Oregon remains a state where far too many children never see a dentist. The negative effects that poor oral health can have on a child are devastating. It can cripple them developmentally, socially and academically. The Oregon Educators Benefit Board (OEBB) and ODS created the Children's Program in partnership with Willamette Dental, Kaiser and Oregon dentists to ensure that uninsured children in the state of Oregon have access to dental care. The program provides basic dental services for children between the ages of 5 and 18 who reside in Oregon and are not covered under any dental plan (OHP is a dental plan).

How it works

Working with Oregon schools, pediatricians, hospital emergency rooms and county health departments to identify children in need of care, ODS will refer patients to participating dentists for no-fee treatment. Oregon dentists help fund the program by contributing a portion of their fees when treating OEBB members. Patients have zero responsibility or out-of-pocket costs for services covered. Patients are referred to a coordinator at ODS who makes the referral to dentists working with the Children's Program.

If you would like to refer a patient to the Children's Program, please fill out our referral form . Referrals are on an as-needed basis and not simply an open enrollment for students without insurance. In addition, referrals must come from an authorized representative from the child's school, county health department, ER or pediatrician's office. Referrals from parents or legal guardians are not accepted.

ODS and Quest Diagnostics help members save

Quest Diagnostics has become the new preferred laboratory partner for ODS. When you use Quest Diagnostics for lab work, you'll enjoy a lower out-of-pocket cost - potentially saving more than 60 percent compared with hospital-based labs. The following numbers show average testing fees for typical lab work at various types of labs:

• Quest Diagnostics: $3.85
• Hospital-based labs: $16.65
• Nonparticipating labs: $26.24

Quest Diagnostics is the world's leading provider of diagnostic testing, information and services. ODS' partnership with Quest Diagnostics gives members access to high-quality care, while offering savings that really add up.

Quest Diagnostics also delivers:

• Convenient access to testing services at 14 patient service centers (PSCs) in Oregon
• An online PSC locator and appointment scheduling to minimize wait times
• More than 3,000 clinical, esoteric and anatomic pathology tests performed at one of 32 testing facilities nationwide
• Consultation with more than 800 M.D. and Ph.D. specialists for rare or difficult test results

Be sure to let your provider know that he or she should have all of your lab work sent to Quest Diagnostics.

More information about Quest Diagnostics, PSC locations or appointment scheduling is available at www.questdiagnostics.com/patient or via phone at 888-277-8772.

Oregon School Employee Wellness Education Conference 

School employees are a valuable asset to our communities because they nurture and shape the health and learning of students. The OEA Choice Trust in collaboration with OEA, ODS, COSA, OEBB, Multnomah County Health, Alliance for a Healthier Generation and Oregon Public Health will host the Oregon School Employee Wellness Education Conference: It Starts With YOU! in Bend from March 25-27. The overarching goal of the conference is to promote the health and well-being of Oregon school employees by building a healthy learning environment. 

The Oregon School Employee Wellness Education Conference is designed to be interactive and provide participants with the resources and tools to promote health and wellness in their schools and communities. Sessions will highlight effective strategies to address the following conference objectives:

• Build personal skills to improve overall health of students and school employees
• Create a culture of wellness at schools
• Establish a school team to develop a plan of action for employee wellness
• Access state, local and national resources to support school employee wellness

Attend the conference to connect and learn from your peers - school employees, administrators and school board members that are making a difference. Bring your family and enjoy the beauty of Bend while participating in fun, engaging wellness activities. Plus, 1 CPE Credit/10 CPDUs have been applied for. 

Visit the conference website for more information and to register. Register a colleague and your name will be entered in a drawing for an iPad.

For questions regarding the conference, please contact:

Jake Rooks, OEA Choice Trust

800-452-0914, ext. 105

 [email protected] 

For questions regarding the registration website please contact:

Rosalie Oekerman

Beatty Group Int'l

503-644-3340

 [email protected] 

The ODS health coaching team is pleased to offer a financial incentive for new participants in the ODS Care Program. The first 100 ODS members to complete the initial health coaching survey and speak to a health coach for one session will receive a $10 gift card from www.giftcertificates.com.

The ODS Care Program is a customized health coaching program for ODS members. A clinical team of expert health coaches use nationally recognized, evidence-based practice guidelines and Patient Activation Measures to provide information and support as you set goals and gain the confidence you need to manage your own health and healthcare. You can work with an ODS health coach one on one over the phone or through email. Topics include:

• Heart health                  
• Spine and joint health   
• Coping with stress     
• Women's health         
• Respiratory health      
• Staying active
• Depression
• Diabetes
• Maternity care
• Healthy weight

Support also includes reminders for needed care and screenings that are overdue, as well as help staying on track with medications. You may be invited to participate in the health coaching program by one of your healthcare providers or a representative from ODS, or you can decide to sign up for a session on your own.

The gift incentive is available to new coaching participants only, and each member is eligible for one gift card.  To learn more about the ODS Care Programs visit the Health Tools section of our OEBB-member website. 

For health coaching information, contact:

Portland 503-243-3957

Toll-free at 800-913-4957

TTY users, please dial 711

Email us at [email protected].