Tribes are leading Oregon to better oral health
Pilot project approved by state
will employ mid-level dental
providers to improve care
COOS BAY, Ore. - The Coquille Tribe
and the Confederated Tribes of Coos,
Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians have
received approval from the Oregon Health
Authority for a pilot project to integrate
mid-level dental providers into their health
care systems.
The pilot will operate under an Ore-
gon law approved in 2011 that promotes
innovative and data-driven improvements
to the state’s oral health system.
Called dental health aide therapists
(DHATs), these providers help expand
high quality, cost-effective care to more
people. They can perform preventive care
and routine restorative duties, such as fill-
ing cavities.
Similar to physician assistants, they
focus on a limited number of much-
needed procedures and go through a
rigorous educational program. They work
under the supervision of a dentist and are
re-certified every two years.
“Our intent is to increase access to
care for our Tribal members. The rates of
untreated tooth decay are four times higher
nationally for Native preschool-aged chil-
dren compared to their non-Native peers
and those numbers are reflected here as
well. That is unacceptable. We need to turn
those numbers around and this [is] a step
in the right direction,” said Mark Ingersoll,
chairman of the Confederated Tribes of
Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians.
The Tribe’s dental clinic cares largely
for its own members, as well as members
of other Tribes within the five-county ser-
vice area. With one full-time dentist at the
clinic, the need for more providers is acute.
The Tribe plans to hire an experienced
DHAT this year to start providing services
and has sent one of its members to the two-
year Alaska DHAT Education program.
The Coquille Tribe also is recruiting
a student from its community to receive
DHAT training.
“This model of care really focuses
on quality and the continuity of care that
comes from training and hiring members
of our own community. We know they
are far more likely to stay here and be a
part of our health care system, unlike the
itinerant dentist model that is common
in the Indian Health Service system,”
said Brenda Meade, chairperson of the
Coquille Indian Tribe.
The Tribe is newly establishing an
oral heath component as part of its health
care services.
“We are building from the ground up
and having a DHAT as part of the team
means we can serve more people with
better care at lower costs. It just makes
sense,” said Meade.
The pilot would replicate what Alaska
Natives did more than a decade ago by edu-
cating and hiring these providers to help
their dentists extend care to more people.
The Alaska Native Tribal Health
Consortium (ANTHC) reported in 2014
that its dental health aide therapists have
helped extend care to more than 40,000
Alaskans in rural communities.
In addition to expanding care to many
who need it, this approach has brought
jobs to Tribal communities in Alaska,
economic growth to participating clinics
and cost savings to patients who used to
travel hundreds of miles to see a dentist
for urgent and costly care.
The two Tribes are partnering for the
pilot with the Northwest Portland Area
Indian Health Board (NPAIHB), an orga-
nization that supports health promotion
and disease prevention for the 43 federally
recognized Tribes of Oregon, Washington
and Idaho.
“We know that many Oregonians
struggle to get the dental care they need.
But American Indians are among those
who suffer the greatest oral health dispari-
ties because of access to care. That is why
we are excited to bring a proven, innovative
solution to Tribes in this state and, at the
same time, demonstrate the benefits of
this provider to all those in need,” said Joe
Finkbonner, NPAIHB executive director.
Whale Watch Week, Winter Discovery Series continue at Cape Perpetua
This spring’s Whale Watch Week runs
from March 19-26. More than 1,600 gray
whale sightings were reported during this
winter’s Whale Watch Week as the whales
traveled to their warm calving grounds off
Baja California, Mexico.
The Cape Perpetua Winter Discovery
Series is an opportunity to explore topics
and resources relevant to the Oregon Coast
during the off-season months between
November and March. All presentations
and guided walks are free, but a North-
west Forest Pass, Oregon Coast Passport,
federal recreation pass or $5 day-use fee
is required within the Cape Perpetua
Scenic Area.
Upcoming Winter Discovery Series
events include:
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March 5 (1 p.m.) – The Amanda
Story and Trail: Learn the tale behind
the trail. Doc Slyter, an Elder, flutist
and Tribal Council member for the
Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower
Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, along
with Yachats resident and trails enthu-
siast Joanne Kittel will tell the story
of a Native woman and her people’s
forced march over Cape Perpetua’s
rocky headland to a resettlement camp
and the legacy they left behind.
March 20 (2 p.m.) – Children’s Sto-
ries and Tidepool Walk: Children’s
author Kizzie Jones will read from
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one of her latest books and then lead
families down to the tide pools for
a guided tour. Jones blends her love
of dachshunds and the ocean to cre-
ate whimsical tall tales. Titles to her
credit include How Dachshunds Came
to Be: A Tall Tale About A Short
Long Dog and A Tall Tale About A
Dachshund And A Pelican: How A
Friendship Came To Be.
March 21 (11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.)
– Experiencing Gray Whales: Cape
Perpetua volunteer interpreter and
naturalist Michael Noack has studied
gray whales for many years, assisting
with whale research missions and
training Whale Watch volunteers.
Visitors will enjoy hearing about his
firsthand encounters with these iconic
creatures of the Oregon Coast.
•
March 26 (2 p.m.) – Oregon Dunes:
They’re more than just sand. Learn
about the origins, shapes and future of
the longest stretch of coastal dunes in
the United States. Dina Pavlis, author
of Secrets of the Oregon Dunes, will
share photos, stories and knowledge
gained from living and playing within
the Oregon Dunes National Recre-
ation Area.
No RSVP is necessary for these
events. For more information, call the
Cape Perpetua Visitor Center at 541-
547-3289.
Play like an animal at the aquarium
NATIVE AND INDIGENOUS STUDENT UNION
TH
14
ANNUAL SOCIAL POW WOW
SATURDAY
MARCH 12, 2016
DANCE
CONTEST
Sparks Athletic Center
Free Admission
Women’s Jingle Dress
Dance
Grand Entry 4 PM
Funding guaranteed
for first 10 drums.
First Prize $200
Second Prize $100
Third Prize $75
Native Arts & Crafts, Dancers,
Drum Groups,
Food Vendors
Bob Tom
Master of Ceremonies
Dietz Peters
Arena Director
Grand Prize Drawing:
Pendleton Blanket
Steiger Butte
Host Drum
Photo by Frank Miller
Sponsored by ASWU & Office of Multicultural Affairs
Contact Office of Multicultural Affairs 503.370.6265
NEWPORT, Ore. – With more than
15,000 animals on exhibit, the animal care
experts at the Oregon Coast Aquarium
have plenty of experience with keeping
critters busy.
Attending to an animal’s mental
well-being is just as important as suitable
housing, top-notch veterinary care and the
best food available.
Staff at the aquarium meet this need
by devising specialized items and experi-
ences, called enrichment, that provide
variation to the animals’ routines and
mimic challenges they would face in the
wild without the risk of going hungry or
facing predators.
Spring break visitors are invited to
dive into the world of animal play on
Enrichment Day at the aquarium on
March 22.
Aquarium staff will share their tech-
niques and tools for keeping an ocean of
animals entertained, including tips for cre-
ating animal enrichment for pets at home.
The aquarium’s animal enrichment
program is supported, in part, by dona-
tions. To make a harbor seal’s, shark’s or
tufted puffin’s dreams come true, shop the
Aquarium’s animal enrichment wish list
at bit.ly/enrichmentwishlist.
The Oregon Coast Aquarium is open
every day this winter from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit aquarium.org
or call 541-867-FISH.
March 2016
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Siletz News
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