On Friday, March 29th KOHC members and oral health advocates met virtually for the 2024 Spring Quarterly Meeting. More than 60 participants convened for updates on KOHC legislative priorities, updates on Coalition projects and initiatives, and for a panel discussion about ways to improve access to oral healthcare in Kentucky.  Alicia Whatley, Policy and Advocacy Director for Kentucky Youth Advocates and KOHC’s project lead, began the meeting with updates on 2024 KOHC policy priorities:  Protect [...]

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month! This year KOHC is once again partnering with the Face It Movement to build awareness and connection among oral health professionals, advocates, families, and community members to help prevent child abuse.    Here is a sampling of the many ways you can help keep kids safe:   Share the downloadable Child Abuse Prevention Toolkit for Health Professionals with your staff. It offers information and resources – with a section specific [...]

Oral health professionals and advocates understand that good nutrition and good oral health go together. That’s why Kentucky Oral Health Coalition invites you to join us in building awareness about the importance of good nutrition as well as advocating for good nutrition access in Kentucky during National Nutrition Month.   Take action for nutrition access  Last year’s KOHC Landscape Assessment highlighted needs and barriers to oral healthcare access in Kentucky, as well as the costs we [...]

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, when the American Dental Association encourages grownups to spread awareness about the importance of children’s oral health.  Here are 5 things to know about kids’ oral health in Kentucky, along with ways to take action! What To Know: As noted in KOHC’s 2023 Landscape Assessment, fewer than half of Kentucky children on Medicaid or KCHIP received a routine dental visit in 2019. Take Action: Let your legislators [...]

Kentucky Oral Health Coalition (KOHC) is a statewide group of oral health professionals and advocates aiming to improve oral health for all Kentuckians by increasing oral health literacy and improving access to care. One of the ways the coalition accomplishes these goals is by advocating for effective policies that improve oral health in the Commonwealth.   Each year with the help of our members across the state, KOHC develops a policy agenda that we advocate for [...]

The 2023 KOHC Annual Meeting convened this year on Friday, December 1st at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. We had a robust day-long agenda with engaging presenters and good discussions among participants. Kelly Pullen, Aetna SKY Executive Director, kicked off the meeting to share information about Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, the meeting’s Signature Sponsor.  Dr. Adrienne Lapidos, Clinical Associate Professor, University of Michigan Medical School, shared her keynote presentation about the connections between [...]

Oral health is a complex issue that affects every Kentuckian, impacting both a healthy smile and overall health and KOHC is dedicated to improving the oral health systems and outcomes for all Kentuckians. To better understand the current trends in oral health care and habits across the state, KOHC conducted a landscape assessment throughout 2023, compiling existing data on oral health outcomes and collecting new information from community members, oral health providers, and community service [...]

Kentucky Oral Health Coalition (KOHC) is dedicated to improving oral health for all Kentuckians. Our work includes sharing the latest oral health resources, gathering and curating available oral health data, and prioritizing policy solutions to improve oral health. Through our work to improve oral health for all, we place an emphasis on identifying underserved populations and prioritizing efforts to meet their oral health needs.   KOHC has a wide network of partners and members across the [...]

As we welcomed colder days and holiday spirit, KOHC also recognized Antibiotic Awareness Week in November, a week highlighting the role of health professionals, as well as consumers in antibiotic stewardship and responsible practices for prescribing.   Antibiotics are a commonly used medication to prevent and mitigate infections throughout the body – and are often prescribed by primary care and emergency doctors, as well as dental professionals. While the use of antibiotics is common, they can [...]

This week, Kentucky Youth Advocates released the 2023 KIDS COUNT County Data Book, highlighting opportunities to properly invest in our “kid workforce” - comprised of the individuals that impact a young person’s livelihood outside of their household - so Kentucky children can stay healthy, remain safe, and thrive. A strong “kid workforce” including doctors and dentists, and those serving kids in their schools and communities,  can ensure that kids are able to learn and play [...]