By Bill Buchanan Each year children arrive at school with a wide range of academic and developmental needs, skills, and abilities. This variability should be nurtured and valued as we help students transition into kindergarten, a starting point for academic success in elementary school and beyond. Understanding the connection between readiness and health can help us improve the outcomes for all of Kentucky’s young children. Kentucky Oral Health Coalition (KOHC) members recently discussed the connection [...]

Medicaid is turning 50! Over the last five decades Medicaid has evolved and expanded into a prominent national program covering low-income individuals and families, individuals with disabilities, and the elderly population. Yet, Medicaid is holding fast to its roots of providing health coverage for low-income children. Currently 37% of all children in the United States receive coverage provided under Medicaid.  In Kentucky (as of 2012), nearly 48% of the Medicaid population are children, or about [...]

During pregnancy, women have many things to think about, but it’s also important for them to “think teeth.” The health of a woman’s teeth is actually linked to the health of her child. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has an excellent, free-to-order flyer that can be used by dental clinics, community health centers, WIC clinics, and other settings to educate women about protecting their teeth and gums. Education is crucial because four out [...]

This past week, my fellow Kentucky Youth Advocates team member Mahak Kalra and I had the opportunity to visit the University of Louisville Pediatrics Downtown location.  Far more than your typical pediatrician’s office, this location is an integrated health care clinic. Integrated care is a model that helps meet the health needs of our children by extending services beyond primary care. Two aspects of integrated care are particularly important for children: comprehensive care and co-location [...]

Oral health remains one of the most pressing unmet healthcare needs in Kentucky. As part of its ongoing efforts to improve oral health care and access, the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition (KOHC), in collaboration with its partners from across the state, will host a statewide oral health summit on November 20, 2015. Please join us! The 2015 Kentucky Oral Health Summit will bring together hundreds of leaders from diverse fields in the oral health community, [...]