WATCH YOUR MOUTH: MASSACHUSETTS: NEWSLETTER

Watch Your Mouth Massachusetts: The Watch Your Mouth Coalition Is Working In Massachusetts, New Hampshire And Maine To Make Children's Oral Health A Priority. Objectives of the Watch Your Mouth Coalition are to Educate the public that tooth decay is the most common childhood disease that can cause diminished school performance and poor overall health. WYM advocates for wider access to preventive services, such as dental sealants and fluoride, and regular dental exams for all children.
Global Navigation
Content
Sectional Navigation

Check out the Watch Your Mouth television advertisement, airing around the state right now! Preview the ad at full size. (Download QuickTime player.)

Vol. 4, issue 6
June 2009

Upcoming Events

Summer is almost here, which means the school year is done, vacation is in sight and plenty of sunshine! This June, stay in tune with oral health and join the Watch Your Mouth Campaign as we attend numerous events across the state. Check out upcoming events section on left side of the newletter to find our where we'll be this month.

Speaking of vacations, the Watch Your Mouth newsletter will be taking some time off during the summer. Please expect the next issue in the fall of 2009.

In this issue, we share information about oral health priorities in the Massachusetts budget, invite you to attend Massachusetts Health Policy Forum's upcoming event on oral health, ask you to spread the word on an oral health job opening with Health Care For All and feature our partner of the month: The DentaQuest Foundation.

Oral Health and the Massachusetts State Budget: An Update

Every year, the state legislature must pass a budget, which serves as the operating budget for the state. And every year, advocates have a hand in the process by focusing attention on the programs they believe the money should go to. This year is a tough one and additional funds are sparse. That is why many oral health supporters across the state have been watching the budget closely to make sure oral health remains a priority. To give you an update on oral health priorities, here is a summary of budget victories and what's on the horizon in the next fiscal year:

Victories

Adult Dental Benefits for MassHealth and Commonwealth Care have been preserved-- This means that nearly 800,000 adults will continue to receive dental benefits. Protecting adult dental benefits to state health care plans will also decrease cost in emergency rooms, improve the health of children and families, and rejuvenate our workforce.

Equitable funding for the Department of Public Health's Office of Oral Health -- This will keep Massachusetts healthy by providing needed oral health education and care to children and adults in underserved parts of the state, including dental care for persons with disabilities. We've been focusing on the overall office rather than picking out each of the individual programs in all of our budget lit and advocacy.
What's on the Horizon

In the coming months, there will be public hearings where advocates can testify in support of legislation to improve oral health. Here are a list of hearings:

Inclusion of dental benefits in all Commonwealth Care plans. Equitable dental reimbursement rates.

Hearing will be held on July 15, 2009. There are strategic times throughout this process where advocates like you can make a difference. To learn how you can advocate for oral health, contact Courtney Chelo with the Oral Health Advocacy Taskforce at cchelo@hcfama.org or 617.275.2935.

Learn more about the Oral Health Advocacy Taskforce's Priorities

Massachusetts Health Policy Forum invites you to their Oral Health Forum on June 16

By Signe Peterson Flieger

Please join us for the upcoming forum, "Putting the Mouth Back in the Body: Improving Oral Health Across the Commonwealth." The forum will be held Tuesday, June 16, 2009, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm in the Alcott Ballroom at the Omni Parker House in downtown Boston.

Good oral health is essential for good overall health. However, lack of dental insurance, high out-of-pocket costs, and workforce challenges result in many Massachusetts residents forgoing necessary dental care. While recent efforts have drawn attention to the importance of oral health throughout the state, work remains to be done. This forum will feature two panels of experts exploring the current state of oral health and future policy directions to improve oral health in Massachusetts. Panel discussions will address improvements to the MassHealth dental program, innovative fluoride and sealant prevention programs for children, the oral health needs of vulnerable seniors, opportunities for integration and capacity enhancements in the workforce, and policy advancements at the state and national level. We will hear from local and national health leaders how to further improve oral health in the state. A comprehensive issue brief on oral health in Massachusetts will accompany this event. Forum panelists will include Senator Harriette Chandler and Representative John Scibak from the Legislative Oral Health Caucus, Commissioner John Auerbach from the Department of Public Health, Conan Davis from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Catherine Hayes from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, and Judith Jones from Boston University School of Dental Medicine. An informal breakfast will be served between 8:30 and 9:00 am. This event is sponsored by the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum, the DentaQuest Foundation, and the Massachusetts Dental Society. We hope that you will be able to join us.

Forum panelists will include Senator Harriette Chandler and Representative John Scibak from the Legislative Oral Health Caucus, Commissioner John Auerbach from the Department of Public Health, Conan Davis from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Catherine Hayes from Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, and Judith Jones from Boston University School of Dental Medicine.

An informal breakfast will be served between 8:30 and 9:00 am. This event is sponsored by the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum, the DentaQuest Foundation, and the Massachusetts Dental Society. We hope that you will be able to join us.

Health Care For All is hiring: Manager for Oral Health Initiatives

We recently said farewell to our colleague Jaime Corliss, who has been working at Health Care For All (HCFA) on various oral health for the past three years. We congratulate Jaime as she moves on to work for Mayor Joseph Curtatone of Somerville as the Director of the Shape Up Somerville progam. For those of you who know her, feel free to stay in touch with Jaime at 617.625.6600 ext 4300 or jcorliss@somervillema.gov.

On that note, HCFA is hiring for the Manager of Oral Health Initiative position. HCFA is a leading Massachusetts consumer health care advocacy organization, and staffs the Oral Health Advocacy Taskforce. The Taskforce is a statewide coalition of more than 1500 consumers, advocates, health care professionals, academics, and insurers. The goal of the Taskforce is to improve the oral health of all persons in the Commonwealth through public policy advocacy. The Oral Health Advocacy Taskforce promotes a variety of policy priorities to expand access to oral health care educational, prevention and treatment services. To read the full job description, click on the link below.

Manager of Oral Health Initiatives Job Description

June Partner Spotlight: The DentaQuest Foundation

By: Brenda Lavasta

The mission of the DentaQuest Foundation (the "Foundation") is to support and promote optimal oral health. Already the largest U.S. funder focused solely on oral health, the Foundation is establishing itself as the national philanthropic leader for oral health improvement. Our recent name change strengthens our vision by linking us with the DentaQuest family of oral health companies who share a common mission of: improving oral health through administration of quality dental benefit plans; evidence-based research that can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of oral health care delivery systems; support of prevention; public awareness; and collaborative efforts for optimal oral health.

The Foundation makes its impact through grants that address systems issues responsible for poor oral health. In the past, the Foundation's philanthropic efforts were directed at meeting the most urgent needs of the communities seeking our support. In 2007, we began a transition to a targeted set of strategies aimed at demonstrable improvement of oral health at the population level. This systemic approach emphasizes comprehensive programs and positions the Foundation as a visible agent of change. Assembling and mobilizing partners, grantees, and state/community collaborators to focus their energies on oral health across the nation will be the focus of the Foundation's work. With our Massachusetts experience as a baseline, the Foundation will extend its influence and grant making beyond the Commonwealth to mobilize key stakeholders, institutions, and community leaders who understand the issues, and embrace similar objectives. Together, we will actively engage in preventing disease and improving oral health.

To learn more about the DentaQuest Foundation and its mission, please visit our website: dentaquestfoundation.org or you may contact Judith Foley, Senior Program Officer at jfoley@dentaquestfoundation.org.

Thanks,

Czarina

Previous Newsletters

Page Top