Helen Hawkey, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health , received the 2025 M. Dean Perkins Distinguished Service Award presented by the Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD) at the 2025 National Oral Health Conference last week. Helen was presented the award by Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health board member, Kelly Braun, Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health. The Distinguished Service Award is for a member, associate member, non-member, or organization who has made a significant contribution to ASTDD programs, initiatives, or dental public health. PA Coalition for Oral Health (PCOH) serves as the dynamic leading voice to improve oral health across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PCOH promotes oral workforce development, advocates for community water fluoridation, and advances and advocates for oral health policy and infrastructure across all systems. By bringing together a diverse group of leaders from across the state from schools of public health, philanthropic organizations, businesses, dental organizations, health insurance firms, advocacy organizations, state agencies, and other champions, PCOH has built a powerful coalition of more than 1,000 individual and organizational stakeholders.

What Are FQHCs and Why Do They Matter?  Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are community-based outpatient clinics that provide comprehensive primary care services to individuals regardless of their insurance status or ability to pay³. Established under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act, FQHCs are designed to improve access to care in medically underserved areas and among vulnerable populations. In addition to primary and preventive care, FQHCs offer enabling services such as interpretation, transportation, and case management to address social and logistical barriers to care. While the terms Community Health Center (CHC) and Federally Qualified Health Centre (FQHC) are often used interchangeably in literature, a CHC is a nonprofit clinic serving underserved areas, and most CHCs are FQHCs, but not all are; however, FQHC is a community health center that meets federal requirements to receive special funding and reimbursement. To qualify as an FQHC, an organization must meet stringent federal requirements regarding service scope, quality standards, governance, and accessibility. A key feature is the requirement to operate under a governing board where a majority of members are patients; ensuring the center remains responsive to community needs. FQHCs receive federal grant funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and benefit from enhanced reimbursement under Medicaid and Medicare through the Prospective Payment System (PPS). This financial model is crucial to sustaining care delivery in high-need and low-resource communities.