Thank goodness we’ve got some great leaders to guide our work.
Building school-linked oral health programs isn’t about reinventing the wheel. It’s more about studying the evolution of the wheel and adapting lessons learned from those who have rolled down this path before you.
Here is a comprehensive list of key oral health players and the language they use. This resource can help you generate ideas by learning about what’s been done and what works in the effort promote oral health.
| Acronym | Organization | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AAPD | American Association of Pediatric Dentists | Advocates for children’s oral health. |
| ABCD | Access to Baby and Child Dentistry | Focuses on preventive and restorative dental care for Medicaid-eligible children from birth through age five with an emphasis on the first dental visit by age one. |
| ACA | Affordable Care Act | Affordable Care Act was passed by Congress and then signed into law by the President on March 23, 2010. |
| ACC | Accountable Care Collaborative | A new Medicaid program to improve clients’ health and reduce costs. Client’s will receive the regular Medicaid benefit package, and will also belong to a ”Regional Care Collaborative Organization” (RCCO). |
| ACO | Accountable Care Organization | ACO’s are comprised of seven RCCOs. Groups of doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers, who come together voluntarily to give coordinated high quality care to their Medicare patients. RCCOs are ACOs. |
| ADA | American Dental Association | The ADA is the largest dental association and is a patient-centered, science-based and ethically-driven association. |
| ADHA | American Dental Hygienists Association | Provides up-to-date information on emerging technologies, legislative developments, professional and educational opportunities, etc. |
| AHEC | Area Health Education Centers | There are six regional AHECs that work to build state-wide network capacity and strengthen academic-community linkages in four core mission areas. |
| ASO | Administrative Service Organization | An arrangement in which an employer hires a 3rd party to deliver administrative services to the employer such as claims processing and billing; the employer bears the risk for claims. DentaQuest is HCPFs ASO. |
| ASTDD | Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors | A national non-profit representing the directors and staff of state public health agency programs for oral health. |
| BSS | Basic Screening Survey | A child’s oral health screening conducted every three to five years. |
| CALPHO | Colorado Association of Local Public Health Officials | The Colorado organization representing local public health agencies. |
| CASBHC | Colorado Association of School Based Health Centers | Connection, collaboration and care to expand SBHC. |
| CCCR | Colorado Central Cancer Registry | Statewide cancer surveillance program including oral cavity and pharynx data. |
| CCHAP | Colorado Children’s Healthcare Access Program | Devoted to advancing health equity and improving outcomes by promoting comprehensive, cost-effective, coordinated, quality health care for all children. |
| CCHN | Colorado Community Health Network | The CCHN represents CO’s 19 Community Health Centers (CHCs) that together are the backbone of the primary health care safety-net in Colorado. |
| CDA | Colorado Dental Association | Focuses on raising oral health awareness and to better communicate with those interested in dental issues in CO. |
| CDC | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention | The Division of Oral Health (DOH) works to improve the oral health of the nation and reduce inequalities in oral health. |
| CDHA | Colorado Dental Hygienists’ Association | Volunteer organization made up of registered dental hygienists in CO who promote access to quality care, increase awareness, promote education, licensure, etc. |
| CDPHE | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment | Houses multiple programs, including the Oral Health Unit, Primary Care Office and School Based Health Center program. CDPHE supports and monitors community water fluoridation programs and school based sealant programs. The Cavity Free at Three program trains medical and dental providers to prevent oral disease in expectant moms and young children. CDPHE also funds oral health activities in rural public health agencies, health professional shortage areas and school based health centers. |
| CF3 | Cavity Free at Three | This CDPHE program provides preventative dental care to children and pregnant women by providing health care providers that work in the medical, public health and dental communities the skills and resources necessary to prevent dental caries. |
| CHI | Colorado Health Institute | CHI provides evidence-based information that can help policy-makers reach sound decisions through six key areas. |
| CHP+ | Child Health Plan Plus | Low-cost health insurance for Colorado’s uninsured children and pregnant women. |
| Colorado Access | Colorado Access | For CHP+ State Managed Care Network and CHP+ offered by Colorado Access, we administer medical, behavioral, and vision benefits. The benefits are listed in the Members Benefits Handbook (for members of CHP+ State Managed Care Network) and the Members Benefits Handbook (for members of CHP+ offered by Colorado Access).
