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About Us

OHRC 25 years

Purpose

The purpose of the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center (OHRC) at Georgetown University is to respond to the needs of professionals working in states and communities to improve oral health care for pregnant women, infants, children, and adolescents, including those with special health care needs, and their families (the maternal and child [MCH] population). OHRC serves the MCH population by supporting health professionals, program administrators, educators, and others working in or with MCH programs. OHRC was founded in 1996.

Contact

National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center
E-mail: [email protected]

Staff

Ruth Barzel, M.A., is senior writer/editor at OHRC. She writes or co-writes and edits all resource center materials, including curricula, guides, guidelines, journal articles, and reports. She also assists individuals seeking permission to adapt or reproduce OHRC materials.

Talk to me about: Copyright permissions, editing, health literacy, plain language

Katy Battani, R.D.H., M.S., is deputy director at OHRC. She manages learning collaboratives (LCs), provides technical assistance to health professionals, and develops educational materials for health professionals. She assists the director in strategic planning, evaluation, and reporting.

Talk to me about: Head Start programs, integrating oral health care into primary care, learning collaboratives, prenatal oral health, school-based oral health programs

Katrina Holt, M.P.H., M.S., R.D., FAND, is director at OHRC. She provides administrative, financial, and strategic leadership and program and staff direction for OHRC’s federally funded projects. She serves as liaison for external partners, provides technical assistance to health professionals, and develops educational materials for health professionals and consumers.

Talk to me about: Educational materials, Head Start programs, national and state performance measures on oral health, OHRC capabilities, project management, Title V programs

Sarah Kolo is communication specialist at OHRC. She manages the development of websites and online resources and provides technical assistance to health professionals. She serves as liaison for several external partner activities and strives to connect people with solutions.

Talk to me about: Information requests, learning collaboratives, online resources (including distance learning, e-mail lists, newsletters), partnerships, website

Jenna Linden, R.D.H., B.S.D.H., CDHC, is health education specialist at OHRC, for the National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety project. Jenna develops educational materials and conducts national and regional training for Head Start staff, families, and health professionals.

Talk to me about: Head Start programs, Dental Hygienists Liaison project, oral health promotion and oral disease prevention, and interprofessional collaboration.

Susan Lorenzo, M.L.S., is program manager and librarian at OHRC. She coordinates activities for the Maternal and Child Health—Improving Oral Health Integration learning collaborative, coordinates the Oral Health Learning Café webinar series, and develops compilations of journal articles and other resources.

Talk to me about: Integrating oral health care into primary care, learning collaboratives, Oral Health Learning Café

Consultants

OHRC has collaborative relationships with the following organizations through consultant contracts for LC project management, coaching, and facilitation.
 
FrameShift Group
Peggy Stemmler, director, and Rebecca Nevedale, manager, health systems strategy, assists with the Maternal and Child Health—Improving Oral Health Integration LC.
 
National Network for Oral Health Access
Candace Owen, senior director for education and strategic partnerships, assists with the Building State Capacity for Integration LC.
 
Virginia Health Catalyst
Ericca Facetti, vice president of clinical and community care, serves as a project manager for the Building State Capacity for Integration LC.

Projects and Funding

Consortium for Oral Health
The consortium is a partnership led by OHRC working in collaboration with the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) to promote evidence-based/-informed information and resources to increase access to and use of oral health care to improve oral health and ultimately oral health equity for the MCH population. The consortium provides services to federal agencies; national organizations; state Title V (MCH) programs, state oral health programs, and other state organizations; community-based programs; and professionals working in or with state MCH and oral health programs.

This consortium is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an annual award totaling $1,650,000 with no funding from nongovernmental sources. The contents of the website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, or endorsement by, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. government. For more information, please visit www.HRSA.gov.

National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety (NCHBHS)
NCHBHS provides training and technical assistance to the child care and Head Start community focusing on health literacy; nutrition; oral health; physical activity; developmental and behavioral services; and asthma, injury, and tobacco-use prevention. OHRC is the lead on oral health activities for the national center and works in collaboration with ASTDD to provide T/TA and produce evidence-based/-informed resources for Head Start program staff, families, and health professionals; these resources are designed to promote positive oral health practices and improve oral health literacy among pregnant women and families of children enrolled in Head Start programs. NCHBHS oral health activities also include supporting the Dental Hygienist Liaison project. As part of this project, a dental hygienist from each state volunteers to serve as a communication link between NCHBHS and key stakeholders in their state to promote oral health and prevent oral disease among children and pregnant women enrolled in Head Start programs. NCHBHS oral health activities are supported by the Office of Head Start, Administration for Children & Families, under cooperative agreement #90HC000022. The amount of funding for oral health activities is $2,450,000 over 5 years.

Other recent projects include

 

Official Healthy People 2030 Champions web badge

OHRC Recognized as Healthy People 2030 Champion

OHRC is pleased to be recognized by the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion within HHS as a Healthy People 2030 Champion, having demonstrated a commitment to helping achieve the Healthy People 2030 vision of a society in which all people can achieve their full potential for health and well-being across the lifespan.


Awards

In 2022, OHRC was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from ASTDD. Learn more about OHRC's numerous awards in recognition for high-quality services.

National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center, www.mchoralhealth.org


Link to the OHRC Website

OHRC designed a special logo with a QR code that links directly to its website. The code can be  downloaded by right-clicking on the logo; the code can then be placed on a website or publication as a gateway to OHRC.

 


Copyright and Permissions

OHRC offers information on copyright and permissions on its Disclaimers, Copyright, and Permissions page. OHRC materials, such as consumer handouts, reports, and resource guides may be photocopied; adapting or reproducing OHRC-produced materials requires permission. To request permission you must submit a written request (click here for a sample letter in Word or PDF) on your organization's letterhead. Permission to use photographs cannot be granted.

FAQs

This page on the OHRC website provides answers to common questions (e.g., about copyright, how to use the OHRC site and other services, and how to obtain OHRC materials).