UMass Chan granted $93K to implement oral health program for people with substance-use issues
PHOTO | Courtesy of UMass Chan Medical School
UMass Chan Medical School in Worcester
After receiving a $93,071 grant from a Boston-based nonprofit, UMass Chan Medical School will be launching a new oral health intervention pilot program aimed to assist people experiencing substance-use disorder.
The grant was issued by RIZE Massachusetts, an organization aiming to end the overdose crisis, according to a press release issued by the nonprofit on Thursday. The pilot program seeks to create a scalable oral health intervention plan to be utilized by providers who are assisting those with substance-use disorder.
“As we work with individuals who are addressing their substance-use disorder and they make positive changes in their lives around the substances, they start to address other health issues, including their oral health,” Dr. Hugh Silk, a family medicine specialist and professor at UMass Chan, said in the release. “They face many barriers when trying to see dentists, however, and we are hoping this grant will help address those barriers. For people to truly turn the corner and be able to gain confidence, hold down a job, and just be able to smile with friends, they need to be able to improve their oral health.”
Few organizations are focused on funding initiatives addressing oral health in people facing substance use issues, despite the fact that oral health issues are often compounded by drug abuse. People living with substance use disorder often face barriers to care, and some medications used to treat opioid use disorder — including suboxone and methadone — have potential side effects like dry mouth and increased mouth acidity.
The grant comes as part of a larger group of grants totalling $253,000, with $100,000 being awarded to Network One: New England Community Drug Checking Innovations Network. This regional drug-supply-checking network, supported by Waltham’s Brandeis University, operates as a partnership between the Massachusetts Drug Supply Data Stream and other regional drug-checking sites to collect data to inform harm reduction services.
The remaining $60,050 was granted to The Institute for Health Equity Research, Evaluation and Policy of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, a Boston-based organization launched in June. These funds will be utilized to study and improve community-based referral networks for individuals who are living with substance use disorders.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments