Community Outreach and Meeting Access to Oral Health Care

Community Outreach and Meeting Access to Oral Health Care

La Sonrisa Brillante

Presented by:

Laura Grant Justice, RDH, MSED

Institution and Address:

Bluegrass Community and Technical College

Oswald Building 234F

470 Cooper Drive

Lexington, KY 40506-0235

Contact Information:

859.246.6232 or 859.246.6233

Presentation synopsis: The Bluegrass Community and Technical College has taken an active role in Hispanic outreach activities, including the hiring of an Hispanic Outreach Coordinator and the formation of a community task force to increase the college-going rates of Hispanic students in the Bluegrass region. As a result, BCTC received the 2006 Humanitarian Award from the Kentucky Conference for Community and Justice in recognition of its outreach activities to Hispanic and African American students.

As the Hispanic population in the Bluegrass region has grown, the Dental Hygiene clinic has received an increasing number of requests for dental treatment for Spanish-speaking individuals. In addition to individual patient requests, private dental practices have also contacted BCTC to request assistance in providing services to this underserved group. Many Hispanic patients do not seek treatment due to financial limitations and the significant language barrier.

The critical need for dental care for children from low income families was a key finding in a recent report by Kentucky Youth Advocates. In Kentucky, only one-third of these children received any dental care in 2004, and fewer than half of the dentists in Kentucky treat children insured by Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. The most common procedure for children on Medicaid is tooth extraction – not preventive care such as tooth cleaning or X-rays (Kentucky’s Cavity: Parents Voice Concerns about Children’s Dental Care, December 2005). Kentucky has a legacy of poor oral health. A 2001 Kentucky Oral Health Program study found that 47 percent of the state’s 2- to 4-year-olds already had untreated carious lesions – double the national average.

The purpose of the La Sonrisa Brillante Project is to provide increased accessibility to low-cost preventive dental hygiene care to the growing Hispanic population in the Lexington area. While the project serves children and adults from all low-income families, the project specifically attempts to provide care for the underserved Hispanic population. Fayette County is the primary county being served. However, where transportation can be arranged, residents of surrounding counties are included.

A grant application was submitted and awarded by the Foundation for a Health Kentucky (FHK). The focus area as defined by the FHK was “improved access to needed health services for underserved populations.” The project was initiated in November 2006 and will conclude in June 2007. In addition, an independent study course (DH 299) was offered in the Spring semester that focused on international practice and student participation in the creation of the final report/outcomes of the La Sonrisa Brillante Project. Several student sessions involving cultural competency and Spanish dental terminology were offered to the students.

Expected Outcomes

1.  Increased access to routine, preventive dental care for low-income Hispanic families;

2.  Increased awareness of the need for preventive dental care – particularly for children - among Hispanic families;

3.  Increased community awareness of the critical need for dental care and the barriers that keep low-income and/or Hispanic families from accessing dental care.

Results

The following data will be gathered and reviewed to determine the success of the La Sonrisa Brillante Project:

§  Number of Hispanic and/or low-income patients utilizing clinic services during Hispanic outreach sessions;

§  Awareness and outreach activities targeted to Hispanic audiences;

§  Collaborative activities with community agencies including transportation and informational sessions;

§  Number, type, and severity of dental needs identified during Hispanic outreach sessions;

§  Publicity and dissemination activities to raise awareness of the project results and identified needs of the target population.

Specific Learning Objectives for the ADEA presentation:

Program Directors will be able to:

1. Develop a greater appreciation for the health needs of diverse populations.

2. Discuss the unique problems associated with recruitment and retention of patients whose native language differs from their own.

3. Discuss cultural issues which are specific to Hispanic patients.

4. Describe concepts to improve communication with Spanish speaking patients.

5. List sources of Spanish patient education and other commonly needed dental forms.

6. Discuss common community outreach resources which are used to facilitate contact between the oral health program and diverse populations within the service area.