Dental
Oral Health Task Force
The Hawai‘ian Islands Oral Health Task Force (HIOHTF) is a group of concerned individuals and organizations whose goal is to improve the oral health status of Hawai‘i. Based on the findings in an initial 2001 report on oral health in Hawai‘i, this facilitated group was convened by the Department of Health and included over forty stakeholders to develop a plan to address the most pressing needs in our dental system.
The task force report, "2-4-6-8 Action Plan...The First Steps" outlined two priorities, four goals, six agreements, and eight recommendations for improving oral health in Hawai‘i. In the 2003-2004 legislative session the task force successfully lobbied for the Community Service License bill, which would allow dentists and dental hygienists with licenses from other states to work in Hawai‘i's safety net clinics, including community health centers and Native Hawaiian Health Care centers. The bill was signed by Governor Lingle in July 2004.
More recently, the task force reconvened in early 2010 to discuss the current status of oral health in Hawai‘i, and the progress made since the group released its initial findings. An updated report from the 2010 task force meeting is due soon.
Hawai‘i Community Health Center Dentistry Residency
Lutheran Medical Center, based in Brooklyn, New York, pioneered the concept that Advanced Education in General Dentistry Program (AEGD) can occur in community health centers.
Residents receive their advance clinical training at community health centers, group practices, and hospitals affiliated with this program, not at dental schools. The centers provide the surrounding communities with access to a full range of medical and dental services because they are often multi-specialty, interdisciplinary group practices. Residents participate in the core curriculum, and interactive videoteleconferencing technology links all of the regions to the weekly lectures and seminars.
The Hawai‘i region currently has 4 training sites, all fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association. Hawai‘i’s program accommodates nine resident positions.
Third and fourth year dental students are encouraged to enroll in the Pass/Match post graduate selection system.
For more information, please email Dr. Samuel Ishimura, Assistant Director of Education and Hawai‘i regional coordinator.
