G-1807-14376

This investment continues to support Oral Health Kansas (OHK) to convene, coordinate, and strengthen Kansas Oral Health Connections (KOHC), a statewide group of organizations dedicated to promoting oral health throughout the state, closing disparity gaps, and advocating for comprehensive adult dental benefits and the capacity of the Kansas dental workforce, particularly in rural areas. Specifically, KOHC brings together the Community Care Network of Kansas (formerly Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved), Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Bureau of Oral Health (BOH), Kansas Head Start Association (KHSA), the Kansas Dental Association (KDA), and other partners to strengthen the state oral health coalition; advocate for a more comprehensive Medicaid adult dental benefit; and recruit, train, and increase the capacity of the state’s diverse dental providers. $280,800 will support staff time, meeting and travel expenses, and other administrative costs associated with the project’s implementation. This proposal aligns with the Oral Health 2020 Goal of improving the public perception of the value of oral health to overall health and the target that oral health is increasingly included in health dialogue and public policy.