By Ms. Chandler, a petition (accompanied by bill,
Senate, No. 1217) of Harriette L. Chandler, Richard T.
Moore, Pamela P. Resor, Gale D. Candaras and other members
of the General Court for legislation to improve, promote
and protect the oral health of the Commonwealth. Public |
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Chapter 111 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 25I the following two sections:–
Section 25J (a) In order to improve, promote and protect the oral health of all residents of the Commonwealth, a full-time dental director shall be located in the executive office of health and human services and shall work collaboratively with the department of public health to facilitate integration of programs to improve oral health. The director shall be funded through an interagency agreement between the executive office of health and human services and the department of public health.
(b) The full-time dental director shall be a Massachusetts licensed dentist with public health experience and shall oversee the MassHealth dental program and work in collaboration with the office of oral health within the Massachusetts department of public health on dental public health programs for MassHealth recipients to increase access, oral health prevention activities, and other initiatives to address oral health disparities, including but not limited to workforce shortages.
Section 1 (a) The department shall have an office of oral health with responsibility for the following, though not limited to, oral public health activities:
(1) Provide recommendations and guidance to the department and other state departments, agencies, community providers, the legislature and others for preventing oral diseases of all Massachusetts residents and for improving, promoting and protecting the oral health of state residents with a focus on underserved populations and reducing oral health disparities;
(2) Surveillance, study and appraisal of the state's oral health needs and resources;
(3) Foster the development, expansion and evaluation of oral health services for residents of the state in collaboration with key state partners, including but not limited to other executive office of health and human services agencies and departments, including but not limited to MassHealth, department of youth services; department of social services; department of mental retardation, department of mental health and the executive office of elderly affairs; board of registration in dentistry; and other public agencies including but not limited to department of education and department of early education and care;
(4) Provide information and education concerning oral health to the dental and health community and public;
(5) Promote and provide technical assistance, monitoring and evaluation of population-based dental programs, such as community water fluoridation and school prevention programs and mobile and portable dental programs, as well as other programs to improve access to services;
(6) Policy development to promote the public's oral health; and
(7) Other related programs, policies and preventive measures that impact oral health.
(b) Subject to appropriation, the office of oral health shall have the following staff and resources in order to fully implement the above mentioned activities:
(1) 1 full time equivalent of director of the office of oral health within the Massachusetts department of public health to coordinate activities, including but not limited to the ones outlined above. This person shall be a licensed dental professional with a public health advanced degree.
(2) 1 full time equivalent of a fluoridation engineer who will conduct assessments of all existing fluoridation equipment and recommend upgrades and who will provide surveillance of existing fluoridation systems. This position shall be located in the division of environmental protection and shall work collaboratively with the office of oral health and shall be funded through an interagency agreement with the division of environmental protection.
(3) 1 full time equivalent of administrative assistant for the office of oral health to carry out administrative duties and data entry.
(4) 2 full time equivalent program specialists to support public health programs that focus on oral health in underserved populations including but not limited to the issues of elders and other underserved populations and prevention and access to care programs, such as mobile and portable oral health programs and community health centers.
(5) Funding for the promotion and implementation of fluoridation in Massachusetts communities that are not currently fluoridated or to upgrade current fluoridation equipment. Funds remaining after allocation for implementation of fluoridation and upgrading current fluoridation equipment shall be used to support community-based oral health prevention programs.
SECTION 25K. The office of oral health shall evaluate programs and develop quality assurance activities, including but not limited to, an update on progress to date on the recommendations of the 2000 report of the special legislative commission on oral health. The update shall be delivered to the house and senate chairs of the joint committee on public health on or before May 1, 2008.
