News
January 31, 2011 - DentaQuest Institute Executive Director Mark Doherty, DMD, MPH, CCHP was recognized as Best Practice Management Consultant in Dr.Bicuspid's 2011 Dental Excellence Awards. Dr. Doherty, a founder of the DentaQuest Institute's Safety net Solutions consulting program, is a passionate advocate for oral health with a strong background in public health dentistry.
DentaQuest Institute's Safety Net Solutions
The Safety Net Solutions program is unique among dental management consultants because it is focused on the urgent need to preserve and strengthen the oral health safety net which serves 16 million+ uninsured and medically underserved Americans every day. Oral health safety net providers are the dentists who work at the local community health center. They are critical to good individual and community health. But they are very challenged by poor reimbursement, operational difficulties, and limited resources. Historically, these programs struggle to maintain financial viability.
The DentaQuest Institute's Safety Net Solutions (SNS) program works collaboratively with program administrators, dental directors, and staff. Its advisors provide customized technical assistance to enhance the business infrastructure behind the delivery of care - with an appreciation for the uniqueness of safety net clients and their care needs. The SNS Improvement Model is especially helpful for programs in environments with low levels of public reimbursement because it teaches programs to operate more efficiently.
Since the program began in 2006, SNS has worked with more than 90 safety net dental programs in 19 states. They are now advising the growing number of community health centers that are starting new or expanding existing dental programs, using critical resources mandated in health reform.
Safety Net Solutions is making a difference. Within one year of receiving SNS technical assistance, a dental care safety net program is stronger. Overall, through technical assistance, a site experienced on average, per site:
- 35, 063 more dental visits in the past year
- An increase of 1,594 visits
- Gross productivity increased by $752,006
- Net revenue of dental services increased by $5,475,937
Learn more about the Safety Net Solutions program at dentaquestinstitute.org/safetynetsolutions
Dr.Bicuspid Dental Excellence Awards
The Dr.Bicuspid Dental Excellence Awards provide a forum for dental professionals to acknowledge the contributions of their peers to the field of dentistry and to acknowledge products and services that they value most. Award candidates are nominated by DrBicuspid.com members and then voted on by members in two subsequent rounds of voting. The award is recognition of Dr. Doherty's hard work and the DentaQuest Institute's leadership in strengthening America's dental safety net and innovating improvements to the care delivery system.
About DentaQuest Institute
The DentaQuest Institute is a not-for-profit organization focused on research and supported by the DentaQuest family of oral health companies. The DentaQuest Institute works with clinical partners across the country to develop and implement more effective approaches to preventing and managing oral disease.
About DrBicuspid.com
DrBicuspid.com is a division of IMV, Ltd. IMV Publishing operates websites targeted at vertical markets within the healthcare industry. DrBicuspid.com offers original feature articles, daily news, and educational information designed for today's dental professional and dental team members. The company's AuntMinnie.com site is the premier online information, transaction, and education site for the medical imaging industry.
November 29, 2010— The DentaQuest Institute is pleased to announce that Dr. Jay Anderson has been appointed Director of Practice Improvement. Dr. Anderson will contribute to the DentaQuest Institute’s mission of improving oral health by providing quality guidance and technical assistance to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of oral health care delivery.
Prior to joining the DentaQuest Institute, Dr. Anderson served as Chief Dental Officer at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resource and Service Administration (HRSA) where he worked to ensure access to care for millions of at-risk Americans who depend on safety net dental clinics and health centers. In his new role, Dr. Anderson will lead the work being done by the DentaQuest Institute to support oral health professionals as they work to improve the care they provide to their patients.
“Jay is a great match for the mission and work of the DentaQuest Institute,” said Mark Doherty, Executive Director of the DentaQuest Institute. “His experience with safety net dentistry is invaluable to the work the DentaQuest Institute does to support the oral health safety net, including improving the effectiveness and efficiency of care. We are fortunate to get his wisdom and experience on our team.”
As a result of recent health reform legislation, thousands of new children will become eligible for dental care as an essential benefit in the next few years. The growth in numbers of individuals eligible for care will pose significant challenges to the already strained public oral health delivery system. Patients visiting health centers typically have the highest levels of oral disease and are the least able to access care. Dr. Anderson will use the tools developed by the DentaQuest Institute to assist health centers across the United States as they work to expand the capacity to serve the oral healthcare needs of high risk populations.
“The DentaQuest Institute is a leader in improvement strategies that today are significantly impacting the effectiveness and efficiency of safety net dental programs,” said Dr. Anderson. “I am happy to become a part of their accomplished team.”
Dr. Anderson graduated from the University of Kentucky, College of Dentistry. He received a Master of Health Services Administration (M.H.S.A.) from The University of Michigan and is working to complete his Masters of Business Administration (M.B.A.) at the Keller Graduate School of Management.
