HRSA awards $550,000 to provide training and technical assistance to improve access to oral health services

HRSA recently awarded $550,000 to the National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) to provide training and technical assistance to help HRSA’s primary care service delivery programs improve access to high quality oral health services.

NNOHA was founded in 1990 by a group of health center dental directors to improve health center oral health programs for underserved populations. NNOHA will use these new funds to support the National Oral Health Learning Institute, develop online learning resources, and support oral health workforce activities. The National Oral Health Learning Institute will offer participatory educational programs to HRSA grantees from across the country, developing and implementing a yearlong training program that focuses on all aspects of managing a quality oral health care program.

“Substantial evidence demonstrates the critical link between poor oral health and a person’s overall health and well-being,” said HRSA Administrator Mary K. Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N.  “This project will improve access to oral health care for those people who need it most.”  

This award builds on a previous HRSA award to NNOHA, which has a proven track record in improving the performance of safety net providers in providing oral health care services to economically disadvantaged individuals.  

Learn more about HRSA’s oral health programs and find a health center.

The Health Resources and Services Administration is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  HRSA is the primary Federal agency responsible for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable.  For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov.