Nevada One of Four States Selected for Cross Agency State Oral Health Leadership Institute

Initiative brings together Medicaid dental program directors and state oral health program directors to enhance leadership capacity and transform Nevada’s oral health care system

Carson City, NV — The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) today announced that Nevada is among four cross-agency state teams chosen nationally to participate in the State Oral Health Leadership Institute. Led by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) through support from the DentaQuest Foundation, the State Oral Health Leadership Instituteoffers a unique opportunity for state Medicaid dental program directors and state oral health program directors to collaborate and develop key leadership competencies in pursuit of shared goals.  

“Through this opportunity, we see the means to build interdisciplinary policies and programs that will eliminate barriers to care, strengthen the current dental workforce, and reach underserved populations”, said Dr. Antonina Capurro, Nevada State Dental Health Officer.  “We are committed to promoting, improving, and protecting the oral health and thereby overall health of Nevadans.”

“Collaboration between Medicaid dental and state oral health directors is pivotal to achieving broad improvements in oral health policy and delivery,” said Stacey Chazin, Director of Prevention Programs at CHCS. “By cultivating cross-agency partnerships and the leadership skills needed to navigate change in complex state systems, the State Oral Health Leadership Institute is helping to transform oral health care systems for underserved, low-income populations.”

Antonina Capurro, DMD, MPH, MBA, Nevada State Dental Health Officer, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services and Jack Zenteno, Chief, Children’s Services, Nevada Division of Health Care Financing and Policy were competitively selected to participate in the leadership development program along with three teams from Louisiana, Minnesota, and Rhode Island. This is the second cohort of states to participate in this unique leadership training program. 

The 10-month leadership program will provide these state partners with the leadership skills and policy knowledge to improve oral health access and outcomes, especially for low-income children and adults. With guidance from CHCS staff, pairs will develop a joint transformation project focused on a specific oral health goal. A national advisory group — that includes leadership from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors — will provide additional expertise.

About the Center for Health Care Strategies
The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) is a nonprofit policy center dedicated to improving the health of low-income Americans, especially for individuals with complex, high-cost needs. CHCS works with state and federal agencies, health plans, providers, and consumer groups to advance innovative and cost-effective models for organizing, financing, and delivering health care services. For more information, visit www.chcs.org. 

About the DentaQuest Foundation
The DentaQuest Foundation is the leading U.S. philanthropy focused solely on oral health. The Foundation is supporting the development of the Oral Health 2020 network, a group of partners committed to working collectively at the national, state and community levels to eradicate dental disease in children and improve lifelong oral health. The DentaQuest Foundation is the philanthropic arm of DentaQuest. To learn more, visit dentaquestfoundation.org.