HB: 5541 did not pass out of the Public Health Committee. However, we will continue to move forward. Please read on.
CDHA’s Legislative Team and The Kowalski Group (CDHA’s Lobbyists) have been hard at work on your behalf. Many of you have participated by contacting legislators and it is appreciated.
Connecticut ADHP Bill:
On March 21st; CDHA members and students testified to the Public Health Committee on HB 5541. Research and factual information necessary to support ADHP was reported and shared. I wish to personally thank those who contributed. The calls and letters of support to the legislators make a big difference.
Over the past 6 months, on your behalf, we have worked diligently to progress the ADHP and to watch the other offers made. The final vote on HB5541 closed at 5pm Thursday night 3/30/12. With 10 minutes to go we received a message that the Public Health Committee voted in favor of HB: 5541 - ADHP was up 16 yea to 12 nay. In the last moments, 2 PH committee members flipped their vote to no; which resulted in a 14/14 tie. A tie kills the bill.
“Shortly after 5:00 PM on Thursday, the Committee staff announced that HB 5541 failed on a tie vote of 14 yea to 14 nay”; we learned that 2 legislators flipped their vote changing the outcome. “HB: 5541 did not pass out of the Public Health Committee.” To read the vote tally go to: http://www.cga.ct.gov/2012/TS/H/2012HB-05541-R00PH-CV48-TS.htm
Next Steps:
It is possible to offer an amendment to a bill and add ADHP. You can make calls to your representatives or senators and ask them to offer ADHP as an amendment on the house floor; so that graduates of an advanced dental hygiene Master’s program could provide direct patient care in public health facilities.
Please send an email and leave a voice mail for those who voted in favor of HB: 5541:
“Dear Senator / Representative, I am a CT dental hygienist living and voting in your district and I want to sincerely thank-you for voting yes with regards to HB 5541. Hopefully there will be an amendment for ADHP presented on the house floor that will ensure that our residents will have access to quality dental care, without having to stand in line. Thank you for standing up for CT’s most vulnerable residents. I appreciate your efforts. If I can be of any help or answer any questions, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, (your name).”
The Legislators have challenged us to educate them to understand why this midlevel proposal is important to the citizens of Connecticut. We have all done this. The ADHP is the only proposal that is built on a licensed professional. It will increase access and utilization. Prevention and early intervention are the keys to decreasing the risk of infections and occurrence of more complex dental problems as well as decreasing the cost of oral health care. The ideal setting to provide services is in schools where children are, neighborhood community clinics where families live or mobile clinics that travel to the clients. These sites reduce barriers to care such as transportation and time away from work and school. Yet we know our school based clinics and public health facilities operate on shoestring budgets and funding is scarce.
An Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner who delivers limited treatment services is a cost effective way to accomplish that. Dentists willing to work in Public Health are hard to find and expensive to hire. The ADHP is an affordable alternative workforce model for public health facilities. ADHP’s would expand the types of services offered to clients and do so with reasonable cost to the facility. There is an incredible need for families of CT to have the continuity of care from a provider they know and trust.
Sealant days and the Mission of Mercy programs are wonderful augmentations to a more permanent solution. However, no one should have to stand in line 1000+ deep, for so many hours to receive oral health care. It’s time to offer solutions that will truly reform the delivery of oral healthcare similarly to the way the use of nurse practitioners provide healthcare.
Please call or write the Senators and representatives who voted YES for ADHP:
They are Senator Terry Geratana; Berlin, Farmington, New Britain; Rep. Betsy Ritter; Waterville, Montville; Rep. Christopher Lyddy; Newtown; Rep. Catherine Abercrombie; Berlin, Meriden; Rep. Andres Ayala; Bridgeport; Rep. Linda Gentile; Ansonia, Derby; Rep. Philip Miller; Chester, Haddam, (etc); Rep. Vicki Nardello; Bethany, Cheshire, Prospect; Rep. Melissa Olson; Norwich; Senator Edith Prague; Hebron, Ledyard, Montville, Norwich, (etc); Rep. Kevin Ryan; Montville, (etc); Rep. Joseph Taborsak; Danbury; Rep. Peter Tercyak; New Britain; Rep. Patricia Widlitz; Branford, Guilford.
Know that we have received all of your comments and suggestions. We are watching to see if any other legislation gets proposed. We are watching for an EFDA (Expanded Function Dental Auxiliary) proposal as we have voiced our concerns over public safety and infringement of the dental hygiene scope of practice. EFDA has been proposed for Certified Dental Assistants, Registered Dental Hygienists and foreign trained dentists.
Again, please continue to call your legislators and ask for their support of our ADHP efforts. We still have more roads to cover as we move forward. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments at cmbrdh@gmail.com.
Thank you to all who supported the ADHP bill and the advancement of dental hygiene.
Celeste
Celeste Baranowski, RDH
ADHA Connecticut
CDHA Legislative Chair
cmbrdh@gmail.com
203.253.9468
|
