R-2404-21605

The Family Medicine Education Consortium, Inc. (FEMC) is a catalyst, convener, and incubator that connects those interested in improving the health of their community by strengthening family medicine/primary care services and medical education. The promotion of medical-dental integration is a priority for the FMEC Board and has a long history in the FMEC. The Smiles for Life (SFL) program has origins in the FMEC, as FMEC helped facilitate the first convenings of SFL project leaders.

At the heart of FMEC’s veterans’ focused work will be an expert panel (PCPs, oral healthcare providers, behavioral health, veterans, community leaders) to serve as project advisors, produce new training, and become advocates and speakers. The expert panel, in partnership with FMEC, will assess 200 family medicine residency (FMR) programs on successes and barriers related to oral health, connections with oral health providers, and services to veterans. Information will be collected on how PCPs are trained, knowledge of oral and behavioral health challenges with veterans, opportunities for enhanced training, inclusion of community members on patient advisory councils. FMEC will create a report that will serve as baseline, direct development of new training, and identify specific programs to be included.

FMEC does not anticipate engaging in legislative advocacy through this project but may seek policy changes in the areas of medical and graduate medical education, given their bidirectional relationships with community-based academic centers and national groups such as the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors.

Based on the information collected, coupled with Smiles for Life, FMEC will create a quality improvement (QI) project that establishes learning objectives, educational interventions, and key clinical activities and data collection strategies to assess practice change and engage a small group of FMRs in the QI project. A position paper including recommendations for training will be developed and will be submitted to present at national conferences.

FMEC is requesting $125,000 for this work which is 12% of the organization’s overall budget. A little over $50,000 is requested for consultant support, $25,000 for personnel, $12,000 for Advisory Committee member stipends, and $12,000 to support meetings and expenses for participating residency programs. The remainder will help with conferences, supplies, and indirect funds.

This proposal is one of ten selected finalists for the Expanding Access and Equity for Veterans Oral Health RFP.