Eads Medical Clinic is partnering with Colorado Rural Health Center and developing the MOrE Care program for Eads and Kiowa County residents.

What is MOrE Care?

MOrE Care (Medical Oral Expanded Care) is an initiative of the DentaQuest Institute (DQI) with an aim of providing primary and secondary preventive oral health services in primary care medical offices to underserved populations, as well as testing optimal patient-centered referral systems between primary care and dental care teams.

Addressing Rural Disparities through MOrE Care 

Millions of Americans lack access to basic oral health care. Children and adults living in rural communities, however, face additional challenges including higher rates of poverty, dental provider shortages, and a lack of dependable transportation.

Although rural primary care providers have the potential to play a pivotal role in the oral health of their patients, several key elements needed for successful integration of oral health into primary care are currently lacking. These often include:

• Medical education training on oral health competencies for primary care providers
  • This allows them to provide primary and secondary oral health prevention care
• A sustainable, systemic model for collaborative practice with dental providers
• Practice systems that support oral health care delivery and coordination with dental providers

DQI is partnering with state offices of rural health to begin testing strategies to overcome these barriers and develop the systems in the primary care practices to support the delivery of oral health care. Efforts are also ongoing to develop infrastructure to create a dental delivery system for patients who need dental treatment of disease.

KCHD supports the DQI and Colorado Rural Health Center efforts in developing and implementing the MOrE Care initiative.