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Breaking the cycle in Maryland: oral health policy change in the face of tragedy
Author(s) -
Thuku Njeri M.,
Carulli Kelly,
Costello Stacy,
Goodman Harold S.
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of public health dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.64
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1752-7325
pISSN - 0022-4006
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-7325.2012.00328.x
Subject(s) - oral health , face (sociological concept) , political science , advisory committee , state (computer science) , health policy , action (physics) , public administration , public relations , medicine , health care , sociology , family medicine , law , social science , physics , algorithm , quantum mechanics , computer science
Summary In response to the death of a young child, efforts by many partners have enabled Maryland to institute oral health reforms that ensure that low‐income children remain visible and have continued access to dental services. This paper shows how proponents of oral health in Maryland used issues that were already on the oral health policy agenda to break the cycle of nonaction and become a role model for other states. Deriving from the knowledge and advice of an advisory committee, Maryland administrators and state and federal legislators, with the support of many community partners, took appropriate action to elevate the oral health agenda. Maryland continues to address oral health issues, ensuring that the policy agenda is inclusive of all its citizens.