Rhode Island’s RHTP project narrative demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing oral health

Dental workforce and strategic oral health programmatic support are included comprehensively throughout Rhode Island’s application, including:

• expanding sustainable access to care - “leveraging teledentistry and establishing a special dentistry clinic to expand dental care availability in rural Rhode Island”

• planned state policy actions - “expand scope of practice for Pharmacists and Dental Hygienists”

• community-integrated mobile health services - “Mobile dental services will deliver comprehensive oral health care – including exams, cleanings, sealants, fluoride treatments, and restorative care – to children, older adults, and individuals with disabilities across regions identified as having limited provider access.”

• innovation and integration - “This initiative expands both immediate and long-term dental capacity across rural Rhode Island through two coordinated strategies.

  • The first is a virtual triage system that connects patients presenting with dental issues, either before or upon arrival at the ED, to licensed dental professionals via tele-dentistry. Patients experiencing dental pain or problems can call a dedicated hotline, connecting directly to licensed dental professionals. Using real-time video and guided self-assessments, clinicians will evaluate patient needs, provide guidance, and schedule care in appropriate clinical settings. For patients who do present to EDs with dental complaints, ED staff will connect them via tablet or telemedicine cart to the virtual dental triage team.

  • The second component involves transforming the existing dental facility at Eleanor Slater Hospital’s (ESH) Zambarano campus into a specialized, fully accessible outpatient dental care center. As a long-term acute care hospital with expertise managing patients with complex medical conditions, ESH is uniquely positioned to provide high-quality, safe dental care for populations that most dental practices cannot accommodate. These include individuals requiring sedation due to severe anxiety or behavioral health conditions, or individuals with disabilities who would benefit from extended appointment times and specialized communication approaches. The center will be staffed by a multidisciplinary team trained in trauma-informed and sedation dentistry and will serve as a consultation and training resource for other providers. Strategic facility upgrades will improve accessibility, infection control, and patient flow. The clinic will also function as a statewide consultation training and resource for other dental and medical providers. Rural dentists encountering patients with complex needs can consult the center’s specialists for guidance on treatment planning, behavior management, or other issues.”

• modernizing care delivery for the Narragansett Indian Tribe - “Facility upgrades will further enhance care delivery through the addition of a handicap-accessible transport van, dental IT modernization, UV-C air filtration, updated power and water systems, and installation of a Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy unit for wound care.”

• workforce program - “Finally, community-based residency programs will create a durable pipeline of rural physicians and dentists. The Thundermist Family Medicine Residency program includes placements on Block Island to prepare residents to deliver comprehensive care in rural settings. A new dental residency program will expand access to oral health care through community health centers and mobile services.”

[1]

Recent RI Rural Health Budget Amendment Summary

Find out more: [Here]