GRANT00160

The project’s goal is to improve oral health in children, especially low-income and Medicaid/CHIPRA eligible children through tailored communications interventions for parents and providers that reinforce self care and home care practices as well as essential professional services. This evidence-based intervention has leveraged $1.2 million in federal funds to expand the campaign statewide. The structure of the Maryland Health Literacy Model replicates the achievements of Maryland’s Oral Cancer Prevention Initiative which helped reduce Maryland’s oral cancer incidence and mortality rates to below the national average, surpassing the Healthy People 2010 objective. It is a national model for oral cancer interventions designed to increase awareness, prevention, and earlier detection. The Maryland Health Literacy Model is anticipated to become a replicable model for national oral health literacy campaigns.