Wayne Stephens, DDS, MBA, MPH

2021-2022

Joseph L. Henry Oral Health Fellow

MPA Candidate, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge, MA

Wayne Stephens, DDS, MBA has spent his career working to improve the lives of children. He cares deeply about health care equity, and to that end, he established the first pediatric dental specialty practice at a South Florida Federally Qualified Health Center. Most recently, he served as Jessie Trice Community Health System’s Director of Pediatric Dental Health and Wellness where he developed policies and strategies for improving oral health for children served in clinical settings and in school based health programs. Dr. Stephens advocates for addressing the challenges of systemic inequities through an intersectional lens. In this regard, he serves on the boards of Florida Health Justice Project and the Foundation for New Education Initiatives, non-profit organizations employing innovative approaches to structural problems.

Dr. Stephens is board certified in Pediatric Dentistry and he obtained his specialty training at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. He graduated from Columbia University in 2010 after completing a dual degree program with the College of Dental Medicine and the Graduate School of Business. He is a recipient of the National Dental Association President's Award for Leadership as well as Columbia University College of Dental Medicine’s Dean's Award in Leadership. He is a former President of the American Student Dental Association. In 2017, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry chose him for their Samuel D. Harris Fellowship in Oral Health Care Policy

 

Learn more about The Joseph L. Henry Oral Health Fellowship in Minority Health Policy

Using Behavioral Science Techniques to Increase Performance on the MassHealth Oral Health Measure for an Accountable Care Organization - Community Care Cooperative (C3)

Objectives:

  1. Design a pre-implementation campaign using SMS reminders to improve performance on the MassHealth oral health measure for C3.
  2. Apply evidence-based behavioral science interventions to improve dental utilization
  3. Estimate the likely effect of the campaign on dental utilization.

Background: In January 2020, MassHealth began including an oral health measure to its quality indicators for Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs). ACOs are required to report the percentage of members under age 21 who received a comprehensive or periodic oral evaluation during the past year. The measure is aimed at providing more preventive oral health services, which reduces the need for more invasive and costly treatments as dental disease progresses.

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of childhood, occurring five times as frequently as asthma. Significant disparities occur with respect to race and socioeconomic status. 44% of Black children and 46% of Hispanic children experience caries, in contrast to only 31% of White children.

Regular visits to the dentist help establish a dental home for children. The dental home is the oral health equivalent of the medical home concept, a primary care model of care endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics which is designed to improve patient outcomes.

Methods:

  1. Performed a literature review to establish evidence for “reminders” improving utilization in dental and related healthcare services.
  2. Strategically evaluated different types of reminder for advantages and limitations.
  3. Used behavioral science and Theory of Planned Behavior to design a pilot study consisting of different interventions based on evidence from literature.
  4. Estimated impact of program prior to final rollout based on review of literature and adjustment for behavioral science interventions.

Results: Currently in progress - Pilot to be launched Q3 2022 and projected timeline to project rollout Q4, 2022.

Future Directions: Write up program findings and establish a working model/process to use behavioral science-based SMS reminders to increase utilization of dental preventive services in lower income pediatric populations.

Preceptor: Joseph Mando, Director of Quality (C3)