IU School of Dentistry awarded $1.6 million grant to increase oral health care services in shortage areas

The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded the Indiana University School of Dentistry (IUSD) a $1.6 million grant to address oral health care workforce shortages in underserved communities.

The grant, “Strengthening the Oral Health Workforce in Indiana through an Innovative Community-Based Dental Education Model,” is a collaboration among IUSD, the Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy at the Indiana University School of Medicine, and the Indiana State Department of Health/State Oral Health Director.

“This exciting project further deepens the dental school’s commitment to IUPUI’s Strategic Plan goal of community engagement, while teaching our students about dental public health issues to better serve the people of Indiana,” said Dean John N. Williams.

“The aim of the grant is to create sustainable, high-quality oral health services that increase access to high-quality care for populations living in designated Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (Dental HPSAs),” said Dr. Tamara Button, IUSD’s director of community-based dental education and the grant’s principal investigator.

Through this grant, IUSD will expand its community-based dental education program beginning this fall, in which fourth-year dental students work in two-week rotations to provide dental care at a community clinic in a Dental HPSA, Dr. Button said.

“The community rotations will be taken to a new level of innovation by integrating fourth-year dental students into inter-professional teams that will address two of Indiana’s key health priorities: childhood obesity and substance use disorders, specifically opioid abuse, in a culturally competent manner,” Dr. Button said.

Fourth-year dental students begin their two-week community-based rotations on Monday, Aug. 27, 2018, at the following Indiana locations:

• Eskenazi Health Center, Cottage Corner, Indianapolis
• Eskenazi Health Center, Grassy Creek, Indianapolis
• Eskenazi Health West 38th Street, Indianapolis
• The Jane Pauley Community Dental Center, Indianapolis
• HealthLinc Community Health Centers, Valparaiso and Michigan City
• Matthew 25 Health and Dental Clinic, Fort Wayne
• Wabash Valley Health Center, Terre Haute

IU’s dental students also will rotate through the new Stone Family Center for Health Sciences in Evansville in October 2018.

The HRSA funding is a four-year grant beginning Sept. 1, 2018, and ending Aug. 31, 2022. HRSA has granted $1,592,502, and IUSD is matching the grant with $709,096, for total funding of $2,301,598.

Members of the IDA Insurance Trust have recently elected four new Trustees for the 2019 renewal period.

Congratulations to:

• Dr. Jay Asdell, North Central
• Dr. Jason Flannagan, IDDS
• Dr. Megan Keck, IDDS
• Dr. Catherine Periolat, Isaac Knapp

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All Trustees are nominated and elected by the participating employers of the IDA Insurance Trust. All Trustees are active participants in the MEWA and reside in the state of Indiana and volunteer their time to help administer the IDA Insurance Trust to get the best coverage and rates for participants of the coverage.

The IDA Trust offers a financially sound health insurance option that is governed by a board of your peers. For more information on becoming a member of the Trust, contact the IDA Insurance Services team at trustquestions@indental.org, 800-417-6424 or visit the new website, www.idainsurancetrust.com.

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The IDA Insurance Trust a multiple employer welfare arrangement. The multiple employer welfare arrangement may not be subject to all of the insurance laws and regulations of Indiana. State insurance guaranty funds are not available for the IDA Insurance Trust.

IDA officers, trustees, committee chairs and staff assembled at Lake Wawasee in Syracuse, IN on July 27-28 for a deep dive into implementation of the IDA Strategic Plan.

President Dan Fridh welcomed participants and described the meeting as one of the most important in recent IDA history. This was the first leadership meeting under the Association’s revamped committee structure and the emphasis was on establishing a productive working relationship between the board and committee chairs.

The Friday afternoon-Saturday morning meeting focused on the four priority items of the revised IDA Strategic Plan:

1. Membership – Make membership valuable to every dentist.

2. Resource Management – Make efficient use of volunteers, staff and finances.

3. Advocacy – Be the most influential voice on oral health.

4. Oral Health – Improve oral health.

Dr. Fridh, who is also past chair of the Strategic Planning Committee, noted that the past two years have been devoted to refining the strategic plan and streamlining the Association’s organizational structure. “Now is the time for action,” he said.

A complete copy of the IDA Strategic Plan can be downloaded here>>>

IDA Dental Benefits Subcommittee periodically communicates with Dr. Jeff Johnston, Vice President and Chief Science Officer of Delta Dental of Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. As a result of this relationship, it was recently learned that beginning September 1, 2018, Delta Dental will implement a national claim processing policy limiting benefit coverage for intraoral bitewing radiographs to two bitewing images per benefit period for patients under age 10. Benefit payments for additional bitewing radiographs are disallowed unless approved by consultant review. The policy was developed in accordance with the ALARA principle (As Low as Reasonably Achievable) to minimize radiation exposure for children.

Concerns were expressed that there are many cases where 3rd and 4th bitewings are medically necessary and this new policy will be disruptive in administrating claims. Dr. Johnston assured us that he has reviewed this policy implementation with his consultants and they are to pay claims including 3rd or 4th bitewings when remarks documented by providers support medical necessity of additional images (i.e. to open a contact, unusually large mouth).

The Dental Benefit Subcommittee will continue to work on our members’ behalf in representing provider concerns to insurance carriers.