"Dental health is a key component of overall health and well-being, and we want Kentucky's children to have the healthy start in life they deserve,”
Governor Steve Beshear
The Kentucky Oral Health Program received two federal grants totaling more than $200,000 that will allow 24 counties to create community coalitions aimed at improving dental health among children and adults throughout Kentucky.
The announced awards are a component of the groundbreaking three-year initiative Gov. Beshear announced in fall 2009 with a goal of improving quality and access to dental care across the region, using $1.6 million in federal funding from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The other major component of the initiative involves developing specialized training for dentists in pediatric techniques and providing training to increase the number of dental providers who treat children.
The first series of grants being awarded through the ARC and the Kentucky Oral Health Program in the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) will provide $10,000 in start-up funding for oral health community coalitions in the following ARC-designated distressed counties: Estill, Floyd, Hart, Johnson, Knox, Lawrence, Lewis, Magoffin, Menifee, Metcalfe, Monroe, Robertson and Whitley.
The second series of grant awards is funded through HRSA's Targeted State MCH Oral Health Services Systems (TOHSS) program, which supports the state's capacity to expand preventive and restorative oral health service programs for Medicaid and KCHIP eligible children, as well as other underserved children and families. The following grantees will receive $10,000 of TOHSS seed funding: Anderson, Boyd, Franklin, Jefferson, Jessamine, Logan, Madison, Marshall, Pike and Woodford counties, as well as the Madisonville area and the Purchase District Health Department.
The ultimate goals of both grants are to assure access to needed dental treatment and will begin developing the partnerships needed to help assure that dental providers and services are available.
For more information, please contact Diana Koonce, Kentucky Oral Health Program, phone (502) 564-3246, ext. 3760.