Thursday, April 25, 2024
4/25/2024
Component 1 and Component 2 The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is submitting application for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 18-1810. Minnesota has a track record as being one of the healthiest states in the nation, however not all Minnesotans have the opportunity to achieve optimal oral health. Data from the Minnesota Oral Health Statistics System (MNOHSS) shows a higher burden of oral disease among rural, low-income, non-White Minnesotans and those with a disability or chronic disease. “Minnesota’s Actions to Improve Oral Health Outcomes in the 21st Century” seeks to decrease the burden of dental caries and oral health disparities in Minnesota. This will be accomplished through evidence-based and cost-effective strategies listed in CDC DP18-1810. For Component 1, these are: 1. expand school sealant program enrollment, emphasizing adherence to infection control standards of care; 2. increase access to community water systems that provide optimally fluoridated drinking water, and 3. maintain and expand Minnesota’s oral health surveillance system and disseminate data on oral disease risk factors and use of preventive oral health services. MDH is one among only five states to have secured the two-year CDC 16-1609 Models of Collaboration grant. Our team of internal and external partners is completing the work, which includes medical-dental integration pilot projects at several clinic sites. For Component 2, on-going measures include: maintenance of the Advisory Panel, continued blood pressure and periodontal disease screenings, and bi-directional referral. New activities to measure include tobacco cessation education and referral, health literacy and health education about chronic diseases, health risk assessments with facilitated referrals, and loop closure. The Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Oral Health Program (OHP) has a history of successful program completion and is well positioned to implement these strategies, working collaboratively with internal and external partners. During the 5-year grant period, the OHP will expand the number of schools with a sealant program through development of SEAL Minnesota, targeting high risk elementary and middle schools (grades 1-8), i.e. 50 percent or more of students eligible for the Free and Reduced Meal Program. The OHP will also increase access to optimally fluoridated water through mini grants targeted to public water systems within low-income and Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (Dental-HPSAs) to replace or maintain aging fluoridation equipment. The OHP will continue to develop and maintain MNOHSS, adding community water fluoridation and SEAL Minnesota data and increasing data dissemination through trainings, webinars, data briefs and other communications. OHP will continue and strengthen our internal and external collaborations for medical dental integration. Our evaluation plan includes quantitative and qualitative reporting about projects’ activities. Process and outcome evaluation are central to this proposal. Stakeholders’ engagement, project specific goal, objectives, outcomes, activities and data indicators are explicitly illustrated in the logic model and narrative. Lessons learned and recommendations will be shared publicly using MDH communication channels.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
