1712-13627

This investment supports the ongoing capacity building, advocacy, outreach, and engagement work of the Pennsylvania Oral Health Collective Impact Initiative (POHCII), a joint initiative of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Pennsylvania Head Start Association (PHSA), the Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH), and the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC). POHCII partners will work together to lead the implementation of the Pennsylvania Oral Health Plan, driving culture change in Pennsylvania to one that recognizes oral health as an essential component of overall health. Specifically, the coalition will expand oral health advocacy, outreach, and literacy; advocate for oral health integration in primary care, including cross-disciplinary provider training and scope expansion; and recruit and mobilize new, diverse partners to join the network. This work supports improvement across care, community, policy, and financial systems, and will help achieve the Oral Health 2020 goals of eradicating dental disease in children, closing of disparity gaps, integrating oral health into person-centered care models, and ensuring the inclusion of an extensive adult benefit in publicly funded health coverage. $500,000 will support the coordination and implementation of the proposed work across the four organizations, including staff time, operations, travel and meeting expenses, and project materials.