Home Page News
Legislative Day Recap
Today on January 28th, 2020 Virginia Health Catalyst hosted our annual Legislative Action Day, where constituents meet with their legislators to talk about the importance of oral health and advocate for an adult dental benefit in Medicaid. Thank you to all who attended and to all of our partners who shared this important day with…
Read MoreDMAS Study Highlights Need for Dental Benefit
A study released today by the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS) found a high usage of the emergency department (ED) for dental issues among Medicaid recipients. Currently, Virginia’s Medicaid program does not provide a comprehensive dental benefit for all enrollees. In 2018, nearly 16,000 Medicaid recipients visited the ED roughly 19,000 times for…
Read MoreWhat Happens In Vegas…
Virginia Health Catalyst serves as a statewide convener and trusted advisor on oral health integration; we do not, however, provide direct care in communities. Because of this, we rely on our incredible partners across the state to lift up “boots on the ground” issues like challenges at the clinic, barriers to accessing care, and policy…
Read MoreVirginia Health Catalyst strongly supports water fluoridation
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 MoreIntroducing Virginia Health Catalyst: The Intersection of Overall Health and Oral Health
I’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 MoreRev Your Bev Q&A – Promoting Water in Our Communities
On 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 More2019 Legislative Session Recap
The 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 MorePediatricians Role in Comprehensive Health Care
The 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 MorePolicy Priorities for the 2019 Legislative Session
The 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 MoreMedicare Dental Bill Introduced – How it Could Affect Virginians
Earlier 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 More