Office of Minority Health

Grantee Information

Organization: Arizona Department of Health Services

Organization Address: 150 North 18^th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ, 85007

Phone Number: 602-364-1691

Fax Number: N/A

Organization website URL (if any): http://www.azdhs.gov/

Brief Description of the Organization: The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) promotes and protects the health of Arizona's children and adults. Its mission is to promote and protect the health and well-being of the minority and vulnerable populations of Arizona by enhancing the capacity of the public health system to effectively serve minority populations and reduce health disparities. The Arizona Health Disparities Center (AHDC) works to coordinate statewide efforts and implement work activities specific to minority health and health disparities. Additionally, AHDC serves as a vehicle within ADHS and partners to promote policies that address and reduce health disparities. AHDC also regulates child care and assisted living centers, nursing homes, hospitals, other health care providers and emergency services. ADHS has been at the forefront in assuring health disparities as a priority in the development of program plans, services and policies. ADHS strategic plans include reducing health disparities as one of its guiding principles and focus areas.

Grant Project Information

Title of Grant Project: ADHS Office of Minority Health-State Partnerships Project/Healthy Smile Healthy Life

Amount of OMH Award: $200,000

Name of Project Director: Teresa Aseret-Manygoats

Phone Number of Project Director: 602-542-2849

E-mail Address of Project Director: Teresa.Manygoats@azdhs.gov

Abstract

Dental care is the most common unmet health need in children, and preventive oral health services are critically needed in Arizona. The Arizona Oral Health Survey shows that both American Indian and Hispanic children (10% and 17%, respectively) had higher levels of early childhood caries than did non-Hispanic White children (4%), and were significantly less likely to have seen a dentist during the year before their screening. The data also show that only 64% of Arizona women age 18 and older had visited a dental clinic for any reason in the prior year, compared to 70% of U.S. women, with Hispanic women reporting the lowest percentage (48%).

The Arizona Health Disparities Center (AHDC) within the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) intends to implement an evidence-based approach to address oral health disparities affecting the urban American Indian and Hispanic/Latino communities in Maricopa County, Arizona. AHDC developed the Healthy Smile Healthy Life program to raise awareness of oral health among American Indian and Hispanic community leaders and members; enhance oral health education, screenings, fluoride varnishes and oral health/primary care referral services for American Indian and Hispanic children (0-17 years old), pregnant women and new mothers; and, integrate dental care and primary care to deliver care coordination services in a patient centered medical and dental home in central Phoenix. Community Health Workers (CHWs) from NATIVE HEALTH will be trained to provide oral health education and oral health/primary care referrals. CHWs will serve as a patient-centered medical and dental home providing primary medical, dental, behavioral health and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) services to urban American Indians, Hispanics and other community members in Phoenix, Arizona. AHDC will also implement the project through collaborative partnerships with the ADHS Office of Chronic Disease, the ADHS Office of Oral Health, the Arizona Advisory Council on Indian Health Care, the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers, the Consulate General of Mexico, and the Native American Community Health Center, Inc. AHDC and its identified partners will work together to identify community organizations and events to provide oral health awareness through culturally and linguistically appropriate key messages and materials.

Through the program, AHDC hopes to 1) provide oral health education and resources to 4,000 children and their caregivers per project year; 2) provide oral health education and resources to 350 pregnant women and new mothers per project year, and 3) provide oral health screenings, fluoride varnishes and oral health/primary care referrals to 4,000 children per project year.

Process measures include:

• Number of oral health presentations given;
• Number of communities, and community events identified though which to distribute information and materials about oral health awareness;
• Number of community events attended;
• Number of children, caregivers, pregnant women, and new mothers educated;
• Number of CLAS Standards training session provided;
• Number of NATIVE HEALTH, WIC, Health Start, and Home Visiting staff trained in CLAS Standards.

For the project’s outcome evaluation, baseline data will be collected and documented at the beginning of the project. There will be two primary methods of data collection: survey and reviewing existing database(s), including, but not limited to–the Arizona BRFSS, the ADHS internal database and community data serving as baseline and final data for the proposed project. Outcomes measures include:

• Number of children who receive oral health screenings, fluoride, and dental care referrals;
• Number of pregnant women and new mothers who receive dental care and additional referrals.

NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP FOR ACTION TO END HEALTH DISPARITIES GOALS

None identified by the grantee

RELATED HEALTHY PEOPLE 2020 OBJECTIVES & SUBOBJECTIVES

• OH-7: Increase the proportion of children, adolescents, and adults who used the oral health care system in the past year