GRANT00034

Continued support for the nccPA Health Foundation for activities designed to build collective impact in oral health across the PA profession. By focusing on activities that expand physician assistant involvement in oral health through the use of Smiles for Life, this project specifically addresses strategic priorities of the DentaQuest Foundation and the NIIOH. This award supports innovative projects that broaden use and implementation of Smiles for Life in preparing clinicians to care for diverse patients. In addition, this award promotes new collaborations across HRSA and health professions research and practice to increase awareness and inform policy on oral health in primary care. The methodology of collective impact and collaboration supports systems-wide interventions to reduce health disparities. This initiative provides an ongoing opportunity to evaluate a change model whereby the profession's leadership and professional organizations work together to address an important public health issue that promotes health and reduces health care disparities.