Chair & Professor of Stomatology Medical University of South Carolina
Disclosure(s):
Amy Martin, DrPH: No financial relationships to disclose
Description: Marion County was South Carolina’s largest tobacco market at the pinnacle of the industry’s stronghold on southern agriculture. As the industry, along with textile manufacturing, relocated its investments internationally, the county’s economic growth crumbled. Today, it ranks 44th out of 46 counties for overall health outcomes according to the County Health Rankings & Roadmap. In response the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Division of Population Oral Health (DPOH) began working with the Marion County Coordinating Council (MCCC) in 2019. MCCC selected oral health with an emphasis on children. MUSC convened an Evidence Academy on evidence-based activism for health improvement for all 12 coalitions. As a result, MUSC and MCCC began collaborating on oral health improvement strategies. The Community Coalition Action Theory was used to facilitate development of a pilot oral health integration system for rural, underserved children. Implementation of systems transformation activities begin 2021, accompanied by a process evaluation grounded in a quality improvement framework. Current priorities include integration of dental hygienists in rural health pediatric clinics, a referral network of rural general dentistry practices, expansion of school-based programs, pediatric dental residency rotation, and dental student rotations and community projects. More than $4 million in extramural funding has been secured to support these priorities. MUSC has established a new Center for Rural Oral Health Community Engagement and Research in Marion to support the priorities. Outcome evaluations, which include equity measures germane to improved care utilization, clinical outcomes, and community values around oral health are planned for 2023.
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