KDHE's Bureau of
Oral Health Awarded $1.2 Million in Federal Grants
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment‘s
(KDHE) Bureau of Oral Health has recently been
awarded more than $1.2 million in federal grants for
this year.
“We’re delighted to be able to begin new initiatives
in Kansas,” said Roderick Bremby, KDHE Secretary.
“These resources will give us the opportunity to
ensure that our youngest Kansans have excellent oral
health.”
A new Health Resources Services
Administration (HRSA) grant will fund the Kansas
Children’s Oral Health Initiative. This will
include $700,000 per year for three years to develop
a comprehensive program to improve the oral health
of Kansas children.
Specifically, it will fund:
·
Kansas Cavity Free
Kids, a collaboration with the Kansas Head Start
Association to provide better access to preventive
services and oral health education for children
under five.
·
School- based
preventive services in seven sites across Kansas.
KDHE partners in dental safety net clinics across
the state will be given funds to start and maintain
oral health outreach and sealant programs in schools
across the state.
·
The Kansas School
Screening Initiative to help schools provide the
state-mandated oral health screenings to all of
their students.
·
A 2012 Smiles Across
Kansas Survey – the third statewide oral health
survey of Kansas 3rd graders
.·
Collaboration with
medical providers to apply fluoride varnish at well
child exams.
The Bureau has also been
awarded a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
state infrastructure cooperative agreement.
This three-year, $350,000 agreement will provide
support for State Bureau of Oral Health activities
such as community water fluoridation, school sealant
programs, data collection and analysis and
evaluation.
The state has also received
additional federal funding to support the KDHE
Dental Recruitment program that provides funds for
dental professional student loan re-payment and
grants to communities for local oral health
programs. This grant is also from the HRSA and
includes an additional $150,000 – it increased from
$350,000 to $500,000.
The Delta Dental Foundation and
Children’s Mercy Family Health Partners has provided
funding for the 2010-11 School Screening Initiative
to provide students in Kansas schools with
toothbrushes, tooth paste and floss, as well as
other dental supplies.
This
includes $11,000 from CMFHP and $15,000 from Delta.
“These funds will be shared with community
organizations across the state to create and
maintain local oral health programs working to
reduce the burden of dental disease in Kansas,” said
Dr. Katherine Weno, Director of the Bureau of Oral
Health. “This is great news not only for oral health
advocates, but for all of us working to make Kansans
healthier!”
For more information on Oral
Health in Kansas, please visit
www.kdheks.gov/ohi/index.html. |
