The DentaQuest Foundation has added the Tennessee Primary Care Association (TPCA) to its national network of state primary care associations that are working to improve access to oral healthcare.
TPCA, which received a one-year grant of $99,648 as part of the foundation's Strengthening the Oral Health Safety Net initiative, will work to improve Tennesseans' oral health by creating a new program within the TPCA.
TPCA's community health center members form the core of Tennessee's health safety net, having served more than 384,000 patients in 2012, including the uninsured, underinsured, and those with private insurance across the state.
A new oral health coordinator will lead TPCA's oral health program, convening dental and primary care providers from community health centers into a new dental workgroup focused on increasing oral health expertise and capacity across Tennessee. With the support of the DentaQuest Foundation, TPCA will promote the importance of oral health by facilitating greater collaboration between dental and medical programs, strengthening existing dental quality measures, and elevating policy discussions on oral health matters within the state legislature.
TPCA will also select five member community health centers to receive in-kind direct technical assistance for practice improvement from the DentaQuest Institute's Safety Net Solutions team. These centers will gain valuable best practices in increasing access for patients, improving quality, and streamlining operations, achieving a financially sustainable model.
The DentaQuest Foundation's national initiative supports community health centers in more than 8,000 communities where approximately 23 million patients receive preventive and primary care.
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