Initially formed by the State of Maine's Rural Health, Primary Care, and Oral Health Program, this committee developed six strategic recommendations to address dental public health workforce shortages, documented in the June 2023 drafted report "Addressing Maine's Dental Public Health Workforce Shortage."
In partnership with the Maine Oral Health Funders (MOHF), the committee is actively working to maintain these recommendations as a living framework for action. Through dedicated workgroups and/or subcommittees, members collaborate to implement key initiatives, track progress, and drive meaningful changes in Maine's oral health landscape.
The committee's ongoing mission is to increase access to quality, culturally-informed oral health care for all Maine residents, with a particular focus on underserved populations.
To maintain and advance a dynamic framework of actionable strategies addressing Maine's dental public health workforce shortages through collaborative implementation and progress tracking.
Through active workgroups and cross-sector collaboration, the committee will:
Transform recommendations into implemented solutions
Track and measure progress on workforce initiatives
Identify and address emerging challenges and opportunities
Foster sustainable improvements in Maine's oral health workforce capacity
Ultimately increase access to quality, culturally-informed oral health care for all Maine residents