APPLICANT NAME & ADDRESS: University of California at Los Angeles School of Dentistry, 10833 Le Conte Avenue | Los Angeles, CA 90095-1668 PROJECT DIRECTOR: Dr. Vinodh Bhoopathi, DSD; PHONE NUMBER: 310-267-1196 EMAIL:Vbhoopathi@dentistry.ucla.edu ; TOTAL FUNDS REQUESTED: $1,593,181 The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) reported (September 2021) a need for 363 additional dental practitioners to meet the oral health needs of 2 million Californians living in dental health professional shortage areas (DPHSAs). The 2018-2019 California Smile Survey reported 61%, 22%, and 37% of dental caries experience, untreated dental caries, and dental sealant prevalence, respectively, among 3rd-grade children. The highest prevalence of dental caries (76%) and untreated decay (30%) was observed in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV) counties compared to children from other regions. Two essential strategies recommended in the 2018-2028 California Oral Health Plan (COHP) to improve oral health and access to dental care among Californians, including school children, that will be addressed through this project are 1) Developing robust community-clinical linkage programs and 2) collaboration between various organizations to expand infrastructure to improve access to dental care. Goals: The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) School of Dentistry (SOD), and California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) Office of Oral Health (OOH), will collaborate with Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), Local oral health programs (LOHPs) and School Districts, in two SJV counties (Kings and Stanislaus) to 1) Establish and evaluate an innovative school-linked electronic dental referral management system (EDRMS) and care coordination that link children to school-linked dental care delivery sites, and 2) create self-sustaining community-based clinical education (CBCE) rotations for UCLA SOD senior (D4) dental students at scho
ol-linked dental care delivery sites. This project will address two of the allowable activities mentioned in this NOFO: a) establishing school-linked dental facilities and b) placement of dental students in the community clinics. Three of the HRSA 2019-2022 strategic plan goals will also be addressed by 1) improving access to quality health care services, 2) preparing a health care workforce able to address current and emerging needs, and 3) enhancing population health and addressing disparities through community partnerships. Methods: To achieve goal 1, UCLA SOD will work with the partners mentioned above to establish and measure the progress of the innovative school-linked EDRMS and care coordination. To achieve goal 2, UCLA SOD will establish affiliations with three new school-linked FQHC/RHC sites to create new CBCE rotations for D4 dental students to provide services to children referred by school oral health programs (SOHPs) and other vulnerable and underserved patients. We expect to rotate 2, 4, and 6 D4 students daily (4 days per week for 40 weeks) respectively in year 2 (320 student days), year 3 (640 student days), and year 4 (960 student days) in these sites. Outcomes: Following indicators (but not limited to) will be measured for Goal 1: a) Number/proportion of children screened, b) Number/proportion of referred children with untreated decay or pain b) Number/proportion of children referred that visited a dentist office and referral closed. Following indicators (but not limited to) will be measured for Goal 2: a) Number of student trainees, b) Number and types of dental procedures provided by students, c) Number of referred school children and other patients served by dental students, d) Proportion of dental students rotating who express interest in working in a DPHSA, e) Proportion of dental students with CBCE training who will be recruited to FQHCs or other rural/community health clinics through California loan repayment program, f)revenue generation i
n FQHC/RHCs by students,