National Network of Healthcare Hygienists (NNHH) announces that their Oral Systemic Educator Certificate Program has been officially accredited by ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB), the largest multidisciplinary accreditation body in the western hemisphere, making it the first dental certificate program in the world to receive such recognition. This landmark achievement underscores the program's commitment to excellence and its role in setting a global standard for education in the field of oral health integration.
The accreditation of the Oral Systemic Educator Certificate Program is a testament to the rigorous standards, comprehensive curriculum, and innovative teaching methodologies employed by NNHH. Designed to empower registered dental hygienists with missing knowledge and practical skills, the program emphasizes the critical role of the RDH as a missing collaborative care team member in health-care systems.
The first to follow both AGD PACE and ANAB standards
The Oral Systemic Educator Certificate Program has now met or exceeded the standards set forth by the Academy of General Dentistry’s Program Approval for Continuing Education (AGD PACE) through a joint providership with UpScale Education, as well as the global standards of ASTM E2659-18 for certificate programs through ANAB.
It took two years for ANAB to comb through evidence submitted by NNHH, allowing time for refinement of content that did not meet the standard. With ANSI accreditation, the ethics and sustainability of the organization and its leadership, as well as all major components of the individual program itself, are thoroughly examined, offering a mark of quality and excellence above “approved CE.” NNHH has raised the bar on continuing education in dental hygiene, and all of dentistry, as well as created new career pathways for RDHs.
"The accreditation of our Oral Systemic Educator Certificate Program is not just a milestone for us, but a giant leap forward for the entire health-care industry, addressing a workforce gap," said Jamie Dooley, founder of NNHH. "This recognition validates our commitment to preparing dental hygienists to work in integrated settings and sets a new global standard for specialty certificate programs in dentistry.”
Filling a crucial gap in health-care education
With the increasing recognition of the link between oral health and systemic diseases, the need for specialized education in this area has never been more critical. NNHH’s accredited program addresses this gap, offering RDHs the opportunity to become certificate holders in oral-systemic education, filtering unbiased, unsponsored, research-based data and protocols to practicing hygienists, while also becoming key team players in true patient-centered care.
“Many people do not know that RDHs are comparable to RNs in education level, continuing education requirements, and licensing. We are educated and passionate health-care providers who are experts in assessing oral health, preventing oral-systemic disease, and educating providers and patients on the latest techniques, products, and research,” Dooley stated.
An example of excellence
Brianne Carter, RDH, is a Certificate Holder of Oral Systemic Education (CH-OSE). While completing her capstone project, she developed an integrative pilot program offering oral health education and referrals in her system’s women’s clinic. The results were so successful that she was promoted to dental director and now supervises a team of integrated dental hygienists working in multiple specialty clinics systemwide. The first thing she does is enroll them in the Oral Systemic Educator Certificate Program.
“Ideally, every specialty medical office should have at least one integrated RDH (I-RDH) trained in oral-systemic health and education available to assess, educate, refer to a dental home, and follow up, as well as educate and collaborate with medical teams for true health equity that finally includes oral health. We are proud to be on the leading edge of this model in action,” Carter said.
NNHH is the leading organization dedicated to offering accredited certificate programs to RDHs with a desire to work in specialty areas of medicine. Through its innovative programs and collaborative initiatives, NNHH is committed to making it easy for hygienists with specialized knowledge to share their expertise with each other, advancing the entire profession into a new era. For information visit healthcarehygienists.org or email [email protected].
