1603-12064

Arizona: This investment supports Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers as they continue to strengthen, expand, and coordinate the Arizona oral health network. Specifically, this project will aim to enhance communications; support organizational capacity and grassroots organizing; support individual capacity building and engage new actors; build and collect evidence for advocacy; influence policy development, decision-making, and implementation; and support the development of a statewide oral health plan. A focus in 2017 will be moving towards a multi-hub structure with the states Regional Oral Health Coalitions and expanding their leadership role in shaping state coalition priorities and strategy. The coalition will also work to amplify the voice of grassroots communities in the effort to achieve oral health equity by partnering with the AZ grassroots lead organizations to identify barriers to optimal oral health and pursuing systems change solutions. As the grassroots leads conclude their assessments and identify community-driven oral health priorities, the coalition will partner with them to coordinate policy solutions and facilitate pursuing those solutions at the state-level. As the coalition continues to weave relationships and coordinate efforts, they will convene the first Statewide Oral Health Summit in May 2017 that will serve as the launch for a collaborative process to develop the new State Oral Health Plan. Expanding the current policy work group will be an early priority as the coalition continues to monitor legislation that will impact oral health, mobilize rapid response efforts, engage policymakers and public influence as well as strengthening person-centered care through integration. The Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers is continuously examining areas for sustainability and attracting additional funding sources to secure the coalition’s long term future. $166,716.53 will support personnel and consultant time associated with supporting the statewide network, the oral health planning process, and an evaluation strategy; travel and meeting expenses necessary to conduct outreach to diverse stakeholders and regional oral health coalitions; and communication efforts aimed towards developing aligned messages. This proposal is aligned with Oral Health 2020 Goal 4 of eradicating dental disease in children and the target that 75% of children reach age 5 without a cavity by 2020.