G-1811-14604

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), the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC), and the Office of Rural Health. POHCII partners will transition structure to become the Family Oral Health Workgroup within PCOH, and 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 advocate for oral health integration in primary care, including cross-disciplinary provider training and scope expansion; promote children’s oral health in schools; expand oral health advocacy, outreach, and literacy; and work to ensure long-term sustainability of this group. 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. $291,800.00 will support the coordination and implementation of the proposed work across the five organizations, including staff time, operations, travel and meeting expenses, and project materials.