AIDPH hosted its annual colloquium “Confronting Inequity Through Oral Health Policy” on January 14 and 15, 2020. This year’s  colloquium featured expert speakers from diverse backgrounds to lead the discussion around inequities in public policy and how clinicians, policy makers and leaders can affect change.

Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association, presented Rural Oral Health Care Access: A National Policy Perspective. He discussed the growing need for health access juxtaposed to the shrinking availability and access to care in rural communities. He outlines how advocacy through national policy, communications, education, and research can provide rural areas with better dental care and, ultimately, better health outcomes overall.

Presentation Abstract

Rural health is not simply a small version of urban, but rather a unique health care delivery environment. This session will examine the current state of rural health in America, with a focus on opportunities and barriers for expanding rural oral health care access. Current relevant national policy research and data will explore the current state of rural oral health access, as well as policy options under consideration to address these health care disparities.

Talk to us! What policies and practices can we enact as dental professionals to work toward health equity for the rural community?

If you’d like to know more about the 2020 AIDPH Colloquium, you can check out the Book of Proceedings. You can also watch the complete presentation here.

Post authored by:

Caitie Skaggs | AIDPH Staff

The American Institute of Dental Public Health

programs@aidph.org