Over the course of the last 6 months, a Honolulu based nonprofit known as Bright Smiles Hawaii put together a plan that included some of our members to gather the Voice of the People, put it on paper and bring what we have documented, for a quorum of professionals who are in position to help our communities to see the results and identify solutions.
Finding solutions is never easy. There are a wide array of issues to address, laws to abide, systems to work through, proposals and processes to be made, and by then, usually the information is out of date, which then perpetuates the cycle of problems. Honestly, to try to tackle the whole thing as one person would be a travesty. But to tackle it as an ongoing group will produce the flow for progress to be made.
So as we compiled this information, each group from each island, members of various state and federal programs, and other nonprofits entities who are a part of the solution based team, and we began to discuss some of what can be done on political levels to advocate for better care options. We discussed other similar initiatives that the nonprofit sector has been working on that will better address the demographics they work with.
We developed outreach teams who will work with people in the community to get them to the best current programs or funding for their dental work, as well as increase the sign up for the programs available. What this does is actually, a win-win-win for all the entities involved in the maintenance of your teeth.
Because nonprofits tend to run on grant programs, they have to build an information database to collect demographics using the services so that the correct amount of funding comes through. The only way to get an increase in funds is to get an increase in patients.
Because people want their teeth fixed, they should sign up for the programs available to help the program get the increased funding to fix their teeth, right? It sure beats paying for that with your rent money! Once the provider has gotten the grants to serve the people, they call you to come get what you need done. Now they got what they needed to get you what you needed. Win-win!
While the nonprofit entities are doing that, other like nonprofits are taking all the information we have compiled, to begin the process of the newly elected fight for health care for our people. Those who represented the state and other political entities are working together to draft the political scene regarding these issues. Our outreach will continue to stay plugged in and help the people in any way they can. Sometimes this could be giving away dental hygiene bags, helping people sign up at the right places for dental care, staying on top of any programs up and coming, to assure that the people are able to maximize the benefit of these programs.
A special task force has been created to address the deeper needs of the smaller communities. The islands of Lana'i and Moloka'i hadn't had the chance to get their voices heard, so Maui absorbed the lack of information and replaced it with a heavier advocacy. Maui's voice was heard and those communities have risen to the top of the list for strategic planning. We would like to extend a special mahalo to the Kahananui community for taking the time to capture some of the voices for Molokai.
Whereas we recognize that we did not achieve an overnight remedy to all of the dental problems we are facing as a whole, we have achieved specialized task forces on just about every angle to work on these important issues.
*This blog post has been written by us, colleagues of, but not members of Bright Smiles Hawaii. For more information on all that they are working on and sharing with the community, please visit their site at: Bright Smiles Hawaii
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