Dr. Jerome Adams is the 20th
Surgeon General of the United States. His reports, like those of his
predecessors, help to focus the country around key public health issues. Dr.
Adams announced
the commission of a new report on oral health this summer. ADEA President &
CEO Dr. Richard Valachovic, ADEA Senior Scholar-in-Residence Dr. Jeanne
Sinkford and ADEA Director of Policy Research Omar Contreras attended the “Surgeon
General’s Listening Session on Oral Health” with a diverse group of oral and
public health experts.
The
2000
report envisioned a national partnership to reduce disparities and
enable individuals, health professionals and their communities to work together
to connect the long-standing gap between medical and dental care. During
meetings with Dr. Adams and other stakeholders, ADEA promoted integrated,
patient-centered, comprehensive care that connects the mouth with the rest of
the body. The updated report is supposed to document the progress in oral
health, identify existing knowledge gaps and articulate a public health vision
for the future. The ADEA AGR team regularly meets with officials from the Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS), Members of Congress and congressional staff
to ensure oral health remains part of HHS public health policy.