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A recent study in JAMA Pediatrics examined prenatal fluoride exposure in Canadian mothers and a possible link to their child’s IQ score and fluoride consumption. Researchers found that a higher amount of fluoride in the urine of pregnant women was associated with a lower IQ score in boys born to them. There was no association…
Read MoreI’m excited to announce the next era of the Virginia Oral Health Coalition – Virginia Health Catalyst. This is a pivotal moment for our work, and the decision to change our name to Virginia Health Catalyst came from collaborative and thoughtful discussions with our board, staff, and partners. As we began to update our strategic…
Read MoreOn May 9, Virginia schools, healthcare providers, community centers, and more will host events as part of the annual Rev Your Bev Day. Since 2013, Rev Your Bev has hosted more than 1,800 events across the commonwealth to get Virginia’s children drinking water over sugar sweetened beverages. As health advocates we know the importance of…
Read MoreThe 2019 session was a ‘short’ session (legislative sessions alternate between short sessions, which are six weeks, and long sessions which are 8 weeks), which means a lot of legislation was reviewed in a short amount of time. Overall I think the commonwealth made strides toward more equitable access to quality, comprehensive health care through…
Read MoreThe saying goes “it takes a village to raise a child,” and National Children’s Dental Health Month is a great time to consider the important role medical providers play in helping keep a child healthy and happy, and ways to strengthen that role to improve comprehensive health. Pediatricians play a vital role in a child’s…
Read MoreThe 2019 legislative is underway in Richmond. The Coalition staff is excited about several bills put forward to improve access to oral health care. Be sure to join us on January 30 for our Legislative Action Day and share your support for three bills we’re watching closely: Study on Emergency Room Dental Visits (Item 281 #1s,…
Read MoreEarlier this month Maryland Senator Ben Cardin introduced The Medicare Dental Benefit Act of 2019 that will, if enacted, add a dental benefit in Medicare Part B. This is a terrific policy step to help ensure Medicare beneficiaries have equitable access to comprehensive care. As a federal program, Medicare provides medical coverage and pharmacy services…
Read MoreCole Staines contributed the guest blog below, he is a Pediatric Dental Resident at Virginia Commonwealth University. As a pediatric dental resident at VCU, I recently took part in the Virginia Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (VA-LEND) program that trains future leaders in the field of childhood neurodevelopment. The training included interactive seminars, clinical and community-based…
Read MoreI’ve been making a list (and checking it twice!) of all the good that happened in 2018 to improve health for Virginians! Between expanding Medicaid eligibility to enable 400,000 low-income Virginians to access coverage to the largest Virginia Oral Health Summit yet, 2018 was a big year. As all of us begin to think about…
Read MoreBeing new to the Virginia Oral Health Coalition I was excited to attend the 2018 National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) conference and learn more from our partners around the country. I was impressed by the size and scope of the conference and left with several takeaways. Innovation: A key focus for the conference…
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