Initiatives
Building Collaborations to Increase Influence
ORAL HEALTH OHIO
About:
Oral Health Ohio, an initiative of HealthPath Foundation, is a statewide coalition of partners who advocate for and educate to improve the oral and overall health of Ohioans of all ages. Their work impacts Ohioans who face the greatest oral health disparities including the poor of all ages, communities of color, rural communities, older adults, veterans and persons with a disability.
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Oral health is necessary for overall health. Poor oral health can affect individuals from infancy to older age and can have a significant negative impact on quality of life and well-being. Untreated oral health problems have an impact on a person’s ability to learn, to engage in social relationships, to gain employment, and on their physical and mental health. Dental care is the top unmet health need of low-income Ohioans.
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Workforce Shortages:
Shortages of oral health professionals, especially Medicaid providers, exist in communities across Ohio. Primary care providers including Pediatricians, Family Practice Physicians, Obstetricians, Physician Assistants and Nurses are critical yet underserved partners in oral health prevention.
Visit OralHealthOhio.org to learn more about Oral Health Ohio's work and impact.
About:
DATPath Accelerator is diversifying the field of dental practitioners to keep talent in the state of Ohio. HealthPath is the fiscal agent and manages a contract with Kaplan for dental test preparation services. We provide the community connection of financial aid to students who are interested in sitting for the DAT to increase diversity of historically underrepresented populations in the field of dentistry and raise awareness of the possibility for students to continue their education and further their career through post-graduate study.
Recipients of a paid DAT course are provided opportunities to be introduced to local American Dental Association (ADA) districts and given access to dental professionals and potential mentors. In-person, online or self-paced online Kaplan DAT Prep courses valued at $1499.
Kaplan DAT Prep Course
The Kaplan DAT prep course provides material dental school applicants need to prep for the DAT, from science review, to strategy, and plenty of practice resources. The course includes seven full-length tests to know exactly what to expect on test day.
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Who Should Apply?
Students applying to dental school in the next two years and are committed to practicing dentistry in the state of Ohio.
Key Success Factors
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Commitment to community service
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Scholastic achievement
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Accumulated financial burden
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Timeline for applying to dental school
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Historically underrepresented citizen
Annual Deadlines
Apply by January 31 • Pick class start after April 1
Apply by April 30 • Pick class start after July 1
Apply by July 31 • Pick class start after October 1
Facilitating public/private partnerships and conducting critical, enduring, sustainable, and cost-effective public health projects and programming.
Promoting high-quality, accessible care by facilitating the recruitment and retention of a diverse physician population.
A statewide coalition of partners who advocate for and educate to improve the oral and overall health of Ohioans of all ages.