• Place:Zoom (registration required)
  • Time:10 - 11:30 AM PDT
  • Date:

This Share & Learn built on our previous session on Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) data collection and entry, shifting the focus to how KOHA data can be interpreted and used in practice. After an introduction by COHTAC, participants heard from the Office of Oral Health (OOH) on statewide KOHA data trends over time. Stanislaus and San Diego local oral health programs (LOHPs) shared how they have used KOHA data to inform their work and address common challenges, including discussion of resources needed. San Francisco and Fresno LOHPs shared a dashboard and an infographic as examples of different ways data can be communicated. 

Learning Objectives: 

  • Describe statewide KOHA data trends
  • Apply strategies to address common challenges at the local level
  • Identify how KOHA data can be used for planning and communication 

Part 1 of the series here: https://oralhealthsupport.ucsf.edu/events/cohtac-share-learn-simplifying-kindergarten-oral-health-assessment-koha-data-process 

UCSF welcomes all participants to our events. If you need reasonable accommodation to participate in this event because of a disability, please contact [email protected] as soon as possible.

 

Speaker Bios

Vyshiali Sundararajan BDS, MDS Statewide Oral Health Specialist, Local Programs and Statewide Interventions Unit, Office of Oral Health 

Vyshiali Sundararajan (Vysh) is a Statewide Oral Health Specialist in the Local Programs and Statewide Interventions Unit. A foreign-trained dentist and UCSF Dental Public Health residency graduate, Vysh supports statewide contracts and Kindergarten Oral Health Assessment (KOHA) reporting through SCOHR. Vysh collaborates on school dental programs, partners with COHTAC and local stakeholders to enhance KOHA implementation and helps develop the OOH SharePoint environment to streamline program resources. Vysh is passionate about creating real-time public health impact and advancing oral health initiatives across California. 

Kristin Hoeft, PhD, MPH Associate Professor, Division of Oral Epidemiology and Dental Public Health, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Dentistry, Director, California Oral Health Technical Assistance Center (COHTAC) 

Dr. Kristin Hoeft has expertise in health education and evaluation, oral health literacy, and qualitative research methods. Her research focuses on making optimal home oral hygiene and dental care experiences accessible to diverse and vulnerable populations and bringing best practices to community-based settings. She has worked in the field of children’s oral health disparities at UCSF’s Center to Address Children’s Oral Health (CAN DO) for over 15 years. She directs the California Oral Health Technical Assistance Center (COHTAC) and chairs the Communications & Oral Health Literacy Workgroup. 

Sharrie Sprouse Oral Health Program Director, Stanislaus County Health Services Agency  

Sharrie Sprouse has over 20 years of experience in the health and human services field and has been with Stanislaus County since 2008. Sharrie has worked in a variety of prevention programs prior to joining the Oral Health Program in 2018. She has recently become the chair for the California Partnership for Oral Health’s Evaluation and Performance Management Workgroup and is an advocate for health equity. 

Shumaila Hashmi, MBBS, MPH Epidemiology and Surveillance Lead, Surveillance & Evaluation Unit, Office of Oral Health 

Shumaila Hashmi serves as a research scientist in the CDPH, Office of Oral Health, Surveillance and Evaluation Unit, supporting surveillance activities and monitoring oral health outcomes across California. Her work focuses on assessing the oral disease burden and contributing to data-driven decision making for improved population-level oral health measures. She is passionate about promoting equitable access to oral health care for all communities in California. Shumaila is an International Medical Graduate with residency training and clinical experience in Obstetrics and Gynecology in her country of origin prior to transitioning to public health work in the United States. She pursued Master of Public Health in Oregon and later completed California Epidemiologic Investigation Service (Cal-EIS) fellowship program at CDPH to strengthen applied epidemiologic competencies. 

Victoria Owoyele, DrPH, MPH Surveillance and Evaluation Unit Manager, Office of Oral Health 

Dr. Victoria Owoyele leads the Surveillance and Evaluation Unit within the California Department of Public Health’s Office of Oral Health. With a strong foundation in nursing, chemistry, and population health science, Dr. Owoyele brings a multidisciplinary lens to her work. She is deeply committed to advancing community oral health through data-driven insights and strives to improve oral health outcomes for children across California. 

Christy Lopez, MPH, CPH Epidemiologist, County of San Diego, Local Oral Health Program 

Christy Lopez has supported evaluations for San Diego County public health programs in chronic disease prevention and health equity for 12 years. She has previously worked on programs using policy, systems, and environmental change approaches to support healthy behaviors throughout community spaces. She has supported evaluation for the County of San Diego Local Oral Health Program since 2019 and currently facilitates the Data Subcommittee of the California Partnership for Oral Health’s School Dental Programs Workgroup.

