About Oral Health Workforce Program
Oregon Health Authority (OHA) received a $2 million, five-year grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in September 2026 to develop an innovative oral health workforce program focusing on the needs of patients and providers in priority dental health professional shortage areas in Oregon. In collaboration with the OHA Dental Director,
Oregon Primary Care Office and other OHA offices, rural dental clinics, Coordinated Care Organizations (CCOs), and educational institutions, OHA identified six counties in Oregon (Umatilla, Union, Harney, Wallowa, Baker, and Malheur) with residents who experience significant challenges accessing oral health care where the grant’s resources could be used most effectively.
Grant Objectives and Partners
OHA’s grant program will develop community-based solutions that will expand access, improve quality, and increase oral health workforce recruitment and retention efforts to achieve four objectives:
- Support the creation of the first accredited dental therapist education program in Oregon
- Integrate teledentistry services into community-based health care sites across the grant’s targeted areas
- Provide grants to rural dental clinics to support the recruitment, retention, and training of auxiliary dental providers
- Use evaluation services to assess program effectiveness, impact, and alignment with partner needs
To support this work, OHA’s Oral Health Workforce Grant Coordinator will work with local clinicians, institutions and administrators, and community partners across the state to compile information on the oral health workforce. To improve dental provider recruitment and retention rates in the grant’s priority areas, OHA will share information on provider incentive programs options, such as HRSA’s
National Health Service Corps and OHA’s
Health Care Provider Incentive Program, that are available to current and future oral health professionals.