Oral Health Infection Prevention and Control Technical Assistance, Resources, and Partnerships - The Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP) Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt educational organization, is applying for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Notice of Funding Opportunity: Partner Promotion of Strategies to Advance Oral Health (CDC-RFA-DP-24-0049). The request is for funding to support an approach for Component 2: Oral Health Infection Prevention and Control Support. OSAP expects to collaborate with the organizations who receive Component 1 and Component 3 funds, as well as with recipients of State Promotion of Strategies to Advance Oral Health (CDC-RFA-DP-24-0048). Infection prevention and control (IPC) lapses in oral healthcare settings can have life-threatening impacts. While non-compliance with federal guidelines and regulations likely represents a small percentage of oral healthcare settings, there is a need to provide quality training and education focused on IPC and patient and provider safety to increase the capacity of those responsible for performing and/or overseeing infection control procedures in these settings. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical need for robust healthcare infrastructure and preparedness policies to combat widespread infectious diseases effectively. Such crises reveal disparities in healthcare access, while exacerbating existing inequalities in vulnerable communities. Similar to how the HIV/AIDS epidemic prompted significant changes in infection control protocols in oral healthcare, COVID-19 highlighted the need to improve awareness of IPC in dental settings and develop related partnerships. The purpose of this project is to develop and provide technical assistance (TA) and state-wide capacity building resources to increase awareness and adherence to IPC regulations, standards, guidelines, recommendations, and best practices in dental settings. Activities developed will have a particular focus on CDC-RFA-DP-24-0048 recipients, Evidence-Based Preventive Dental Services (EBPDS) school programs, and other dental programs or facilities serving communities with oral health disparities. Additionally, this project will support collaborative multi-sector partnerships for IPC activities, to improve, expand and sustain collaborations to increase the reach of and adherence to IPC recommendations. OSAP will engage partners with experience working with oral health providers, medical, behavioral, and dental healthcare programs, school programs, and facilities serving CDC-RFA-DP-24-0048 populations of focus and other populations with a large burden of health disparities and who are disproportionally affected by social determinants of health (SDOH). OSAP’s activities will enhance the capabilities of the oral healthcare community to protect the health all Americans, including the nation’s most vulnerable and underserved populations. At the end of the project, OSAP expects to achieve the following outcomes: • Increased ability to help oral health programs adhere to CDC IPC guidelines. • Increased multi-sector partnerships that support IPC activities. OSAP has more than four decades of history and experience in oral healthcare infection prevention and control education, training, and collaboration. With this experience, OSAP and its partners will develop and implement IPC activities that increase the capacity of EDPDS school program partners, and partners serving non-school based dental programs or facilities in communities with oral health disparities, so they are equipped with the knowledge, understanding, and resources to navigate proper infection prevention and safety practices to deliver safe and infection-free oral healthcare.
