A mere six months after it’s inception the I-Smile Dental Home Project has delivered significant accomplishments toward it’s goal of providing a dental home for every child in Linn County, ages 12 and under, who is receiving Medicaid. In a recent update, I-Smile Oral Health Coordinator Trisha Willenborg expounds on the progress being made, “This program has really taken off, we’ve gone from having 12 Medicaid providers to 23 providers in a very short time…the goal of the program is to provide children with access to dental care and we are attaining that goal.” Notable in the update are the many partnerships that have been created.
I-Smile has developed partnerships with many area dentists creating a Coalition of I-Smile Dental Referral Providers. “We are honored that I-Smile refers to us.” related Ashley Balster of Balster Pediatric Dentistry in Cedar Rapids “I check them in and check them out, making sure the kids get their appointments.” Linn County dentists interested in becoming a Provider may attend a “Lunch and Learn” training and presentation to learn about I-Smile. Training includes how to do knee to knee exams on infants, toddlers, and children. It also trains them on how to apply fluoride varnish. Dentists, hygienists, and dental assistants who complete this training can earn 2 CEU’s from the Iowa Dental Board. Other counties have expressed interest in this training.
Partnerships have also been developed with area physicians; I-Smile has created a referral fax form for them to refer clients into the I-Smile Referral Network System. Area physicians and non-dental providers have received ICN training sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics, University of Iowa College of Dentistry, and the Iowa Department of Public Health. The success of ICN training has resulted in a pediatric office, the Pediatric Center in Cedar Rapids, performing fluoride varnish applications during EPSDT Well Child checks at their office.
I-Smile has developed a strong partnership with HACAP’s WIC program. Direct dental services are currently being provided to WIC clients, Head Start children, community daycare centers, and preschools funded by Linn County Community Empowerment. Ms. Willenborg has provided training and oversight of child health/maternal health agency staff involved with oral health services, and has assured that consistent oral education is available for all families. Within WIC Clinics, I-Smile has:
• 5 public health dental hygienists, contracted through St. Lukes Hospital, in 3 clinics who provide 18 dental clinic days per month.
• Purchased portable dental equipment to provide service in WIC clinics, daycare centers, and preschools.
• Built partnerships with St. Lukes Dental Health Center and St. Lukes Hospital where public health dental teams have collaborated to serve more children in Step-Up Programs and school based programs.
I-Smile has also collaborated with HACAP to establish protocols to structure the I-Smile Referral Network system. Ms. Willenborg has worked with HACAP staff, particularly EPSDT Care Coordinators and Alliance Administrator Gloria Witzberger and WIC Clinic Manager Kim Ott to develop the Oral Health Service Protocols and provide to families the services of care coordination. Dr. Erik Balster of Balster Pediatric Dentistry shared his thoughts on the referral system, “We are very happy with it. It makes completion of appointments more reliable.” The Referral Network System includes:
• Dental referrals made to families.
• Dental Liaisons who coordinate scheduling, transportation, and translation if needed between families and dental offices.
• Opportunities for education and resources are provided for each client.
• A follow up system ensuring that dental visits have been made, treatment completed, and client needs have been met.
• A dental report is coordinated to physicians and non-dental providers who have referred a client.
Upcoming developments include collaboration with HACAP, the local Dental Hygiene Association, and the Playstation to promote and fund an oral health promotion for the community which will provide children of all ages a fun dental night on April 8th, 2008 from 5-8 pm. This event will also give children and families the opportunity to receive dental screenings, fluoride varnish applications, and dental health education. Significant media coverage is expected. Also, Oral Health coordinator Trisha Willenborg will present to local legislators at the State Capitol and Wallace Building “2008 Day on the Hill” on February 14th. This will provide our local representatives an overview of the I-Smile program and what change is needed to access more providers to Medicaid children. Ms. Willenborg has been and will be involved in numerous other community activities, meetings, fairs, and events in promotion of the I-Smile Dental Home Project.
The I-Smile program is a project of HACAP’s Linn County Family and Community Health Alliance. The program was created last summer as the result of a grant from the Iowa Department of Public Health. The goal of I-Smile is to ensure that every recipient of Medicaid assistance who is a child 12 years of age or younger shall have a designated dental home and shall be provided with dental screening and preventative care identified in the oral health standards under the Early and Periodic Screenings, Diagnosis and Treatment Program.