About DentaQuest Institute
The DentaQuest Institute (www.dentaquestinstitute.org) is a not-for-profit organization focused on research and supported by the DentaQuest family of oral health companies. The DentaQuest Institute works with clinical partners across the country to develop and implement more effective approaches to preventing and managing oral disease.
DentaQuest is one of the nation’s largest dental benefits providers, serving more than 12 million members through both commercial and government dental programs. DentaQuest provides high quality dental benefits programs, and is a partner in the community, committed to improving oral health through access, innovation and affordability.
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Boston, MA — October, 2010 – The DentaQuest Institute is pleased to announce that the DentaQuest Oral Health Center (OHC), an affiliated dental office in Westborough, MA, has been selected by the American Dental Association as the Adult Preventive Care Practice of the Year. DentaQuest Oral Health Center Dental Director, Dr. Peter Blanchard and Clinical Director, Dr. Joy‐Ann Deane accepted the award at the 2010 ADA annual session in Orlando, Florida.
The American Dental Association (ADA) has long championed preventive dental care as the best way for people to be healthy,” said Steve Carstensen, DDS, Chair of the 2010 ADA Annual Session. “It was a pleasure seeing how the DentaQuest Oral Health Center has committed every part of their practice to promoting preventive care. The differences they are creating in their patients’ lives make them completely deserving of the ADA/3M Preventive Practice of the Year Award.”
The Adult Preventive Care Practice of the Year Award recognizes a dental office which has demonstrated excellence and innovation through the combination of practical, preventive oral health care and ongoing patient education. Dental offices from all 50 states applied for the distinction.
The DentaQuest Oral Health Center is a multi‐specialty group practice, offering routine care and cleanings, general dental care, dentistry for children, and state‐of‐the‐art orthodontic and endodontic care. What puts the DentaQuest Oral Health Center at the leading edge is its focus on risk‐based treatment. By identifying the risk factors unique to each patient, the center helps prevent and manage dental disease. In addition to providing the highest‐quality oral health care, the DentaQuest Oral Health Center also strives to help patients understand and make the best decisions about their own oral health.
“Science is helping us understand the nature of dental disease, especially the two main ones, tooth decay and gum disease,” explains Dr. Blanchard. “Because both are bacterial infections, we have the ability to treat them and achieve better oral health. The solution doesn’t always have to be “drill and fill.” By identifying and treating the disease in its early stages, the DentaQuest Oral Health Center’s staff is able to help the tooth “heal” and make it more resistant to future decay.”
It is this mission to deliver cost‐effective, appropriate dental care using scientific, evidence‐ based technologies and treatments that are tailored to the dental needs of each patient that caught the attention of the American Dental Association’s evaluation panel. And, it is the reason why other dental practices are turning to the DentaQuest Oral Health Center to learn about this new model of practice. “We are delighted to be working with a number of dental practices nationally, providing technical assistance to help their dental care providers implement proven prevention and disease management protocols,” said Mark Doherty, DMD, Executive Director of the DentaQuest Institute.
About DentaQuest Institute
The DentaQuest Institute (www.dentaquestinstitute.org) is a not‐for‐profit organization focused on research and supported by the DentaQuest family of oral health companies. The DentaQuest Institute works with clinical partners across the country to develop and implement more effective approaches to preventing and managing oral disease. The DentaQuest Oral Health Center (www.dentaquestohc.com) was established in 1999 as model dental practice focused on evidence based, cost‐effective and appropriate dental care tailored to the unique dental needs and risk profiles of each patient.
DentaQuest is one of the nation’s largest dental benefits providers, serving more than 12 million members through both commercial and government dental programs. DentaQuest provides high quality dental benefits programs, and is a partner in the community, committed to improving oral health through access, innovation and affordability.
In the near future, electronic medical records, or EMRs, will be required by the federal government. The Worcester Business Journal interviews medical professionals whose centers have already adapted to the system, including Dr. Peter Blanchard of the OHC in Westborough. Read more ...
September 21, 2009 - The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA), the nationwide organization of over 1,000 Health Center dental providers and supporters, has entered into a collaborative relationship with DentaQuest Institute's Safety Net Solutions (SNS) program to assist Health Center oral health programs in improving their efficiency, effectiveness and financial sustainability while delivering high quality care. Safety Net Solutions will become a technical assistance partner for Health Center oral health programs throughout the Unites States. In addition, NNOHA and Safety Net Solutions will jointly prepare career development and training programs for dental directors of safety net health centers and safety net technical consultants.
Safety Net Solutions partners with safety net dental programs to provide expert technical assistance in practice management, support that promotes community-based oral health care that is both effective and financially sustainable. The Institute for Medicine, in its report, America's Health Care Safety Net, Intact but Endangered, urges that, to preserve America's network of safety net providers, we must "enhance and coordinate technical assistance programs targeted to improving the operations and competitive position of safety net providers...including improvements in management information systems, appointment scheduling systems, efforts to streamline operations, and reengineering of services so that they are more responsive to patients."
