Mount PA students raised oral health awareness by providing education as well as toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss to more than 200 Sayler Park Elementary School students in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Led by PA graduate Kelsie Dirksing, 30 Mount PA students raised oral health awareness by providing education as well as toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss to more than 200 Sayler Park Elementary School students in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The project stemmed from Dirksing’s pediatric rotation in a medically underserved community.
“On my rotation, I noticed that the majority of my young patients did not have a toothbrush,” says Dirksing. “So, I applied for the nccPA Health Foundation’s grant to develop a program that would assist me in teaching oral health while providing supplies that would make a direct impact in children’s lives.”
Mount Program Director Patrick Cafferty, PA-C, faculty member Rebekah Moore, PA-C, and her preceptor Rachael Doll, CNP, supported Dirksing's outreach plans. Setting up the project required establishing a strong partnership between the MSJU PA program and the Sayler Park school as well as the development of lesson plans for the two-part educational program.
“Kelsie’s oral health project was a true reflection of the PA programs vision of empathy and an attitude of service to others,” says Dr. Cafferty. “We hope our new graduates will continue to improve access to primary care in Cincinnati.”
During each session, two to three PA students from MSJU’s Class of 2021 visited the Sayler Park’s classrooms to educate children about proper brushing and flossing, how dental caries can affect overall health, and the importance of a proper diet for strong teeth.
The curriculum seeks to educate and engage the students, from Pre-Kindergarten to the fifth grade, in ways that could be of greatest benefit to them. After each session, the kids received oral health supplies to take home as well as healthy snacks to reinforce what was taught during the session.
“My involvement in this project has been an extremely rewarding aspect of my time in PA school," added Dirksing. "I look forward to carrying over the leadership skills and lessons that I’ve learned to my career following graduation.”
Dirksing plans to share her project’s results in a poster presentation at the Ohio Association of Physician Assistants (OAPA) Fall Conference.