About Us | Principles

About the American Network of Oral Health Coalitions

The American Network of Oral Health Coalitions (ANOHC) is a membership organization representing statewide oral health coalitions from across the country. These coalitions work to improve oral health by advancing policy, expanding access to care, and promoting prevention through education and community-based initiatives.

ANOHC provides a forum for coalition leaders to share information, ask questions, and leverage collective experience. By connecting organizations with different structures, funding models, and state-level priorities, the network helps members strengthen their work while respecting the unique needs of each community.

Through collaboration, resource-sharing, and national-level advocacy, ANOHC amplifies the impact of its members and supports coordinated efforts to improve oral health outcomes nationwide.

Principles & Common Purpose

ANOHC exists to create a reliable place for state oral health coalitions to share information, ask questions, and leverage time and resources.

ANOHC members are statewide oral health coalitions that promote lifelong oral health by shaping policy, promoting prevention, and education the public.

ANOHC members recognize that state oral health coalitions share a common purpose to advance oral health issues at the state level, but that the structure and funding of each is different, based on individual state issues.

ANOHC members respect the differences between the state coalitions and honor the confidentiality within which coalitions share information

Operating Structure

ANOHC is a membership organization of state oral health coalitions from throughout the United States. ANOHC provides a forum for coalition executive directors, or key volunteers if no staff exists, to share information, ask questions and leverage time and resources in an atmosphere of trust, confidentiality and mutual respect. Additionally, ANOHC will speak and advocate as a unified voice on policies and issues affecting oral health in the nation.

Board of Directors

Eight to twelve members elected by entire ANOHC membership – each member coalition has one equal vote
Responsible for ANOHC governance, managing budget, listserv and communications, and adopting policy positions on behalf of all member coalitions
Will include chair, vice chair, treasurer and secretary
Three committees (governance, advocacy, development) will recommend draft policies/procedures and recommendations for board votes
Each member of the board of directors serves on one committee
Each committee elects a chair to direct meetings
Recommendations are approved by majority vote (of individuals on the committee/individuals present)
People who are members of ANOHC, but who are not on the board of directors may serve on committees.

Members

Coalition Members

Each member coalition must demonstrate it is state-wide, with a focus on oral health issues that are not specific to any one population (i.e. a coalition for oral health access for the elderly, with no emphasis on other population groups), and includes policy change as one of its areas of focus.
Each coalition member receives one vote. Up to two individuals representing a state coalition can be on the listserv. This will include the Executive Director or designated coalition representative. If no staff exists, a board member or key volunteer may be included.

Affiliate Members

Statewide oral health coalitions that are not able to take policy positions because they have direct oversight by a governmental entity may serve as ANOHC Affiliate Members.
Affiliate Members are welcome to use all the shared documents and ANOHC policy positions.

Committees

Voting Structure

ANOHC governance decisions (e.g. by-laws, media policy) are determined by majority vote of board of directors. Each director will have one individual vote.
ANOHC programmatic/partnership activity decisions will be made by the board of directors by majority vote. (ex: CMS would like to work with ANOHC to help state coalitions work with state Medicaid departments on oral health initiative)
ANOHC position statements related to advocacy/policy/etc. will come from the board by unanimous decision and be presented to the entire ‘membership’ for a vote.
ANOHC will not take a position unless there is unanimous agreement. Each coalition will have only one vote. (ex: CDC downgrades the office of oral health; national workforce issue).

Accomplishments

ANOHC hosts a listserv that allows members to share ideas, resources and questions with peers across the country.
ANOHC membership includes almost every state in the country, including states from Maine to California, Alaska to Florida, and Hawaii to West Virginia.
The DentaQuest Foundation invited ANOHC to take part in a series of national meetings about implementation of the pediatric dental benefit in the Affordable Care Act in 2012 and 2013.
ANOHC hosted the first national webinar about the ACA’s pediatric dental benefit in 2010.
ANOHC members have been invited to host roundtable discussions about the value of state oral health coalitions at the National Oral Health Conference since 2014. Every other month, at least twenty states participate in a webinar to keep up with trends and learn best practices from each other.
ANOHC speakers have been requested at member annual meetings.
ANOHC assisted in the development of the State Oral Health Coalition Comparison Tool and will assume responsibility for curating and maintaining it in 2022.
National speakers feature prominently at the annual ANOHC meeting. Past speakers include representatives from the Children’s Dental Health Project, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Pew Children’s Dental Campaign, DentaQuest Foundation and Center for Health Care Strategies.
ANOHC has signed onto numerous federal health advocacy letters.

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About the American Network of Oral Health Coalitions

The mission of the American Network of Oral Health Coalitions is to improve oral health by supporting strong, broad-based coalitions that leverage sound health care system change.

The mission of the American Network of Oral Health Coalitions is to improve oral health by supporting strong, broad-based coalitions that leverage sound health care system change.