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Telluride Foundation Recipient of School-Based Oral Health Innovation Award

In January 2008, the Telluride Foundation's Local Health Initiative, launched a school-based cavity prevention program. The San Juan Kids Cavity Prevention Program, nicknamed Skippy, is a partnership with the Montrose Community Dental Clinic and the Forsyth Institute in Boston. Recently, Skippy received state wide recognition for Innovation in Children's Oral Health Care from the Colorado Association of School-Based Health Care. Skippy was selected among forty seven school-based health care centers in the State of Colorado at the Association's annual meeting in Denver last week.

 

 

"We are so proud of the Colorado Association of School-Based Health Care award and the great service the Skippy program is providing to our regions kids," said Gary Steinbach, Skippy Administrator. "In our region, many kids lack a dental home or regular oral health services. The award recognizes Skippy's success in achieving strong school support and participation, the clinical outcome results and study and our health insurance enrollment program."

 

 

According to Gary Steinbach, Skippy's wide acceptance by twelve participating elementary schools in Naturita, Paradox, Norwood, Telluride, Ridgway, Ouray, Montrose, Olathe and Delta is credited to the success of the program. Since 2008, Skippy has provided two cavity prevention treatments each school-year to over 950 children each school-year.

 

 

Skippy participates in a clinical outcome study which is conducted each year by the Forsyth Institute, Boston. According to Richard Neiderman, DMD, Director of Evidence Based Dentistry, children participating in three or more Skippy treatments experience the following oral health outcomes: First, the percentage of children experiencing pain, abscesses or swelling, was reduced from 15% of children on the first visit to only 3% by the third visit. Second, the percentage of teeth with untreated decay was reduced from 3.2 percent to near zero or 0.6 percent.

 

 

According to the Colorado Association of School-Based Health Care, Skippy is the only school-based oral health program in Colorado that participates in an ongoing clinical outcome study conducted by an independent clinical research organization.

 

 

Skippy also provides a health insurance enrollment program. "Our program identifies children who do not have health insurance and coordinates health insurance enrollment services for eligible children and their families in Medicaid and CHP+," said Steinbach. ‘Since 2008 Skippy has identified over 400 uninsured children without health insurance and has enrolled 220 eligible children and their family members".

 

 

Funding has been provided by the Telluride Foundation, the Caring for Colorado and El Pomar Foundations and private donors. The program is free for all local children and is offered in elementary schools in Ouray, Montrose, San Miguel and Delta counties. Since the program's inception, 2,511 treatments have been delivered to nearly 1,000 children ages 5-12 at twelve participating elementary schools.

 

 

The Local Healthcare Initiative was established by the Telluride Foundation in 2006 to identify and strategically act on health care service gaps and leverage resources and programs among providers and clinics. Its mission is to improve the health of children and adults in San Miguel, Ouray and west Montrose counties by collaborating with local health care providers to identify and prioritize local health needs and by developing, funding, and implementing preventive health programs.

 

 

The Telluride Foundation exists to create a stronger Telluride community through the promotion and support of philanthropy. It is a non-profit, apolitical community foundation that provides year-round support for local organizations involved in arts, education, athletics, charitable causes, land conservation and other community-based efforts through technical assistance, education and grant making. As a grant maker, The Foundation awards grants to qualified applicants that serve the people living and working in the Telluride area for the purpose of enhancing the quality of life within the region. For more information on the Telluride Foundation, visit www.telluridefoundation.org.

 

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