Government/Citizen Resources
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| Virginia Health Care
Foundation Media Brief |
| The Virginia Health Care Foundation (VHCF) promotes and supports local public/private partnerships that increase access to primary care for uninsured and medically underserved Virginians. VHCF is a non-profit independent entity initiated in 1992 by the Virginia General Assembly and its Joint Commission on Health Care. |
Grant Awarded:
- The Caroline County Health Department has been awarded a new grant to provide dental services for school children in Caroline County
- Virginia Health Care Foundation awarded $80,360
Need for the Project:
- Indigent children and children of working poor parents have very limited access to dental services in Caroline County.
- Six dentists, none of whom participate int he Medicaid Dental Program or have contractual agreements with anyh of the Medicaid Managed Care Plans, serve the 22,000 citizens in Caroline County.
- The dentist to population ratio is 1/3,687 as compared to state average of 1/2,084.
Goal of the Project:
- Improved access to dental services for the target population and penetration into the unmet Medicaid dental service need.
- Improved knowledge, attitude and behavior regarding oral hygiene in the target populaton.
Partners in this Project:
- Partners in Caroline Car'es include the Caroline County Board of Supervisors, Caroline County Schools, Department of Social Services.
- Supportive individuals and organizations that have made this possible including Percy Ashcraft, County Adminstrator, Cynthia Green, Director of Social Services, Karen Vossberg and Linda Upshaw, school nurses, Superintendent Stanley Jones and the Caroline County School Board, Quin Rivers Community Action Agency, Virginia Cooperative Extension, The Division Dental Health, Virginia Department of Health, Patterson Dental, Inc., Children's Hospital, Richmond, Virginia, Mary Washington Hospital Foundation, Rappahannock Valley Dental Society and Germanna Community College Department of Dental Hygiene.
Description of the Project:
- Caroline Car'es is a school-based dental program focusing on primary and elementary school children that have limited access to dental care.
- The Heath Department has obtained a fully equipped two chair dental trailer and will hire a part-time dentist, two part-time dental assistants, and part-time secretary.
- Department of Social Services will provide Medicaid and FAMIS eligibility.
- The dental services begin by offering dental screening to all children who demonstrate that they have limited access to private dental care. Rappahannock Valley dental Society members are providing this screening.
- Following the dental screening, dental preventive and curative services will be arranged if needed with parent's permission.
- Caroline County Schools will provide transportation to the dental clinic with parent's permission and expand the school-based Fluoride Mouthrinse Program.
- Germanna Community College Dental Hygiene Program will provide dental hygienist support.