State of Health

dental therap

Dental therapy offers Michigan an innovative path to expand essential oral health care

Michigan introduces licensed dental therapists to address provider shortages, empowering students to deliver vital community care.

Lynda Gregorini
Childhood exam motivates dental hygienist who cares for rural kids

Inspired by a school nurse, Lynda Gregorini now provides dental care and career mentoring to students in rural Michigan schools.

NEOMED launches dental program to improve statewide oral health access

NEOMED's new Bitonte College of Dentistry will embed dental students in Ohio communities to improve access and address shortages in rural and urban oral health care.  

Heart of West Michigan United Way Chief Administrative Officer Becki Postma, Kent County Community Action Director Gustavo Perez, and Heart of West Michigan United Way Eviction Prevention Program Manager Alyssa Bryan.
Kent County Eviction Prevention Task Force addresses unmet needs behind evictions

Evictions plummeted during the pandemic and soared again after federal protections ended. That led a coalition of Kent County organizations and individuals to form the Kent County Eviction Prevention Task Force.

Justin Nance at the Van Wert Health Fair.
Ohio hygienist trains future workforce through outreach role

Justin Nance blends teaching and patient care to combat workforce shortages and inspire the next generation of dental hygienists in Ohio.

Hali Householder
How an Indiana hygienist inspires careers, expands access as an industry ambassador

Hali Householder helps recruit future dental hygienists and promotes whole-body health through a pioneering workforce initiative tackling care shortages.

A student and her parents following a dental checkup at the Cincinnati Health Department.
Cincinnati’s school dental clinics bring relief to thousands

Serving 24,000 patients annually, the Cincinnati Health Department dental program brings year-round care to students and community patients through an innovative public-private partnership.

The START Collaborative's first retreat in January 2024.
From tornado to ice storm, collaborative addresses unmet needs in Otsego County

Inspired by a string of recent disasters, the START Collaborative aims to address unmet needs in Otsego County through collaboration between nonprofits, schools, hospitals, government entities, and businesses.

New high school dental program quickly fills workforce gaps

Walker Career Center trains teens for dental careers, tackling workforce shortages and helping underserved students access well-paying, high-demand health care jobs.

Pharmacists handle cancer medications at the cancer drug repository at the Trinity Health Reichert Medical Center in Superior Township.
Ann Arbor nonprofit and Sault Tribe of Chippewa partner to redistribute unused cancer drugs for free

Last year the nonprofit YesRx received a grant to work with the tribe over a two-year period, expanding access to expensive drugs that would otherwise go to waste.

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