NNOHA and Safety Net Solutions will jointly develop a process to train and certify Expert Technical Advisors, to work with safety-net dental programs, based on the training curriculum currently offered by Safety Net Solutions. NNOHA and Safety Net Solutions will also jointly develop a Dental Director Leadership program.
Colleen Lampron, NNOHA's Executive Director, shared that, "NNOHA is pleased to develop this partnership with Safety Net Solutions. SNS is garnering national attention for the innovative work they've done for safety-net oral health programs. NNOHA and SNS understand firsthand that oral health is critically important for overall health."
"Collaborating with the National Network for Oral Health Access is a great honor for Safety Net Solutions, as NNOHA is the nationally recognized organization that represents oral health providers and their supporters working in Health Centers," said Dr. Mark Doherty, SNS program director. "Both Safety Net Solutions and NNOHA understand the magnitude of the need for increased access to oral health care for underserved populations, and this partnership will allow us to combine our strengths and make a greater positive impact on the oral health delivery system as a whole."
About NNOHA
The National Network for Oral Health Access [www.nnoha.org] is a nationwide network of dental providers who care for patients in Migrant, Homeless, and Community Health Centers. Members of the NNOHA are committed to improving the overall health of the country's underserved individuals through increased access to oral health services. NNOHA has made great strides in linking Health Center Oral Health programs in the United States. The organization's recent activities include development of Practice Management resources, on online job bank for dental vacancies, a new Dental Director Training Course, the annual National Primary Oral Health Conference, an active member listserv, a quarterly member newsletter, and the development of resources and mentoring that supports Health Center oral health programs. NNOHA was founded in 1990 by Health Center Dental Directors who recognized the need for peer-to-peer networking, services, and collaboration to most effectively operate Health Center oral health programs.
About Safety Net Solutions
Safety Net Solutions provides practice management technical assistance that helps safety net oral health programs balance mission and business to better serve their patients. Safety Net Solutions' practice management expertise is the result of many years of front-line experience in community health, business and dental program leadership. Safety Net Solutions is a program of the DentaQuest Institute, a national group focused on quality improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of the oral health care delivery system. Safety net Solutions, founded in 2006, has worked with over 60 safety net dental programs across the United States, contributing to community-based oral health care that is both effective and financially sustainable.
Early Childhood Caries and Sealants
The DentaQuest Institute undertakes a quality improvement project that is focused on an aspect of access, efficiency, or delivery of oral health care.
Quality improvement projects start with an oral health problem or recognized need. In 2008, the Institute investigated care for children with advanced early childhood caries. For the past nine months, Director of Analytics, Dr. Alex White, has been working with co-researchers, Dr. Man Wai Ng, Chief, Department of Dentistry, Children's Hospital Boston and Dr. Dan Kane, Director of Dentistry, Saint Joseph Hospital, Providence, to test an alternative science-based approach to managing advanced caries in young children in hospital settings. This project is mid-way through the data collection phase. Preliminary data suggests reduction in operating room utilization along with reduction in new caries and oral pain at the Children’s Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital test sites.
The 2009 DentaQuest Institute quality improvement project is dental sealants. Following the model used for the Early Childhood Caries project, the Institute will bring key stakeholders together to write a data-driven problem statement, review the latest literature on effective sealant interventions, identify appropriate clinical partners, and develop a protocol that targets improvements in key clinical outcomes. The clinical phase of the sealant quality improvement project is expected to begin by the end of the year and will run for an 18-month period.
Decisions about the annual quality improvement project, including focus, development, and spread, involve the Institute's Advisory Committee on Quality Improvement. This panel engages dental, medical, and community health leaders and ensures that proposed projects meet key criteria.
The committee advising DentaQuest Institute Quality Improvements for 2009 are:
- Burton Edelstein, DDS, Professor of Dentistry and Health Policy & Management, Columbia University Medical Center; Founder and Chair, Children's Dental Health Project.
- Charles Homer, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, National Initiative for Children's Healthcare Quality, Harvard University.
- Jeffrey Lasker, MD, Chief Executive Officer of the New England Quality Care Alliance, the Physician Network of Tufts-New England Medical Center.
- Martin Lieberman, DDS, Dental Director, Puget Sound Neighborhood Health Centers.
- Man Wai Ng, DDS, MPH, Dentist in Chief, Boston Children's Hospital.
- Hugh Silk, MD, Family Physician; Faculty, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester.
To learn more about the importance of clinical research at the Oral Health Center, click here to view the PEARL Newsletter which features an interview from Dr. Peter Blanchard, https://web.emmes.com/study/pearl/newsletters/fall2008.pdf