UCLA Dentistry to lead Medi-Cal project to expand preventive dental care for L.A. children

UCLA will lead a pilot program to expand preventive dental care for 500,000 Los Angeles children enrolled in Medi-Cal, California ’s Medicaid health care program.The UCLA-led project — the largest of 15 such programs recently approved by the state’s Department of Health Care Services — is part of the Medi-Cal 2020 Dental Transformation Initiative and will run through December 2020. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, only about one-third of California ’s 6.1 million children and adolescents enrolled in Medi-Cal receive preventive dental care each year. Preventive services not only help maintain good oral health, but they also help reduce the need for costly treatment for tooth decay and cavities in hospitals and emergency departments.The UCLA program will focus on three primary goals: using information technology to enhance the quality and continuity of care; developing new ways to expand preventive services both within clinics and community settings; and integrating oral health care services across dental, medical and community providers.“The Dental Transformative Initiative provides an incredible opportunity to expand UCLA’s recent work with local community partners to improve the oral health of children at greatest risk for dental disease throughout Los Angeles County,” said Dr. James Crall, the project director, a professor of public health and community dentistry at the UCLA School of Dentistry.Crall also is director of the  UCL...
Source: UCLA Newsroom: Health Sciences - Category: Universities & Medical Training Source Type: news