GRANT00183

The South Carolina Rural Health Research Center (SCRHRC) in conjunction with the SC Oral Health Advisory Council (SCOHAC) will collaborate with stakeholders across the state to develop a plan for implementation of Act 235. Passed in 2010, Act 235 calls on the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control to establish a statewide dental screening initiative and make enhancements to the state’s oral health infrastructure, relying in part, on a new network of community oral health coordinators. The proposed plan will address the underlying imperatives of Act 235, which are identification of at-risk children; care coordination, especially between dental and medical providers; and parent engagement. The primary goal in year one is to expand SCOHACC membership and develop an implementation plan that moves the patient navigation component of Act 235 from a legislative concept to a sustainable public health response, that is integrated into primary care and dental safety net systems, that achieve significant, measureable oral health outcomes.