title: The Oral Health Care Manager in a Patient-Centered Health Facility.
abstract: The dental hygienist team member has an opportunity to coordinate care within an interprofessional practice as an oral health care manager.
  
  
  
  Although dental hygienists are currently practicing within interprofessional teams in settings such as pediatric offices, hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and federally qualified health centers, they often still assume traditional responsibilities rather than practicing to the full extent of their training and licenses. This article explains the opportunity for the dental hygiene professional to embrace patient-centered care as an oral health care manager who can facilitate integration of oral and primary care in a variety of health care settings.
  
  
  
  Based on an innovative model of collaboration between a college of dentistry and a college of nursing, an idea emerged among several faculty members for a new management method for realizing continuity and coordination of comprehensive patient care. Involved faculty members began working on the development of an approach to interprofessional practice with the dental hygienist serving as an oral health care manager who would address both oral health care and a patient's related primary care issues through appropriate referrals and follow-up. This approach is explained in this article, along with the results of several pilot studies that begin to evaluate the feasibility of a dental hygienist as an oral health care manager.
  
  
  
  A health care provider with management skills and leadership qualities is required to coordinate the interprofessional provision of comprehensive health care. The dental hygienist has the opportunity to lead closer integration of oral and primary care as an oral health care manager, by coordinating the team of providers needed to implement comprehensive, patient-centered care.
authors.affiliation: EdD, RDH, Dental Hygiene Programs, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: cmw1@nyu.edu.
authors.forename: Cheryl Westphal
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Theile
authors.affiliation: PhD, New York University College of Nursing, Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Shiela M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.affiliation: PhD, MPH, Department of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Mary Evelyn
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Northridge
authors.affiliation: MS, RDH, Department of Epidemiology & Health Promotion, New York University College of Dentistry; MS, RDH, Dental Hygiene Programs.
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Birenz
mesh_terms: D003756:Dental Hygienists; D006268:Health Facilities; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D009909:Oral Health; D010348:Patient Care Team; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care; D024382:Professional Role
keywords: Dental hygienist; Interprofessional core competencies; Oral health care; Oral health care manager; Patient-centered care; Primary care