The Florida Oral Health Alliance is a community of individuals and organizations committed to improving Florida's dental care system because every person deserves to thrive.
Florida Oral Health Alliance
Mission
The Florida Oral Health Alliance (FOHA) is focused on working in coalition to improve the oral health of Floridians through systems and community change.
The Work of FOHA
The Alliance has worked together to produce important research on the most pressing oral health issues in Florida, including:
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Oral Health Care for Children with Special Needs Issue Brief (Nov. 2021)
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Oral Health Services Consumer Engagement Research Report (June 2021)
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The Alliance has also taken important steps in advocacy including hosting a day of action at the Florida Capital in 2021.
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What's Next
In 2023 and beyond, the Alliance will be focused on achieving outcomes in three areas:
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Policy Advocacy – Passing state and local legislation that increases access to dental care for vulnerable populations (ex: A comprehensive Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit; Increasing Medicaid eligibility limits)
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Community Outreach and Education – Recognizing the need to empower community members as they navigate the health care system, we will be focused on building systems and processes to reach more Floridians. We’ll also create intentional messaging meant to address the most critical knowledge gaps.
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Systems “Culture Change” – To improve the delivery of care to vulnerable populations, FOHA will be building a campaign and long-term infrastructure to share best practices with providers and other stakeholders.
Current Members​
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Catalyst Miami
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Children's Services Council of Broward County
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Children's Services Council of Palm Beach County
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DentaQuest
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Florida Healthy Kids Corporation
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Florida Voices for Health
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Jessie Trice Community Health Center
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Liberty Dental Plan
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Miami Dade College of Health Sciences
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The Children's Trust
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The Children's Trust of Miami-Dade
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Floridians for Dental Access
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Oral Health Florida
Our Projects
The Oral Health Parent Advisory Committee (PAC) is an advocacy group comprised of parents and caregivers from across the state of Florida whose children, under 18 years of age, rely on Medicaid for their dental care.
The committee's goal is to increase access to regular, quality dental care for Medicaid-enrolled children, especially children with special needs.
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If you're a parent facing barriers to oral health for you or your children, you're invited to join the PAC! Click here to join and a Florida Voices for Health staff member will be in touch to introduce you to the group.
The Medicaid toolkit is an online, interactive resource specifically designed for Medicaid - enrolled beneficiaries and made available in English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole. The purpose of the toolkit is to engage the beneficiaries in their dental care and equip them with oral health resources and knowledge. The toolkit will become avialble this Fall.
FOHA is continuing to establish community partnerships to help finalize and promote the toolkit. To be a part of the feedback team, receive progress updates, and/or support our promotion efforts, please sign up here. A Florida Voices for Health staff member will be in touch to plug you in!
MEMBERSHIP AGREEMENT
Members of the Alliance adopt the mission and jointly agree to:
1. Work collaboratively toward a mutually beneficial environment that strengthens member agencies and helps communities in need.
2. Pursue and share innovative approaches for delivering health and human services seeking maximum involvement and empowerment of community members.
3. Work collaboratively to address all barriers in the context of social determinants to improve health outcomes in vulnerable communities.
4. Capitalize on the diverse and unique skills of the Alliance’s member organizations.
5. Work to create a statewide network of shared information and resources.
Specifically, members commit to support the work of the Alliance:
1. Actively participate through Alliance calls and meetings, planning sessions, committees, workgroups, forums, or related activities.
2. Designate a consistent agency representative to attend bi-monthly conference calls, act as the point of contact, and keep Florida Voices for Health staff informed of changes. Designee will keep agency informed of the Alliance’s activities and initiatives.
3. Support the Alliance’s initiatives through in-kind donations of materials, time, meeting space, or related items as appropriate.
In support of these objectives and values, the Alliance will, through its staff and governance structure:
1. Serve as the coordinating and facilitating agent for the Alliance’s activities.
2. Establish and maintain formal communication methods for the Alliance’s activities.
3. Maintain and distribute minutes, reports, and regular health policy updates to members.
4. Conduct on-going planning to strengthen Florida’s health advocacy community, and regularly report progress toward the Alliance’s identified policy goals.
5. Endow continuity by building trust, learning and teaching the value of collaboration, bringing diverse interests together, and promoting results.
6. Help coordinate community engagement and grassroots organizing activities in local communities by building local networks.
7. Form strategic alliances with community groups to further Alliance’s mission.
I understand that membership in the Alliance does not constitute permission to use the Florida Oral Health Alliance logo, materials or name without prior approval.
