February 14, 2025
Working with Legislators - Advancing Oral Health Policy
Presented by:
Gary Harbison, MA, Executive Director, MCOH and Ashley Herrman, MPH, CHES, Community Outreach & Project Development Director, MCOH
View a recording of this presentation
This webinar will equip you with essential advocacy information and prepare you for discussions with legislators about the Coalition's legislative priorities.
Legislative visits are an effective way to demonstrate to lawmakers that oral health is a priority for Missourians. Missouri legislators want to hear from you! If you have never participated in legislative visits before, don't worry; we will answer your questions and provide guidance during the webinar.
Gary Harbison, MA
Executive Director
Gary Harbison has served as the Executive Director of the Missouri Coalition for Oral Health since late December 2011, the year the agency reorganized. He has provided leadership through several significant changes in Missouri oral health, including an historic leap in Medicaid dental provider rates in 2022, the reinstatement of adult dental benefits in Medicaid, the establishment of the Oral Health Caucus in the Missouri legislature and the filling of the MO State Dental Director position after nearly 12 years without oral health leadership within the state system. Mr. Harbison has developed MCOH into a focused and strategic statewide network of advocates dedicated to health equity and access to care. He was awarded Oral Health Champion by the Missouri Dental Hygienists’ Association in 2018. MCOH was awarded Health Advocacy Organization of the Year in 2016. Prior to his work with MCOH, Mr. Harbison has worked in a variety of leadership positions, including the Kansas Mental Health Director, the Maternal & Child Health Title V Director of Special Health Care Needs at the Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services and as the Director of Outcomes Evaluation at the Missouri Department of Mental Health. Mr. Harbison worked in community mental health, psychiatric rehabilitation and hospital-based psychiatric services. Mr. Harbison worked as an individual, marital and family psychotherapist and has worked in community service and in service to people with complex health challenges for most of his career. Mr. Harbison serves on the Board of the American Network of Oral Health Coalitions and is a fellow of the American College of Mental Health Administration. He has a Master of Arts in Psychological Counseling and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, both from Southeast Missouri State University.
Ashley Herrman, MPH
Community Outreach and Project Development Director
Ashley Herrman, MPH, started with the Coalition on August 20, 2018. She began working in a position that is new to the Coalition, the Community Outreach and Project Development Director, which has lead responsibility for broadening the Coalition statewide network. Ashley has a wealth of knowledge and experience. She has a background in public health with a Masters of Public Health from the University of Missouri Columbia and a Bachelor's of Science in Health Science from Truman State University. Ashley has worked in local public health agencies as well as in non-profit organizations. She has extensive experience in tobacco control and prevention, as well as other healthy living initiatives such as access to healthy food and increasing community health through physical activity. Ashley is an advocate for oral health and community relationship building to advance public health policies both locally and at a state level.
January 31, 2025
Wash Yo' Hands: Infection Prevention after the COVID-19 Pandemic
Presented by: Alyssa Aberle, MBA, RDH
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Dental professionals have maintained the highest standards in infection control and prevention for many years. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, we led the way in ensuring the safety of our team and our patients during dental treatments. As we move forward into this new environment—where the general public is now more aware of infection prevention strategies—we must be open to adopting new recommendations and continue to elevate the standards of patient safety.
Alyssa Aberle, MBA, RDH
Alyssa Aberle is a 2009 graduate of the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine dental hygiene program. Alyssa has spent her dental hygiene career working with several local nonprofit organizations, including Kids In Need of Dentistry, Salud Family Health Centers, Colorado Orthodontic Foundation, STRIDE Community Health Center, and Deserving Dental. Through her work within these organizations, she desired to gain business operations and management knowledge to complement her clinical background. In 2013, Alyssa graduated with a Masters in Business Administration from the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Alyssa joined Kim Laudenslager in 2022 as an associate with Laudenslager Seminars. Kim and Alyssa both achieved the Certificate in Dental Infection Prevention and Control (CDIPC) and are among the first 100 people to receive this certification. Kim and Alyssa work with dental teams to provide annual OSHA and infection control training, audit preparation, and consulting to help implement better infection prevention practices for their patients. Alyssa’s background as the Infection Control Coordinator for a large multi-site community health center gives her expertise in implementing systems to efficiently provide safe care. Learn more about Alyssa or contact her by visiting linktr.ee/alyssardh.