{"id":1117,"date":"2016-10-04T17:22:41","date_gmt":"2016-10-04T21:22:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/?page_id=1117"},"modified":"2026-02-24T15:17:18","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:17:18","slug":"events","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/blog\/events\/","title":{"rendered":"News & Events"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Key Coalition News and Events!  <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Click for our report: NH Oral Health Coalition Impact Report 2024-25<\/span><\/a><\/h5>\n

NHOHC Policy Mini-Summit June 25, 2025 – Medicaid and Community Water Fluoridation<\/span><\/h3>\n

On June 25, the Coalition held a Policy Mini-Summit on the Medicaid State and National Landscape and challenges to Community Water Fluoridation.\u00a0 Our Policy Mini-Summits are designed to target and explore timely and emerging policy topics that are of importance to the broad oral health network.\u00a0 Participants include health leaders, providers, public health advocates, community members, and others.\u00a0 The Mini-Summits include presentations followed by questions and discussions.\u00a0 Everyone is invited to join the conversation!\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Presenters included:\u00a0<\/span>Tom Raffio<\/span><\/b>, President and CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, Steve Ahnen<\/b>, President, NH Hospital Association, Melissa Burroughs<\/b>, Senior Director of Public Policy for the CareQuest Institute on Oral Health, Dr. Johnny Johnson<\/b>, a pediatric dentist and President of the American Fluoridation Society, Laural Dillon<\/b>, Director of Strategic Planning, Solvere Health, Amanda Washburn<\/b>, Dental Hygienist, Cheshire Smiles, and D<\/strong><\/span>r.<\/strong> Kelly Perry<\/span><\/b>, Dental Director, Mid-State Health Center and more!\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Pictured below:\u00a0 Melissa Burroughs, Senior Policy Director, CareQuest Institute for Oral Health (L); Dr. Johnny Johnson, American Fluoridation Society (C); and Amanda Washburn, RDH, CPHDH (R).\u00a0 NHOHC Mini-Summits are always free to participants.\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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NH Oral Health Coalition Announces the Addition of Dr. David Staples to the Steering Committee <\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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Dr. David Staples has joined the NH Oral Health Coalition Steering Committee. Staples brings an extensive background including public health dentistry to his role with committee.  He will serve in the Dental Specialty Seat and will lead a medical dental initiative to support communities in oral health and dental access.  He previously served as Board Chair at the Northeast Delta Dental organization serving New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.<\/p>\n

Dr. Staples grew up in Dover, New Hampshire, where he currently resides, and maintained a family dental practice in Dover for 27 years, doing business as Garrison Family Dental for over 13 years with Dr. Nicholas Kanelos, Jr.  Dr. Staples earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Microbiology and a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology at the University of New Hampshire. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and completed his Dental General Practice Residency at Bolling Air Force Base, in Washington, DC. Staples has served on the Board of Goodwin Community Health and provided dental services at the Families First Seacoast Health and Support Center.  He has been the Dover Children’s Home dentist for over 25 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

News Release April 22, 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Immediate Release<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Dugan<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CDugan@nhoralhealth.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(603) 391-4703<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concord, NH<\/strong>                  (April 22, 2024)             The New Hampshire Oral Health Coalition (NHOHC), along with key partners and public health experts, is excited to invite the community to a special event commemorating NH Smiles-NH\u2019s first-ever Medicaid Adult Dental benefit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NH Smiles: Beyond The Benefit<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thursday, May 9, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8:15 AM \u2013 12:30 PM<\/p>\n\n\n\n

St. Paul\u2019s Church<\/p>\n\n\n\n

21 Centre Street<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Concord, NH<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis life-changing benefit has enabled over 11,000 Granite Staters-many of whom had not had dental care and services previously-have access to care many of us take for granted,\u201d said Gail Brown<\/strong>, JD, MSW, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Oral Health Coalition. \u201cOur forum will feature experts from across the state who will discuss the impact of the benefit, what has been learned to date, and what lies ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown went on to say that the event, which is free of charge, will also include feedback and observations from patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the event is free, pre-registration is required as space is limited. To save your seat, please register at: The NH Medicaid Adult Dental Benefit: A NH Oral Health Coalition Mini-Summit (constantcontactpages.com)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown added each presentation will be moderated and that the audience will be invited to participate in question-and-answer periods. Deadline to register is Tuesday, May 7th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About the New Hampshire Oral Health Coalition<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Coalition\u2019s mission is to advance and promote oral health for the people of New Hampshire, and we continuously look for opportunities to engage and educate stakeholders on the link between oral health and overall health. It is the vision of the Coalition that through improved oral health, the people of New Hampshire will have enhanced quality of life and opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more at: https:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

