Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities - Virginia proposes the Virginia Oral Health Access and Workforce Strategy, a coordinated statewide initiative designed to strengthen the oral health workforce and expand access to care in communities with the greatest shortages. Led by the Virginia State Oral Health Program (SOHP), this Strategy responds to significant gaps in oral health access affecting more than 2.7 million residents living in Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (Dental HPSAs). Building on more than seventy years of statewide leadership, the Strategy introduces four innovative programs that work together to expand educational capacity, reinforce community pathways, increase Medicaid provider participation, and strengthen clinical readiness for complex patient needs. Strategic Program 1 launches a sustainable public-private investment model to increase enrollment capacity in dental hygiene programs across Virginia. By adding seats in community colleges that draw students from high-need rural areas, this program expands the pipeline of dental hygienists entering the workforce each year, directly addressing long wait times for preventive care and critical shortages that limit access across Dental HPSAs. Strategic Program 2 creates Virginia’s first Oral Health Community Health Worker (CHW) Specialty Pathway, integrating oral health into the statewide CHW Certification Program. Through competency-based training, CHWs will be equipped to provide prevention education, identify oral health concerns, assist individuals in navigating available services, and help residents, especially Medicaid members and rural families, establish dental homes. Approximately 50 to 75 CHWs will be trained annually, expanding trusted community-based support in areas with limited provider availability. Strategic Program 3 strengthens meaningful Medicaid provider participation through the Virginia Dental Access Partnership (VDAP). A statewide Medicaid Dental Liaison will deliver individualized assistance to dental practices, helping providers with enrollment, billing processes, credentialing, administrative challenges, and adapting to new Medicaid benefit requirements. This hands-on support model reduces barriers that discourage provider participation and improves access for Medicaid beneficiaries living in shortage areas. Strategic Program 4 establishes Virginia’s first Center of Excellence in Dentistry in partnership with Carilion Clinic. The Center will provide immersive, simulation-based training and mentoring to dental teams, preparing providers to confidently treat individuals with specialized and complex health care needs who often struggle to find accessible care. By improving provider competency and building a statewide learning collaborative, the Center expands high-quality care for populations facing the most persistent barriers. Together, these programs create a coordinated statewide approach that addresses workforce shortages, provider maldistribution, transportation challenges, limited oral health literacy, and gaps in clinical preparedness. The Strategy uses data-driven evaluation, continuous quality improvement, and strong partnerships among public agencies, academic institutions, philanthropic organizations, and health systems to build sustainable statewide capacity. By aligning federal resources with Virginia’s existing infrastructure and longstanding collaborations, the Strategy establishes a replicable model that strengthens access to preventive and restorative oral health services in Dental HPSAs and supports lasting improvements well beyond the grant period.
