|
NOVEMBER 2006
(Vol. 1, Issue 5)
IMPORTANT DATES
December 1, 2006: Wisconsin
Seal-A-Smile Request for Proposals due
December 10-14, 2006: National Primary Oral Health Care
Conference
Scottsdale, AZ - Camelback Inn
If you have
an event you would like added to this list please e-mail Matt
Crespin | |
|
WOHC MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
The WOHC member spotlight shines
brightly on Georgia Fisher this month. Georgia is a
member of the WOHC steering committee and is the Rural Dental
Health Project Director since the clinic's inception in
2000. Prior to this Georgia was the Medicaid Senior
Enrollment Specialist for the Northern Region of Wisconsin
which consists of 16 counties.
Fisher states that "access to dental
servies for Medicaid, BadgerCare, the low income, disabled and
elderly of the rural communities is an overwhelming
issue." She mentions models like that of the Apple Tree
Dental program in Minnisota as being very effective in
addressing these overwhelming needs. Fisher hopes that
the "WOHC is able to raise awareness among elected officials
in the state as well as with the general public to the plight
of the rural underserved and continue developing effective
networks, consensus-buliding and goal setting."
The Wisconsin Oral Health Coalition
thanks Georgia for her continued dedication to the oral health
access problems and credits her for the work and
progress she has already accomplished.
This section of the WOHC Oral Health eBytes will
feature a dedicated member/organization of the coalition. If
you have any recommendations, please contact
Matt
Crespin
| |
 |
WISCONSIN
NEWS
Seal-A-Smile awards 8 more
mini-grants
The Wisconsin Department
of Health and Family Services (DHFS) was awarded a
Health Resources and Services Administration Dental Workforce
Grant of $95,627 which will supplement the state Seal-A-Smile
(SAS) program. Recently eight programs were selected to
recieve mini-grants to either start new programs or to expand
their current oral health programs. Children's Health
Alliance of Wisconsin wishes to congradulate the following
programs on their recent awards:
- Adams / Marquette County Health Department
- Arbor Vitae / Woodruff Elementary Schools
- Bayfield County Health Department
- CESA #11 - Rural Health Dental Clinic
- Madre Angela Dental Clinic
- Northwoods Dental Project
- Open Door Dental Clinic
- Waukesha Sweet Smiles Progam
After these awards there is still approximatly
$16,000 that is currently available for new or expanding
programs statewide. If you are interested in applying
for this funding please contact Matt
Crespin.
Modification to Improve Dental
Access
The Department of Health and Family Services has submitted
to the Department of Administration a plan for expenditures of
$28,730,100 of federal income augmentation funds. In
this plan $4,251,300 would be reserved for providing dental
services to low-income children in Wiscsonsin. Funding
will be used to increase support of community-based efforts to
improve oral health. This plan would award $350,000 to the
Scenic Bluffs Health Care Center, $309,000 to the Madre Angela
Dental Clinic, and $341,000 to the Green Bay school district's
"Healthy Teeth Healthy Kids" project. The remaining $3.2
million would be awarded through competitive one-time grants
for programs that improve dental access.
Currently the Joint Finance
Committee is reviewing this recomendation and a public hearing
will be held to discuss the reccomendations from the
Department. As soon as information on the date and time
is available, we will send it out via e-mail to
everyone. It will be important for coalition
memebers to contact the members of the Joint Finance Comittee
as we understand no public testimony will be heard at the
hearing. Click here to read more about
this issue.
Medicaid Certified
Dental Hygienists
As you probably already know as of September 1, 2006,
dental hygienists who have at least two years, or 3200 hours
of clinical experience can become certified Medicaid
providers. This is an optional certification as those
dental hygienists that are working under a dentist can
continue to use that dentist's provider number instead of
obtaining their own. If you are interested in applying
for a Medicaid number please click here to go to the provider
section of the Medicaid Web site. You can also contact
Provider Services at (800) 947-9627 or send a request in
writing to Wisconsin Medicaid Provider Maintenance, 6406
Bridge Rd., Madison, WI 53784-0006. If you have
further questions regarding this please don't hesitate to
contact Matt Crespin.
| |
|
|
|
FYI
Treating People Without
Fluoride:
Click
here
to read this article that addresses how to treat patients
who are extremely fearful of fluoride. Evidence shows that
fluoride is effective in the prevention of caries,
however there are those who believe that it has many ill
effects and choose not to use it. (Contemporary Oral
Hygiene, Gutkowski, Nov. 2006)
Dental
Grills
Click
here to read this article that discusses how dental
hygienists are being approached with questions about
treating dental grills which have been inspired by today's hip
hop culture. (Contemporary Oral Hygiene, Mann, Nov.
2006)
Why
not seal the deal?
Click here to read this article on
the safety and efficacy of dental sealants. (Modern
Hygienist, Byrd, November 2006)
| |
|
|
|
|
| If
you have any questions or comments about WOHC Oral Health
eBytes contact Matt Crespin
| | |
