Governance
The full Coalition meets quarterly, in Augusta, and committees meet as needed. There are currently three standing committees, the Policy Action Workgroup, the Clinic Practice Workgroup and the Steering Committee. Ad-hoc committees to accomplish time-limited projects are appointed as needed.
The Steering Committee
The Steering Committee makes recommendations to the membership as a whole regarding Coalition activities and business. It also acts on behalf of the Coalition in situations that by necessity require action between regular Coalition meetings. The process for action between meetings is outlined here. Generally, the Steering Committee meets at least once between regular Coalition meetings. The Committees work between Coalition meetings either in person, or by phone or email. Part-time staff assistance is available from Medical Care Development through funding from the state's Oral Health Program, Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services.
Steering Committee members are elected at the Coalition's annual meeting. The Steering Committee is comprised of six members. There will be at least one dentist and one dental hygienist on the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee will have a chair and a vice chair. The Steering Committee will have a Chair from one of the working groups and a Vice Chair from the other. There will be an additional member from each working group elected by the group and two other MDAC members elected at-large from the MDAC membership. These members may or may not be part of the working groups. Steering Committee members agree to serve for a one-year term, may be re-elected for a second term, and are eligible to serve in other positions on the Steering Committee after their maximum 2-year term in one position have been completed.
The Policy Action Workgroup
- Educates legislators and other policy makers on oral health issues and cultivating and supporting oral health champions in the legislature
- Researches, develops, proposes and supports oral health legislation or policy changes
- Actively encourages new organizations to join MDAC to work on oral health policy, and actively works with other health coalitions around common goals
The Clinic Practice Workgroup
The Clinic Practice Workgroup works on specific priorities within the Oral Health Plan, emphasizing those that have to do with behavioral modification at the clinical/community level including:
- Increasing oral health screenings in well child visits
- Increasing childcare provider capacity to do oral assessment and guidance
- Increasing dental practices that see children under three
