Non-ventilator healthcare-associated pneumonia (NV-HAP) is the most common healthcare-associated infection in the United States. Preventing NV-HAP can reduce costs, length of hospitalization, and death. One strategy that may help prevent NV-HAP is to incorporate routine oral healthcare before and during hospital stays.

Hospitals that deliver consistent oral care have reported decreased rates of NV-HAP with corresponding cost savings rising into the millions of dollars. Last month, OSAP and CDC’s Division of Oral Health and hosted a webinar discussing a newly developed Oral Health in Healthcare Settings to Prevent Pneumonia Toolkit for hospital staff and members of the NV-HAP prevention team. This toolkit serves as a ready-to-use resource on how to educate healthcare personnel and patients on the best quality oral care practices and the potential role of oral care in preventing NV-HAP and increasing overall good health.

This toolkit will serve as a primary resource for a new collaborative workgroup in CDC’s efforts to advance medical-dental integration in the US. Learn about CDC’s forthcoming national action framework that will outline opportunities to integrate medical and dental services in different health care settings and will include strategies that can be implemented at local, state, national, and healthcare system levels. The webinar also highlighted partnership opportunities to support whole-person integrated care through medical-dental collaboration to prevent NV-HAP.