BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to the certification of public health dental hygienists practicing among underserved populations; adding new sections to chapter 18.29 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that access to preventive and restorative oral health services by low-income families and eligible medicaid children is currently restricted by complex regulatory, financial, cultural, and geographic barriers that have resulted in a large number of children suffering unnecessarily from dental disease. The legislature also finds that very early exposure to oral health care can significantly reduce the incidence of dental disease and reverse it in many cases, thereby significantly reducing costs of providing dental services to low-income populations.

It is the intent of the legislature to provide access to oral health care services to medicaid eligible and low-income families and children and other dentally underserved populations by addressing some identified barriers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) A dental hygienist licensed under this chapter may apply for certification by the department as a public health dental hygienist upon:

(a) Attainment of a baccalaureate degree in dental hygiene from an accredited school or degree completion program in higher education recognized by the secretary of health;

(b) Completion of the approved educational program developed under section 4 of this act;

(c) Establishment and maintenance of an acceptable practice protocol with a licensed dentist developed and approved by the dental quality assurance commission pursuant to section 3 of this act; and

(d) Compliance with administrative procedures, administrative requirements, and fees determined as provided in RCW 43.70.250 and 43.70.280.

(2) Certification as a public health dental hygienist is subject to the provisions of the uniform disciplinary act, chapter 18.130 RCW, on the same grounds as a license for practice. However, any action taken by the secretary with regard to certification as a public health dental hygienist does not affect the license to practice, unless there is a separate action taken with regard to the license.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) Dental hygienists certified as public health dental hygienists under section 2 of this act under an approved practice protocol developed under subsection (3) of this section may assess for and apply sealants and fluoride treatments for clients of community clinics, migrant and community health centers, tribal clinics, and public health dental programs.

(2) A dental hygienist certified under section 2 of this act shall ensure that each patient for whom the dental hygienist applies sealants or fluoride treatments has the opportunity to be examined by a dentist within six to twelve months after the application of the sealant or fluoride treatment.

(3) A dental hygienist certified under section 2 of this act shall establish a practice arrangement through a practice protocol with one or more dentists licensed in this state. The practice protocol entered into by the dental hygienist and a dentist must be signed by both practitioners, approved by the dental quality assurance commission, and filed with the secretary.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The department of health, in consultation with the University of Washington school of dentistry and upon approval of the higher education coordinating board, shall develop an oral health assessment educational program to be required as additional training for licensed dental hygienists who apply for a dental hygienist public health certification. The course must include a training on the assessment of teeth and oral tissues among the underserved for the purpose of planning and administering appropriate preventive and disease control interventions within the scope of practice. The course must include dental caries assessment and management, current science about the importance of oral hygiene and the role of fluorides for maintaining proper oral health, oral cancer detection, and psychosocial conditions and cultural considerations that impact a family's attitudes and behaviors about seeking dental services.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Sections 1 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 18.29 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 4 of this act expire July 1, 2003.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The department of health shall report to the legislature by December 1, 2002, on the need to continue granting certification as public health dental hygienists to dental hygienists. The report shall identify alternatives to certifying public health dental hygienists that meet the same goals and objectives.