Commitment to a Common Goal
A group inspired by the Ohio Department of Health Director’s Task Force on Oral Health and Access to Dental Care, the Children’s Oral Health Action Team (COHAT) is a team of 30-plus member organizations who are well versed in children’s oral health policy or have a key stake in improving children’s oral health in Ohio.
More than the usual dental voices have been brought to the table. To date, members include providers (pediatricians, school nurses, school-based health centers and children’s hospitals); advocates; and representatives from the early childhood and school-age community and the children’s disability community, as well as geographic diversity (Appalachia, Northwest Ohio, Southwest Ohio, Central Ohio and Northeast Ohio).
The Children’s Oral Health Action Team (COHAT) advocates and educates to improve child oral health in Ohio. We will do this by convening committed partners, identifying a shared agenda and mobilizing to achieve our goals.
COHAT has structured itself into a full steering committee, an executive committee and three subcommittees that convene to direct the work of the group within three goal areas.
Goal 1: Growing partnerships to advocate for children’s oral health policy.
Goal 2: Advancing oral health awareness, education and literacy for all Ohioans.
Goal 3: Changing health care practices to improve children’s oral health.
We want people to learn:
• Oral health is an important part of general health
• Consequences of poor oral health
• Oral disease and injury prevention increases quality of life and saves money
• Ways the existing health care delivery system can improve oral health
What we want people to do:
• Primary care providers are involved in their patients oral health
• Dentists provide care for young children
• Medicaid/Ohio General Assembly preserves adult dental benefits
• Schools teach students about good oral health practices
• Action is taken for children’s oral health through personal care, seeking professional care and supporting water fluoridation
• Medicaid and other public plans maximize enrollment and dental care utilization for children
• The Ohio Health Exchange includes a package of dental services in the basic benefit plan comparable to the current Medicaid package
• Ensure Ohioans maximum access to community based prevention
In the long run, we expect from this coalition:
• Increase utilization of oral health services
• Accessible oral health services available throughout the state of Ohio
• Adequate funding for oral health
• Identify and maintain reasonable Medicaid reimbursements for oral health services
• Prevent dental diseases in the population