Missouri Coalition for Oral Health
PO Box 1432
Jefferson City, MO
United States
The Missouri Coalition of Oral Health (MCOH) is a statewide network that brings Missourians together to pursue the vision of quality oral health for all. They are the premier resource for oral health policy and advocacy in Missouri. MCOH seeks to positively impact the health of Missourians by revolutionizing oral health to create an effective and equitable health system that results in improved oral health and well-being for everyone.
Priority activities for this grant include building awareness of the current state of Missouri Veteran oral health and engagement with veterans, Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), and dental providers of veterans through listening sessions, surveying, advocacy trainings, and a forming a Veteran Oral Health Work Group through the MCOH Policy Committee.
Conducting surveys and hosting listening sessions will allow MCOH to gather information on veterans’ current dental health status and access to care, including identifying common issues and barriers that veterans face in obtaining dental care. This feedback can help inform the development of targeted programs and services. MCOH will offer training sessions on the importance of Veteran oral health, available resources for dental care and advocating for improved dental coverage.
Forming a Veteran Oral Health Work Group is groundbreaking work for Missouri. This work group will be a collaborative effort between various organizations and individuals dedicated to improving oral health care for veterans, such as veterans, dental providers, VSOs, state decision-makers, advocacy groups and funders. This will be the first work group formed in Missouri to focus solely on veteran oral health.
Through these strategies and engagement with veterans, this work will help strengthen the capacity for policy advocacy among community members and advance oral health advocacy toward expanding access to dental care for veterans in Missouri. This project will allow MCOH and the Veteran Oral Health Work Group to promote recommendations for addressing the identified unmet dental needs of Missouri veterans, which can be used to advocate for policy changes, pursue funding for expanded dental services, and mobilize community resources to support veterans in accessing the care they deserve.
MCOH is requesting $125,000 for this work which is 16% of the organization’s overall budget. Nearly $100,000 will go toward staff, $14,000 toward stipends, speaker fees, and payroll taxes, while the remainder will help with indirect funds.
This proposal is one of ten selected finalists for the Expanding Access and Equity for Veterans Oral Health RFP.