Behind the Smile: How Funders Can Improve Oral Health
The consequences of neglecting oral health are significant. Oral disease can interfere with the ability to speak, chew, and swallow. In some cases, painful mouth conditions can result in overuse of emergency rooms and lost productivity, and contribute to low self-esteem. Oral disease, in children alone, is responsible for almost 52 million lost school hours each year.
On the Front Lines of Public Health
Foundations are well positioned to collaborate with federal, state, and local health departments to create change within the public health system. They can also support and guide partnerships that embrace a variety of community stakeholders and draw on the strengths of each. This Issue Focus looks at strategies and examples for establishing such partnerships.
Supporting Local Efforts to Improve Health Care Access
The number of Americans without access to health care has continued to climb due to rising medical costs,ongoing declines in employer-sponsored coverage,and recent cuts in public programs. With no national solution in sight, many cities and counties across the country have designed local initiatives to provide coverage and care for their uninsured residents. This Issue Focus looks at approaches grantmakers are taking to address these issues.
Implementing the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit
On January 1, 2006, Medicare prescription drug coverage became available to the program’s 43 million beneficiaries. To receive the coverage, however, beneficiaries must actively opt in to Medicare Part D by selecting a prescription drug plan (PDP).
Preparedness or Panic: Resources for Grantmakers
Basic public health infrastructure is essential for effective preparation for and response to emergency events. This resource guide is designed to help grantmakers working at the local, state, and national levels better understand how they can contribute to strengthening the public health system, as well as become more proactive in their efforts to prepare for and respond to emergencies.
Foundations and the Media
Local and national media outlets can help grantmakers inform and educate the public about important health issues and promote the work of their grantees. For many foundations, however, working with the media is uncharted territory.
Partnering to Improve Public Health
The public health system is the nation’s first line of defense against many threats, both naturally occurring and manmade. It ensures the public’s health and safety by identifying and tracking disease, protecting food and water supplies, educating the public on a variety of health issues, and responding to disasters.