The South Carolina Oral Health Coalition (SCOHC)  has undertaken a significant transformation to become the South Carolina Oral Health Action Network (SCOHAN) in its commitment to improving oral health outcomes for the state. This action-focused organization brings together oral health stakeholders, public and private entities, and community-based organizations to support, promote, and enhance oral health for all individuals in South Carolina. This strategic move is in response to Priority 1 of the South Carolina State Oral Health Plan (SOHP), which aims to improve the state’s oral health infrastructure at the state, regional, and local levels. The goal of this initiative is to enhance the quality of life of populations disproportionately affected by oral disease. By expanding and transforming into SCOHAN, the organization is taking a proactive approach to achieving these objectives and will continue to work tirelessly to promote and improve oral health outcomes in the state.  

Vision

The vision of SCOHAN is to improve the oral health status of all South Carolinians through collaborative partnerships, innovative evidence-based initiatives, oral health integration, and preventive public health strategies.

Mission

To improve oral health for all South Carolinians through partnerships prioritizing equity, equality and access for vulnerable populations.

Oral health is more than clean and healthy teeth. The oral cavity, or mouth, is our primary mechanism for eating, and communicating with others, and directly influences our susceptibility to diseases.

SCOHAN supports the quality of oral health by:

•  strengthening and expanding a collaborative network that is informed about the status of oral health in SC and understands the existing initiatives and programs that are responding to those identified needs and how they address the priorities of the State Oral Health Plan;
• establishing a structure to house and disseminate oral health information, training, and resources that motivate others to action and create a platform to mobilize collective action to facilitate oral health improvements in SC;
• complementing the efforts of the DPH Section of Oral Health (SOH) and other state and non-state oral health entities;
• operationalizing partnerships to improve oral health advocacy and inform policy development;
• and establishing quarterly engagements for sharing innovative ideas including integrating oral health into education and health care system models.