FPN Florida Health Funders Meeting

Please join us for our next meeting of the Florida Health Funders as we welcome Floridians for Dental Access (FLDA). Led by Dr. Frank Catalanotto, DMD, FLDA is the state’s leading coalition of supporters working to analyze local, state, and national oral health data, elevate voices of citizens most affected by lack of dental access, and discover and promote participation in short-term and longer-term solutions that will make a difference in access to oral health. 

During our meeting, FLDA will discuss their work to increase access to dental care and update us on their current efforts to secure authorization of dental therapy in Florida. They will discuss the history of this work, their partnership with American Children’s Campaign, and highlight what it takes to move impactful legislation through the Florida Legislature.

Featured Speakers

Frank Catalanotto, DMD

Dr. Frank Catalanotto is the founder and President of Floridians for Dental Access. He is the former dean and currently Professor Emeritus in the Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science at the University of Florida College of Dentistry. While Dean, he initiated the UF Statewide Network for Community Health to provide increased community based educational opportunities for dental students and residents, while also significantly increasing access to oral health care for underserved patients. He was also responsible for Florida’s decision to authorize Medicaid reimbursement of medical personnel for providing preventive dental procedures. He is a Past President of the American Dental Education Association. He is the co-author of more than 110 scientific publications and has been the principal investigator or co-investigator for numerous federal, state and foundation grants. Dr. Catalanotto’s current advocacy efforts are focused on new emerging oral workforce models with a focus on dental therapy. He was a founding member of the National Partnership for Dental Therapy and the National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity. The opinions he expresses are his own and are not the official opinion of any organization with which he is associated. 

Roy Miller

Roy Miller is the President & Founder of American Children’s Campaign. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from Florida State University with a degree in social work, Roy took charge of an 8-hour-per-day teen crisis hotline. He grew it into a multi-county operation that later became Tampa Bay 211. He also built two runaway crisis shelters and was a leader in creating the Florida Network of Youth and Family Services. He was recruited from the nonprofit sector to become a full-service political consultant with an outstanding win ratio. He returned to his roots in child advocacy in 1992 to form a nonpartisan children’s advocacy and public education project, which grew into American Children’s Campaign.

Karen Bonsignori

Karen Bonsignori is the Director of Strategic Communications for the American Children’s Campaign. Karen is an award-winning communications and marketing professional whose specialty is helping under-recognized organizations and public causes achieve the awareness and visibility they deserve. Prior to joining American Children’s Campaign, she served as associate vice president of External Relations for a national nonprofit with 40 programs for at-risk youth, as well as directed public relations for some of Tampa Bay’s leading PR and advertising agencies. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards including the top public relations award in the state of Florida ― the prestigious Dick Pope All Florida Golden Image Award. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt University and completed post baccalaureate studies in Public Relations Management at University of Florida. 

Registration

Member - Complimentary