For Health First Colorado, we administer behavioral and care coordination benefits. The benefits are listed on the Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid Program) website. |
| CORHIO | Colorado Regional Health Information Organization | A nonprofit dedicated to improving health care for all Coloradans through health information exchange. Meaningful use information. |
| CPHA | Colorado Public Health Association | CPHA is a 501c3 non-profit association representing Colorado’s statewide network of current and emerging public health professionals, organizations and businesses. We are the largest and oldest public health association in the State. CPHA is working to transform the health and well-being of Coloradans, providing the public health community–both individuals and organizations–a home, a forum, networks and opportunities to participate and collaborate in our core areas of work. |
| Denver Health | Denver Health School-Based Health Centers | Denver Health’s School-Based Health Centers provide primary care, mental health, reproductive health education and insurance enrollment assistance services to Denver Public School students. Some centers provide oral health services. |
| DORA | Department of Regulatory Agencies | Regulatory entity of dental licensing for dentists, hygienists, etc. |
| EBPH | Evidence-Based Public Health | Involves making decisions based on the best available scientific evidence to develop, implement, and evaluate effective programs and policies in public health. |
| ECC | Early Childhood Councils of Colorado | ECCs include early learning, family support and parent education, social, emotional, and mental health, and general health. |
| ECC | Early Childhood Caries | ECCs is the presence of one or more decayed, missing or filled tooth surfaces in any primary tooth in a preschool-age child between birth and 71 months of age. |
| HCPF | Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing | Administers the Medicaid and Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) programs as well as a variety of other health care programs. |
| HPV-STI | Human Papillomavirus and Sexually Transmitted Infection | Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common STI. There are more than 40 HPV types that can infect the genital areas of males and females, and infect the mouth and throat. |
| HRSA | Health Research and Services Administration | Exploring ways to improve the oral health of underserved people, improve access to oral health care, increase awareness of the connection between oral health and overall health, promote prevention, and improve oral health literacy to health providers and patients alike. |
| KIND | Kids in Need of Dentistry | Provides high quality, comprehensive dental care and education to kids in need throughout Colorado. |
| LPHA | Local Public Health Agency | The state is served by 55 local public health agencies covering 64 beautiful counties. |
| MCH-CDPHE | Maternal and Child Health | To optimize the health and well-being of the maternal and child health population by employing primary prevention and early intervention public health strategies. |
| OHCO | Oral Health Colorado | Statewide oral health coalition which is focused on developing and promoting strategies that achieve optimal oral health for all Coloradans. |
| Oral Health Unit | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment- Oral Health Unit | The Oral Health Program is working to show connections to general health, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, tobacco, school health, seniors, and pregnancy outcomes, |
| PCMP | Primary Care Medical Provider | Serves as a medical home for a Medicaid patient in a RCCO. |
| PNCHW | Patient Navigator/Community Health Worker | Acts as a liaison between families and medical personnel |
| RHC | Federally certified Rural Health Clinics | These federally qualified health clinics are certified to receive special Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. |
| RMCM | Ronald McDonald Care Mobile | Delivers cost-effective medical and dental services directly to children in their own neighborhoods. There are multiple websites based on location. |
| SBHC | School Based Health Centers | SBHCs are clinics located within school buildings or on school campuses, which provide medical and behavioral health care to youth. Some centers provide oral health services. |
| SEALS | Sealant Efficiency Assessment for Locals and States | Software that helps states and communities evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of their school dental sealant programs. |
| SSB | Sugar Sweetened Beverage | SSBs are the largest source of added sugar in the U.S. diet. Include any drink with added sugar such as soda/pop, fruit juice, sweetened teas, blended coffee, energy and sports drinks. |
| UCSDM | University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine | CU School of Dental Medicine partner with organizations dedicated to addressing oral health disparities throughout our communities, through strong collaborations. |
| USPSTF | U.S. Preventive Services Task Force | An independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention who systematically reviews the evidence of effectiveness and develops recommendations for clinical preventive services and may include gynecologists/obstetricians, nurses, and health behavior specialists). |
| FQHC | Federally Qualified Health Centers | Federally Qualified Health Centers are community-based health care providers that receive funds from the HRSA Health Center Program to provide primary care services in underserved areas. They must meet a stringent set of requirements, including providing care on a sliding fee scale based on ability to pay and operating under a governing board that includes patients. |