Maryna Spiegel, MPH San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco Local Oral Health Program 

Maryna Spiegel joined the San Francisco LOHP in April 2024 and works closely with the school based oral health services team. Maryna brings 14 years of public health program management experience, and leads the local collective impact efforts to improve access to dental care in traditional and non-traditional settings, build medical-dental integration, and support community oral health education and promotion.  

Jodeci Felix-Rodriguez, MPH Project Director and Health Educator, Fresno County Department of Public Health, Local Oral Health Program 

Jodeci is a Health Educator with the Fresno County Department of Public Health, Local Oral Health Program and has served the county for about 3 years, taking on the role of Project Director for the LOHP in August of 2023. Jodeci has a master’s in public health with an emphasis in health promotion from the California State University, Fresno. Her experience also includes employee wellness development and chronic disease management education.   

Recording (1:29:21)

Links and resources shared:

KOHA Data Collection and Reporting

Care Coordination

Communicating KOHA Data 

Resources Recently Added to the COHTAC Website

 

Q&A:

  1. There are schools missing from the SCOHR website for our county. Who should I reach out to? First reach out to the SCOHR team ([email protected]). If you haven’t received a response from SCOHR, you can contact Vyshiali Sundararajan ([email protected]) with the Office of Oral Health (OOH) who can help connect you with SCOHR support to resolve the issue. 

  2. Is there updated guidance on including TK in KOHA reporting? Not yet. OOH is currently reviewing this issue with program and policy partners. Additional guidance will be shared once available, though timing is still to be determined due to the ongoing KOHA audit. 

  3. The 2024-2025 state-level data is based on 34% participation. Can we conclude improvements from 2004-2005 given that KOHA participation in 2024-2025 was low? This is part of the reason why participation rate outcomes are being prioritized (% of children with reported KOHA and % of school districts with reported KOHA); they are easier to pull inferences from. As participation increases, inferences about caries outcomes will become more accurate. Reporting participation data has become more challenging with the addition of TK; OOH will share additional guidance once available.  

  4. Will guidance on TK/K reporting be issued before the 2026 reporting deadline? Unlikely. Given that the KOHA audit is ongoing, there will be a broader discussion on KOHA updates based on the audit’s findings and recommendations. Thank you for your patience. 

  5. Is there a flagging system in place that notifies the person entering KOHA data when something is incorrect? The KOHA Data Input Form Excel Worksheet includes an error-checking tab (“SCOHR Data Input Form format” tab) that helps identify inconsistencies before data are uploaded. Users are encouraged to review and resolve flagged issues prior to SCOHR submission. SCOHR also flags certain data points, but it does not capture all potential errors. For a tutorial on using the KOHA Data Input Form Excel Worksheet, visit: https://oralhealthsupport.ucsf.edu/our-programs/school-programs/KOHA/data#koha_excel.  

  6. Is San Diego LOHP reviewing school-level data and removing/not uploading to SCOHR through QI strategies? In previous years, SCOHR did not accept aggregate school data when the number of students eligible did not equal the sum of assessments, waivers, and non-response. Because San Diego LOHP uses the bulk upload option, they have screened out school-level data that did not meet these criteria prior to submission. For local analyses, these data are also omitted. Separate tracking measures are used for the total number of schools reporting any data and the number of schools that meet data quality criteria, which are then used for analysis. 

  7. For more in-depth tips on KOHA data collection and uploading to SCOHR, check out COHTAC’s KOHA Data Part 1 webinar: https://oralhealthsupport.ucsf.edu/events/cohtac-share-learn-simplifying-kindergarten-oral-health-assessment-koha-data-process    

  8. Is it better to receive a waiver instead of receiving a “no” on the permission slip without a waiver? Waivers can provide useful insight into why a child was not screened and can help identify barriers to participation. If families choose not to participate in school-based screenings, you can first encourage them to complete the KOHA form at their own dentist.  

  9. Are there efforts to align student health record systems with KOHA requirements? At this time, there is no standardized statewide effort to align other student health record systems with KOHA requirements. Some districts have adapted existing systems (yes/no checkbox that the data was collected, using unused fields to capture information needed). 

  10. Are there updates on provider training for KOHA? A proposal for KOHA provider training is going through an approval process. Additional updates will be shared as they become available. 

  11. Are there consequences for schools that do not report KOHA data? There are no formal policy consequences for schools that do not report KOHA data. The requirement is to collect the data. LOHPs can encourage participation, provide support, and share successful examples. 

  12. What are the LOHPs’ relationships with schools/districts like? Do they coordinate specific times to meet about KOHA? Stanislaus LOHP does not have regularly scheduled meetings and instead connects with schools on an as-needed basis when technical assistance or support is requested. San Diego LOHP partners with the County Office of Education to convene district nurses three times per year and offers office hours leading up to KOHA data reporting. Earlier meetings in the year focus more broadly on oral health topics (e.g., education and preventive services), while later office hours (February–May) focus specifically on KOHA data reporting.