Presented in this document is the Louisiana Statewide Oral Health Coalition’s state plan for improving oral health for Louisiana. The plan includes the goals that the Coalition hopes to complete by 2013, as well as the objectives and strategies that will lead to achieving these goals. The Coalition has identified goals for five focus areas: access, education, prevention, surveillance and evaluation and workforce.
The creation of this plan was the work of the Statewide Oral Health Coalition’s members, which represent a wide variety of organizations, associations and individuals from across the state. The Coalition held its kick-off meeting in December 2009. At that meeting, invitees were asked to discuss issues relating to oral health. Based on the conversations held that day, the invitees assembled themselves into work groups and continued to meet throughout the spring of 2010 to draft the elements of the state plan. Individuals representing over 60 different agencies contributed to the content of the plan. This plan exists because of their hard work and commitment to the oral health of the state.