Connecticut Oral Health Initiative

The Connecticut Oral Health Initiative (COHI),a 501(c)(3) organization, promoted oral health for all residents in Connecticut with a focus on the most vulnerable populations, including low-income families, children, and older adults. COHIs focus for 2023 was on achieving its vision of ensuring all Connecticut residents will have equal opportunity to obtain the services needed to maintain good oral health.We focused on achieving this goal by: 1. Leading and collaborating in statewide oral health advocacy efforts;2. Conducting oral health research to uncover the root causes of existing problems and recommend solutions;3. Communicating the impact of structural and social factors on oral health and help reduce disparities; and4. Promoting the necessity of good oral health for overall health and well-being throughout the stateOur accomplishments for 2023 include successfully advocating for expanding Medicaid coverage to cover periodontal treatments for adults with certain chronic health conditions, expanding HUSKY Health for undocumented children up to age 15, extensive community engagement that included attending numerous events and providing oral health literacy presentation to medically under-served communities, and producing a contracted report with the Department of Public Health on the State of Connecticuts older adult population's oral health.