FY2023 Enacted Budget
Special Commission on Oral Health
(a) There shall be a special commission on oral health for the purpose of studying oral disease in the commonwealth, identifying gaps in care and developing a strategic plan to address specific barriers, integrate oral health with general health and improve access to, and quality of, oral health care for the residents of the commonwealth. The commission shall: (i) investigate the current oral health status and needs of all residents of the commonwealth, including adult and pediatric populations; (ii) assess gaps in access to oral health care and services; (iii) develop a plan and timeline to conduct a statewide oral health needs assessment, which shall be under the direction of the office of oral health advisory committee; (iv) create guidelines to establish a statewide oral health data and surveillance system using contemporary information technologies and national comparisons of key indicators; (v) provide workforce, infrastructure and policy recommendations that address oral health disparities, increase public awareness of oral health services and work towards building health equity; (vi) utilize data to examine oral health status and dental care access for underserved and diverse populations including, but not limited to, racially, ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse communities across all geographic regions of the commonwealth; (vii) assess provider capacity or shortages, inclusive of provider enrollment by payer type; (viii) propose solutions to improve access to culturally sensitive care and services and increase dental provider enrollment in MassHealth; (ix) investigate gaps in public oral health prevention and promotion programs, considering the impact of social determinants of health on oral health; and (x) report on other matters as the commission shall determine to be of relevance and priority.
(b) The commission shall consist of: the commissioner of public health or a designee, who shall serve as chair; the members of the department of public health office of oral health advisory committee; the assistant secretary for MassHealth or a designee; the chairs of the joint committee on public health or their designees; the director of the health policy commission or a designee; the executive director of the center for health information and analysis or a designee; and 17 members to be appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Dental Society, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Massachusetts Dental Hygienists' Association, Inc., 1 of whom shall be a representative of Health Care For All, Inc., 3 of whom shall be representative of geographically, racially, socioeconomically and ethnically diverse communities, 1 of whom shall be a representative of an organization representing older adults, 2 of whom shall be representatives of community health centers that provide dental health services, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the Boston public health commission, 1 of whom shall be a representative of the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Inc., 1 of whom shall be a dean of a Massachusetts school of dental medicine or a designee, 1 of whom shall be a dean of a Massachusetts school of dental hygiene or a designee, 1 of whom shall be representative of The Massachusetts Public Health Association, 1 of whom shall be representative of the Massachusetts Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, 1 of whom shall be representative of hospital that provides dental services to children and 1 of whom shall be representative of a health organization participating in an accountable care payment model. The commission may select additional or replacement members as appropriate and may consult with relevant experts to support the commission's objectives and the production of its report.
(c) The commission shall file its report and recommendations with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the senate and house committees on ways and means, the joint committee on health care financing and the joint committee on public health not later than July 31, 2023. The statewide oral health needs assessment findings and recommendations shall be filed not later than July 31, 2024.
Related: Special Commission on Oral Health
Special Commission on Oral Health Members
List of current members, affiliations, and commission seats are listed below as they appear in the legislation.
| Commission Member | Affiliation | Commission Seat | Subcommittee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abdullaibrahim Abdulwaheed | Massachusetts Dental Society | Massachusetts Dental Society Appointed by the Governor | Workforce |
| Alec S. Eidelman | Cambridge Health Alliance | Community Health Center that provides dental health services Appointed by the Governor Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Workforce |
| Alexander Sheff | Health Care for All | Health Care for All Appointed by the Governor | Access & Coverage |
| Amina Khan | Center for Health Information and Analysis | Additional Member as Appropriate | Integration |
| Anna Lubitz | Tufts University School of Dental Medicine | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Integration |
| Anthony Silva | Boston Public Health Commission | Boston Public Health Commission Appointed by the Governor Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Integration |
| Athanasios Zavras | Tufts University School of Dental Medicine | Additional Member as Appropriate | Integration |
| Barbara A. Young | Massachusetts Board of Registration in Dentistry | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Workforce |
| Brian J Swann | Cambridge Health Alliance | Geographically, Racially, Socioeconomically, and Ethnically Diverse Communities Appointed by the Governor Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Integration |
| Brittany Brown | Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health | Chair | |
| Caitlin Sullivan | Center for Health Information and Analysis | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Access & Coverage |
| Catherine Hayes | Harvard School of Dental Medicine | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Workforce |
| Catherine Nwachukwu | Center for Health Information and Analysis | Additional Member as Appropriate | Workforce |
| Charlotte Burlingame | Massachusetts Health Policy Commission | Senior Research Associate | Integration |
| Emma Lawson | Visiting Dental Hygiene, Inc | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Workforce |
| Gina M. Terenzi | Tufts University School of Dental Medicine | Additional Member as Appropriate | Access & Coverage |
| Grace Tiffany Hsieh Christianson | Tufts University of School of Dental Medicine | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Prevention |
| Helene Sharon Bednarsh | New England AIDS Education and Training Center | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Integration |
| Hugh Silk | Umass Chan Medical School Department of Family Medicine and Community Health | Representative of a Health Organization Participating in an Accountable Care Payment Model Appointed by the Governor Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Integration |
| Hussam Batal | Boston University, Mass Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery | Geographically, Racially, Socioeconomically, and Ethnically Diverse Communities Appointed by the Governor | Workforce |
| Jane Barrow | Harvard School of Dental Medicine | Massachusetts Public Health Association | Integration |
| Jennifer Magee | Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard School of Dental Medicine | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Prevention |
| John P Fisher | Better Oral Health Massachusetts Coalition | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Prevention |
| Katie Jahreis | Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Integration |
| Lisa LaSpina | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene | Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association Appointed by the Governor Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Prevention |
| Man Wai Ng | Boston Children’s Hospital | Massachusetts Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Appointed by the Governor | Prevention |
| Marcy E. Foreman | Massachusetts Dental Hygienists’ Association, Council on Public Health Chair | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Workforce |
| Mary E. Foley | American Association of Retired Citizens | Organization representing older adults Appointed by the Governor | Integration |
| Megan Basset | Harbor Health Community Health Center | Senior Dental Assistant and Training Instructor | Workforce |
| Meredith Bailey | Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Prevention |
| Merelyn Hong | Massachusetts Hispanic Dental Association | Geographically, Racially, Socioeconomically, and Ethnically Diverse Communities Appointed by the Governor Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Prevention |
| Micheal A Scialabba | 42 North Dental | Additional Member as Appropriate | Access & Coverage |
| Michael Monopoli | Oral Health Advocate | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Access & Coverage |
| Michelle Henshaw | Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine | Dean of a Massachusetts School of Dental Medicine or a Designee Appointed by the Governor | Workforce |
| Myron Allukian Jr | Oral Health Advocate | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Prevention |
| Nithya Puttige Ramesh | Harvard School of Dental Medicine | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Workforce |
| Patricia (Patty) Ma | CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Inc. | Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Compliance Officer | Access & Coverage |
| Vacant | Chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Health or their Designees | Chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Health or their Designees | |
| Robert Lewando | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts | Additional Member as Appropriate | Integration |
| Sam Jordan | MassHealth | Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Access & Coverage |
| Siobhian M.B. Sprott | Franciscan Children’s Hospital | Representative of Hospital that Provides Dental Services to Children Appointed by the Governor Member of the Office of Oral Health Advisory Committee | Access & Coverage |
| Tracye A Moore | Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene | Dean of a Massachusetts School of Dental Hygiene or a Designee Appointed by the Governor | Access & coverage |