1705-13322

Florida: Support to the Florida Institute for Health Innovation (FIHI) to expand its work as an Oral Health 2020 grantee and facilitator of networks for systems change. Specific objectives of this project include developing a medical and dental integration pilot in Miami-Dade County for embedding dental hygienists into pediatric practices; strengthening FIHI's role as a backbone organization by becoming a grassroots integrator for communities that are focused on oral health advocacy, education, and program implementation; and expanding FIHI's oral health consumer engagement research and advocacy efforts to help guide oral health policies and practices to more effectively address consumer needs. Through the Florida Oral Health Alliance, FIHI will align stakeholder interests, including those most affected by disparities, to achieve the result that “All Florida children, youth, and families have good oral health and well-being, especially those that are vulnerable.” The proposal aligns with the Oral Health 2020 goals of eradicating dental disease in children and improving the public perception of the value of oral health to overall health. The work will primarily focus on engagement of families, communities, and care providers. $145,734 will support the personnel and consultants' time and stakeholder convening capacity needed to implement the project.