday, Dean of the ATSU Missouri School of Dentistry & Oral Health (MOSDOH) updated the group on the program. He stated that out of more than 900 applicants, 42 potential students had been selected for the first class. He stated that the school should find out by August 9 if CODA grants initial accreditation. If so, the students selected will be notified and they still have plans to begin the program in early September. All students that were interviewed were aware of the ac- creditation process and the timelines in place. ATSU also has purchased land in St. Louis to build the clinic that will house third year students. The location is the old City Hospital site, located near Lafayette Square and Lafayette Park.

ISSUE 4 | JUL/AUG 2013 | focus 17