The Cabinet for Health and Family Services held a news conference this week to address inaccurate letters people have received about access to state benefits. If you are a provider, consumer, advocate, or know someone receiving one of these services, you can find information from the Cabinet about recent benefit issues here: http://chfs.ky.gov/. Please see below for details from the Cabinet on benefit eligibility: ►If you received Medicaid benefits in March, you will receive Medicaid benefits in April. [...]

With the number of cases of obesity and diabetes rising among both children and adults, it is time to rethink how we can create a positive culture of health. Kids are busy. Families are busy. The work, school, and life balance can be difficult for families. In a fast-paced world, it is easy to default to the easy option. It is easy to choose the fast-food option; it is easy to entertain our kids (or [...]

This post originally appeared in Insider Louisville on March 24, 2016. Read "Oral Health Project Aims to Screen Thousands of Kentucky Children to Help Improve Quality of Care" online here. Kids with good oral health are likely to do better in school than those with bad oral health. Few would dispute that statement, or argue with the fact that a child with a toothache will struggle to concentrate on their studies. That’s why a new initiative [...]

The Center for Health Workforce Studies (CHWS) at the University of Albany has issued two reports concerning oral health in Kentucky.  The first report summarizes interviews conducted with oral health stakeholders across the state in order to better understand the barriers and facilitators to accessing oral health care services.  The second is a technical report consisting of an extensive literature review and an analysis of existing data, which is intended to identify current and past [...]

This year’s month long observance of National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM) is coming to a close at the end of February. Oral health advocates are a key component of promoting and improving the oral health of all Kentuckians. In fact, everyone can support oral health advocacy, and not just during the month of February, but all year long! During the 2015 Kentucky Oral Health Summit, KOHC unveiled a new video identifying the oral health [...]

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM). Each year during the month of February, the American Dental Association (ADA) and the ADA Foundation team up to provide a new NCDHM campaign. The campaign for 2016 is the “Sugar Wars.” Dental and healthcare professionals, educators, advocates, and caregivers are encouraged to join the fight against the “sweet tooth invaders,” and teach children healthy oral hygiene and eating habits. Many resources are available to help spread [...]

The Blueprint for Kentucky’s Children released an issue brief today on the impact of exposure to secondhand smoke on our state’s youngest residents, and the data is astounding. Clearing the Air for All Kentucky Children points out that thousands of babies and children across the Commonwealth are subject to immense dangers from secondhand smoke, particularly in communities without a strong smoke-free policy. Approximately 69 percent of Kentucky’s children live in a community that does not [...]

The keynote speaker, Dr. Michael Glick, reviewing the connections between oral infections and general health On Friday, November 20, 2015, the Kentucky Oral Health Coalition (KOHC) held the first statewide oral health summit in the state in nearly four years. The theme of this year’s summit was “Reconnect, Evaluate, and Look Forward.” Throughout the day, summit participants had the opportunity to learn and share information, network, and work with fellow oral health advocates [...]

After the Oral Health 2020 National Network Gathering a month ago, it’s time to reflect on the progress this initiative has made since launching last year. We are proud partners in this network and are moving forward to achieve these bold goals by 2020.  Oral Health 2020 is an effort to strengthen and unify the oral health network, build upon current initiative strategies, and expand impact. Oral Health 2020 investments are structured around the realization of a vision for improved oral health: "to [...]

November is often a time of reflection and thanks. Let today be a day of thanks—a day where you can be thankful for healthy lungs, clean air, and the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. The Great American Smokeout is an initiative to end smoking among the 56.7 million people who continue to smoke cigarettes, cigars, or pipes because tobacco use is the leading preventative cause of death and premature death in the country. According [...]