Attendees:

Stacy Trowbridge

Angie Smith

Emily Schlafke

Kristy Ray

Linda Poynter

Emily Beauregard

Laura Hancock Jones

Mahak Kalra

Tara Grieshop Goodwin

 

Discussion:

  • Discussion of uniform standards for public health dental hygienists
    • Report from the May 11th board meeting –
      • The Kentucky Board of Dentistry has approved the protocols. A special designation license available for application on their website.
      • Dr. McKee and the DPH are working at this time to have the protocols listed in the Administrative Reference.
      • Local Health Departments need to have the protocols approved by their board of health, and have a dentist board member sign off on them as supervising dentist.
      • Dr. McKee shortened down the regs from 60 pages to 1, saying they will only do what they are authorized to do.
      •  Not only limited to schools but any facility that has state or governmental ties – like a nursing home with state ties.
      • Planning to start school program without dentist doing screenings; consent form has to say that no dentist is present.
      • Linda acknowledged Dr. McKee and Donna Ruley, to name just a couple, for working for so many years on this. THANK YOU!
  • Next steps:
    • Dr. McKee share that they are looking into options of having those of who are actually working as PHRDHs to promote and/or training for other KY Local Health Departments to start up their own programs.
    • Dr. McKee: trying to get preventive Medicaid checkup included into the Medicaid dental budget is a hard sell.
      • They were requesting that Medicaid directors add two more codes for hygienists– assessment and screening.
    • Dr. McKee asked her supervisors about adding codes to come out of the preventive Medicaid package for assessments, oral hygiene instruction, nutrition counseling and a few more.
    • State does not approve any payment under preventive package except nurses and hygienists providing fluoride in clinics.
    • Need to keep communicating need for more school-based health services to exist.
  • Discussion on Mobile Dental Clinics and ways to ensure quality care from mobile dental clinics.
    • It’s important to establish a dental home to improve abandonment of care.
    • As a coalition we said we would possibly create materials to address what services to look for, tips, and questions for schools, parents and providers to ask.
      • Laura is working on draft and will share with group for feedback by June 21st.
      • Will disseminate information at the upcoming FRYSC conference this summer.
        • We will share info on mobile dental clinics, in addition to sharing coalition information.
        • Also discussed preparing a document on programs that are in existence and the region in which they are located
        • Maybe prepare a separate document for school folks on public health dental hygienists
        • Availability to staff booth: Linda checking on 8th; Barren River on 9th