Initiatives
NCOHC’s Initiatives and Programs
From envisioning value-based oral health care’s potential in North Carolina to expanding access to care coordination, NCOHC is engaged in several initiatives and programs across the state. Explore everything that our coalition is involved in, and sign up to stay up-to-date on everything we’re doing!
Oral Health Transformation Initiative
Together, the North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM) and the NCOHC are convening a multi-sector task force to evaluate, assess, and recommend potential options regarding oral health system transformation.
The Oral Health Transformation Task Force will bring together key oral and health care stakeholders, policymakers, academics, and other influencers in the collaborative design, development, and messaging of oral health care transformation opportunities in North Carolina.
Community Oral Health Transformation (COrHT) Initiative
In order to explore value-based oral health care, NCOHC is proud to have launched the Community Oral Health Transformation (COrHT) Initiative with support from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. Through this groundbreaking new initiative, NCOHC will convene a learning community to build infrastructure and advance prevention-focused, value-based, whole-person oral health care. The learning community will embrace CareQuest Institute’s “Three Domain Framework,” which focuses on 1) tele-prevention (teledentistry); 2) minimally invasive care (non-surgical treatment of disease); and, 3) integration of oral health with overall health care, care delivered based on patient risk profile, and alignment of provider and patient values.
Mini-Residency
People who rely on safety net clinics for oral health services have traditionally lacked access to more complex oral surgery procedures. NCOHC and the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) have partnered to offer a mini-residency for safety net dental teams to address this access barrier.
This program is designed to help “train up” safety net dental teams, giving providers the confidence to offer more complex surgeries in-house rather than referring patients out. Over the course of four weekends, dentists will receive hands-on training in many forms of oral surgeries commonly required for people with more complex needs.
WNC Steering Committee
NCOHC’s Western North Carolina Steering Committee, formerly the WNC Children’s Oral Health Initiative, works to improve the oral health of children in Western North Carolina. The steering committee includes oral health and medical providers, community partners, and other stakeholders.
North Carolinians For Change
Diverse coalitions advocating for change are building a healthier oral health landscape in North Carolina. There is still a long way to go to create systems where equity can be achieved, and you can help.
North Carolinians for Change are NCOHC’s members — a diverse, inclusive group of oral health practitioners, public health professionals, community leaders and members, and other stakeholders who all share a common goal: increasing access and equity in oral health care. Head over to the NC4Change page and get involved today!
