GRANT00304

Support is to implement a plan to establish the framework for interprofessional training that can be sustained over time and which will provide health care practitioners basic understanding of oral health and its importance and prepare them to collaborate as health teams to provide optimal care to patients and know when to refer patients to a different health profession. During the planning phase, UAB Smiles for Alabama established a successful pilot program for interprofessional collaboration among three health professional schools-- School of Dentistry, School of Medicine and School of Nursing. In the implementation phase, UAB Smiles for Alabama will strengthen Alabama's dental public health infrastructure at state and local levels. The planning phase pilot will be expanded, opening opportunities for interprofessional clinical training experiences in geriatrics to students and trainees from multiple disciplines. UAB will invite the geriatric Interprofessional Clinical Experience to integrate the Smiles for Life curriculum training models and deploy the oral health screening initiative.