News Release-February 20, 2024<\/h5>\n

For Immediate Release <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Contact<\/strong><\/p>\n

Chris Dugan
CDugan@nhoralhealth.org<\/a>
(603) 391-4703<\/h6>\n

Honoring A Public Health Champion<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The NH Oral Health Coalition Establishes the <\/em>Alphonse J. \u201cSkip\u201d Homicz Jr. Legacy Award<\/em><\/p>\n

Concord, NH: <\/strong>(February 20, 2024)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In recognition of his enduring role as an advocate for oral health, the NH Oral Health Coalition (NHOHC) is pleased to announce the formation of the Alphonse J. \u201cSkip\u201d Homicz Jr. Legacy Award. The award honors the late Dr. Skip Homicz, who passed away in 2023. \u201cSkip was a tireless champion for the underserved in our state,\u201d said Helen B. Taft, Board Member for the NH Oral Health Coalition. \u201cHe was a widely respected and recognized general dentist and an oral health advocate for over 50 years. We are thrilled to establish this honor in his memory.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taft went on to say that for its inaugural year, NHOHC\u2019s award committee unanimously selected Dr. Homicz to receive the first award posthumously. The initial award was presented to his family during a special ceremony at the Coalition\u2019s annual meeting.<\/p>\n

Dr. Homicz was a past President of the NH Dental Society, a founding member of the NH Oral Health Coalition, and served as the Chair of its Steering Committee for many years. After he retired from private practice he served as the volunteer Dental Director of Families First Health and Support Center in Portsmouth, NH for fifteen years. Under his leadership Families First opened a dental center for the community. Later Dr. Homicz led the organization\u2019s expansion of dental services for individuals experiencing homelessness through a mobile health program.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe award honors Dr. Homicz\u2019s legacy and passionate commitment to improving the oral health of populations most in need of care,\u201d said Gail Brown, Executive Director of the NH Oral Health Coalition.\u00a0 \u201cGoing forward, its goal is to recognize an individual or a NH Nonprofit organization each year that best demonstrates and exemplifies Skip\u2019s commitment to increasing access to oral health in their community and\/or the state. It creates an award process that ensures his legacy lives on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown added that the Coalition will begin soliciting nominations for the 2024 award this spring and that the honoree will be announced at the Coalition\u2019s annual meeting in December. For more information about the award, please contact Chris Dugan at NHOHC at cdugan@nhoralhealth.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

About the New Hampshire Oral Health Coalition<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Coalition\u2019s mission is\u00a0to advance and promote oral health for the people of New Hampshire, and we continuously look for opportunities to engage and educate stakeholders on the link between oral health and overall health. It is the vision of the Coalition that through improved oral health, the people of New Hampshire will have enhanced quality of life and opportunity.<\/p>\n

Learn more at: https:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/<\/a><\/p>\n

NEW Private Practice Dentists State Loan Repayment Program (SLRP-PPD)<\/strong><\/span>
As part of the State of NH\u2019s efforts to expand access to dentists in the areas most needed, the State Loan Repayment Program is piloting a new loan repayment program exclusively for private practice dentists \u2013 the Private Practice Dentists State Loan Repayment Program, or SLRP-PPD. Find out more…<\/a><\/h5>\n

The DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement, the DentaQuest Foundation, and the DentaQuest Institute have become the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health<\/a><\/strong>, a nonprofit committed to building a future in which equitable systems promote excellent health, allowing people everywhere to reach their full potential.\u00a0 The expanded nonprofit is equipped with a robust portfolio, including grantmaking, health improvement programs, advocacy, and more so they can be laser-focused on building a future where oral health and overall health are equitable for all.<\/p>\n

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Key Coalition News and Events!   Click for our report: NH Oral Health Coalition Impact Report 2024-25 NHOHC Policy Mini-Summit June 25, 2025 – Medicaid and Community Water Fluoridation On June 25, the Coalition held a Policy Mini-Summit on the Medicaid State and National Landscape and challenges to Community Water Fluoridation.\u00a0 Our Policy Mini-Summits are designed … Continue reading News & Events<\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":10,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1117","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1117"}],"version-history":[{"count":139,"href":"https:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3333,"href":"https:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1117\/revisions\/3333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nhoralhealth.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}