Case Study: UPMC Cole, Coudersport, 2020 HAP Achievement Award

Building and Strengthening Better Oral Care for the Communities We Serve

After identifying a need for routine and preventive oral care services in the rural communities it serves, the UPMC Cole, Coudersport, team and its partners created a collaborative program to:

• Educate patients about the importance of preventive and routine dental care
• Coordinate the delivery of physical and oral health care
• Provide exams and cleanings to school-aged children
• Work with patients who miss their routine exams

As a result of the team's efforts, patients have seen:

• Better access to dental care before they need it
• Reduction in emergency department visits
• Improved coordination of preventive services for vulnerable populations

Additionally, during the past four years, the number of patients seen in UPMC Cole, Coudersport’s emergency department for dental concerns dropped 68 percent, and instances of patient no-shows decreased for every dental health office from 2018 to 2019.

Learn more about HAP's Achievement Awards program.

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Topics: Quality Initiatives

Revision Date: 8/1/2020

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