DentaQuest Institute

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.