Carson City, NV -
October 12, 2017Initiative brings together Medicaid dental program
directors and state oral health program directors to enhance leadership
capacity and transform Nevada’s oral health care system
Carson City, NV — The
Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) today announced that Nevada is among
four cross-agency state teams chosen nationally to participate in the State Oral Health Leadership Institute.
Led by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) through support from the
DentaQuest Foundation, the State Oral
Health Leadership Instituteoffers
a unique opportunity for state Medicaid dental program directors and
state oral health program directors to collaborate and develop key leadership
competencies in pursuit of shared goals.
“Through this opportunity, we see the means to build
interdisciplinary policies and programs that will eliminate barriers to care,
strengthen the current dental workforce, and reach underserved populations”, said Dr. Antonina Capurro, Nevada State Dental Health
Officer. “We are committed to promoting, improving, and
protecting the oral health and thereby overall health of Nevadans.”
“Collaboration between Medicaid dental and state
oral health directors is pivotal to achieving broad improvements in oral health
policy and delivery,” said Stacey Chazin, Director of Prevention Programs at
CHCS. “By cultivating cross-agency partnerships and the leadership skills
needed to navigate change in complex state systems, the State Oral Health Leadership Institute is helping to transform oral
health care systems for underserved, low-income populations.”
Antonina Capurro, DMD, MPH, MBA, Nevada State
Dental Health Officer, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services and Jack
Zenteno, Chief, Children’s Services, Nevada Division of Health Care Financing
and Policy were competitively selected to participate in the leadership
development program along with three teams from Louisiana,
Minnesota, and Rhode Island. This is the second
cohort of states to participate in this unique leadership training program.
The 10-month leadership program will provide
these state partners with the leadership skills and policy knowledge to improve
oral health access and outcomes, especially for low-income children and adults.
With guidance from CHCS staff, pairs will develop a joint transformation
project focused on a specific oral health goal. A national advisory group —
that includes leadership from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
and the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors — will provide
additional expertise.
About
the Center for Health Care Strategies
The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) is a nonprofit policy center
dedicated to improving the health of low-income Americans, especially for
individuals with complex, high-cost needs. CHCS works with state and federal
agencies, health plans, providers, and consumer groups to advance innovative
and cost-effective models for organizing, financing, and delivering health care
services. For more information, visit www.chcs.org.
About
the DentaQuest Foundation
The
DentaQuest Foundation is the leading U.S. philanthropy focused solely on oral
health. The Foundation is supporting the development of the Oral Health 2020
network, a group of partners committed to working collectively at the national,
state and community levels to eradicate dental disease in children and improve
lifelong oral health. The DentaQuest Foundation is the philanthropic arm of
DentaQuest. To learn more, visit dentaquestfoundation.org.