National Oral Health Council - Charter

Refer to: OCPS

1. PURPOSE.  The National Oral Health Council (NOHC) will advocate for improvements in the oral health of American Indians/Alaska Natives by advising and assisting the Indian Health Service (IHS) leadership concerning relevant health issues and policies while promoting integration of oral health into overall health.
2. AUTHORITY.  The NOHC functions under the guidance and authority of the IHS, Division of Oral Health (DOH) and the Director, Office of Clinical and Preventive Services.
3. MEMBERSHIP.  The NOHC is a permanent IHS National Council consisting of all federal dental staff in the IHS/Tribal/Urban Indian Organization (I/T/U) programs. The NOHC comprises two standing committees.
   1. Executive Leadership Committee.  The Executive Leadership Committee (ELC) is the leadership body of the NOHC with final voting and decision-making privileges for establishing NOHC priorities and procedures. The ELC is composed of the Area Dental Officers (ADO) appointed by each Area and the Headquarters staff of the DOH. The Chair of the ELC is the Director of the DOH or designee selected by the Director of the DOH.
   2. Field Advisory Committee.  The Field Advisory Committee (FAC) of the NOHC is a subsidiary of and responsive to the ELC. The composition of the FAC is as follows, with all officers being federal IHS employees:
      1. one dentist from each Area to serve as the Area representative,
      2. one dental assistant,
      3. one dental hygienist,
      4. one dental therapist,
      5. one ADO, and
      6. one DOH Headquarters (HQ) employee.

      Each representative will serve a two-year term. The two-year terms of the Area representatives are staggered to prevent complete turnover of the group. In December of odd numbered calendar years, Alaska Area, Albuquerque Area, Bemidji Area, Billings Area, California Area, and Great Plains Area will select new representatives to begin in January of the following year. Likewise, in even numbered calendar years, Oklahoma City Area, Nashville Area, Navajo Area, Phoenix Area, Portland Area, and Tucson Area will select new representatives to begin in January of the following year. Area representatives will be recommended by the ADO and selected by a consensus of dentists employed in their respective Area. If no consensus is reached, the ADO will select the Area representative for the FAC. The professional representatives are selected by consensus from their respective peers. The ADO and DOH HQ employee are appointed by the Chair of the ELC.

      Officers of the FAC consist of the Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary. The Chair and Vice-Chair will serve a one-year term with the option of extending to a three-year term with the support of both the ELC and FAC. The Chair and the Vice-Chair of the FAC will be Area Representatives selected by a majority vote of the FAC. The Vice-Chair becomes the FAC Chair after their term as FAC Vice-Chair. The Secretary will be elected by the FAC members for a two-year term. When a FAC member leaves prior to the end of their term, replacement will be at the discretion of the FAC Chair.

      1. Work of the FAC will be established, reviewed, and approved by the ELC.
      2. The FAC will develop a work plan and submit it to the ELC by June 15th of each year.
      3. The ELC will review and edit (as necessary) the work plan and deliver an ELC-approved FAC final work plan to the FAC by July 15th of each year.
      4. All representatives will be chosen and be in place by the January following the year of their selection. The terms will be for two years and go from January 1 – December 31.
   3. Other Committees.  The NOHC Chair may establish standing or ad hoc committees to perform specific projects or tasks.
4. RESPONSIBILITIES.  
   1. The NOHC.  The primary goals and responsibilities of the NOHC are to:
      1. Provide a national forum to identify issues and develop initiatives that address oral health needs of the Agency.
      2. Provide guidance for clinical dental practice in I/T/U programs.
      3. Promote improved access to dental care:
         1. a. Address issues which compromise an adequate health workforce;
         2. Advocate for modernization of existing facilities;
         3. Advocate for additional dental facilities;
         4. Improve clinical efficiency;
         5. Decrease oral disease burden;
         6. Advocate for resources; and
         7. Advocate for patient care quality improvements.
   2. The ELC.  The primary roles and responsibilities of the ELC are:
      1. Improve dental program management through better communication and involvement in the overall health program.
      2. Represent the I/T/U dental staff concerns and serve as a conduit to the IHS leadership:
         1. Initiate proposals for health care strategies and policies;
         2. Participate actively in policy development, review, and implementation;
         3. Participate in agency strategic planning; and
         4. Share information among council members
5. MEETINGS, STAFF SUPPORT, AND BUDGET.  
   1. The NOHC meets biennially with its general membership at the IHS Dental Updates meeting. Travel costs are the responsibility of the member’s employer
   2. The ELC meets monthly by conference call. When funding is available and it is safe to meet in person, the ELC meets face to face once each year or as needed at the discretion of the Director of the IHS or other designated official.
   3. The ELC Chair and/or ELC members shall attend meetings of the Indian Health Leadership Council (IHLC), the IHS Executive Leadership Group (ELG), meetings with the Director of the IHS, and other leadership meetings as needed.
   4. The FAC of the NOHC may meet one time each year at an approved venue by the ELC. Conference calls will be set by the Chair of the FAC and occur every month or as needed. For any meeting or conference call there must be at least 50 percent of the voting members of the FAC present to establish a quorum. If a FAC member cannot participate, it is the member’s responsibility to appoint an alternate. Failure to attend or appoint an alternate for two sessions within a twelve-month period is grounds for dismissal at the discretion of the Chair. Replacement of dismissed members shall be at the discretion of the Chair.
   5. The Chair of the FAC may attend other ADO and DOH meetings as requested. The expenses incurred by the FAC Chair to attend these meetings shall be reimbursed from the IHS dental program.
6. RELATIONSHIPS.  The ELC or Chair of the NOHC will be available to present issues related to oral health to the Director of the IHS, ELG, or the IHLC. The Chair of the FAC will present the work plan for the NOHC FAC for the coming year and progress made on the prior year’s work plan to the ELC.
7. AMENDMENTS.  This Charter may be amended by a simple majority vote of the ELC and processed through the Director, Division of Regulatory and Policy Coordination, Office of Management Services.
8. SUPERSEDURE.  This circular supersedes IHS Circular No. 2001-02, “Charter, National Oral Health Council,” dated March 6, 2001.
9. EFFECTIVE DATE.  This circular is effective upon the date of signature.

Distribution: IHS-wide
Date:04/20/2023