Policy and Advocacy in Oral Health – Experience a Mock Bill Hearing

Sunday, April 6, 2025

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM East Coast USA Time

Location: Gold Coast

Earn 3.0 CE Credit

Speaker(s)

Salma Elwazeer, BDS, MDS, MPH, FRSPH, FICD

Assistant Professor & Director of Public Health Education and IPE
Hunt School of Dental Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso
Hunt School of Dental Medicine, Texas Tech Health El Paso
Ana Todd, PhD, RN

Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs and Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing
School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin
LM

Lisa K. Morris, DNP, RN (she/her/hers)

Clinical Assistant Professor
School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin

Disclosure(s):

Salma Elwazeer, BDS, MDS, MPH, FRSPH, FICD: No financial relationships to disclose

Ana Todd, PhD, RN: No financial relationships to disclose

Lisa K. Morris, DNP, RN: No financial relationships to disclose

Session Description: Oral-systemic connections shape health outcomes among our communities and populations. This interactive, 3-hour hands-on interprofessional workshop is designed for anyone interested in enhancing advocacy efforts to improve population health. In the first hour, participants will learn about health policy and advocacy in the US and identify the various opportunities for healthcare providers to advocate for oral and systemic health concerns that impact the profession of dentistry and the populations we serve. In the following two hours, participants will demonstrate advocacy skills to testify on mock bills concerning dental public health challenges through a mock hearing simulation. Participants will work in teams to prepare evidence-based testimonies to deliver at the mock hearing. The workshop will conclude with a reflection on the experience and discussions on the lessons learned, strategies for effective advocacy, and opportunities to implement advocacy skills in participants' professional practice to promote social justice.