In January 2018, Orange County received funding from the California Department of Public Health to establish a Local Oral Health Program. This new funding was made possible by the enactment of Proposition 56, the California Healthcare, Research, and Prevention Tobacco Tax of 2016, which levied an additional $2 tax on tobacco and tobacco products.
With guidance from the State Oral Health Program, the Orange County Local Oral Health Program (OC-LOHP) is tasked with conducting local-level activities that support the California Oral Health Plan (COHP), which aims to improve the oral health of all Californians. The COHP identified 5 goals with corresponding strategies that address the complexity of oral health equity, from population-based prevention interventions (including social determinants of health) and dental health care delivery and payment systems alignment to the development of a surveillance system and key performance measures.
The OC-LOHP, under the leadership of the Orange County Health Improvement Partnership, will be working with community partners and stakeholders to carry out 10 key objectives at the local level that support the COHP. The LOHP will leverage existing programs, policies, best practices, and environmental factors by coordinating and expanding strategies that increase accessibility and utilization of oral health services; heighten awareness of the importance of oral health as part of overall health; and strengthen the oral health workforce, just to name a few.
An OC Oral Health Collaborative or Advisory Committee was established to inform, advise, assist, support, and advocate for the LOHP’s mission and vision.
To establish the 5-Year (2022-2027) Orange County Oral Health Strategic Plan, the LOHP in partnership with the Medicaid, Medicare, CHIP Services Dental Association (MSDA) convened the Orange County Oral Health Collaborative to review and update the existing vision and mission statements. After consideration of national, federal, and state oral health priorities, the partnership established the following vision and mission statements:
Vision: Oral Health Equity for all Orange County Residents.
Mission: To collaboratively implement programs and services that aim to achieve oral health equity for all.
If you have any questions about the LOHP or would like more information regarding the Oral Health Collaborative or Advisory Committee, you may reach us by email at lohp@ochca.com.
