Fernando T, Shirey S, Surdu S, Moore J. Advancing dental hygiene practice: Regulatory, educational, and policy pathways. J Dent Hyg. 2026;100(5):10-22.
Available at: https://jdh.adha.org/content/100/5/10
Dental hygienists (DHs) play an important role in providing preventive oral health services. Recent changes in scope of practice, care delivery models, and technology have created new opportunities for DHs while also highlighting persistent barriers to workforce utilization and access to care, particularly in underserved communities. This article examines how national dental hygiene leaders perceive the effects of regulatory changes, care delivery innovations, and technology on dental hygiene practice and identifies strategies to advance scope of practice. Findings highlight opportunities to strengthen dental hygiene autonomy, expand educational pathways, improve licensure portability, and increase Medicaid and direct reimbursement to DHs to support a more prevention-focused oral health system.
Shirey S, Fernando T, Surdu S, Moore J. Workplace Indicators and well-being among oral health professionals in HRSA-funded health centers. Health Aff Sch. 2026;4(8). doi:10.1093/haschl/qxag211
Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/haschl/qxag211
Health Resources and Services Administration-supported health centers (HRSA-HCs) are a critical resource for individuals who may otherwise lack access to care, however there is difficulty recruiting oral health providers, which highlights the importance of retaining current staff. Addressing drivers of well-being outcomes, including job satisfaction, burnout, engagement, and intention to stay, may inform efforts to strengthen oral health service capacity in HRSA-HCs. However, prior studies have typically focused on limited well-being outcomes, examined specific oral health professionals, and relied on national-level data that may not capture the unique experiences of providers working in HRSA-HCs. This article examines the workplace factors that influence job satisfaction, engagement, burnout, and intention to stay among dental assistants, dental hygienists, and dentists working in HRSA-HCs across the United States.
Shirey S, Pang J, Surdu S, Fernando T, Moore J. The association between oral health care and pregnancy outcomes of low birth weight and preterm birth: Analysis of the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System from 2016 through 2020. JADA. Published online June 16, 2026. doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2026.03.025
Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2026.03.025
This article utilizes the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data to assess whether pregnant women who receive preventive oral health care services or visit a dentist/dental clinic for oral health problems during pregnancy are less likely to experience preterm births or have babies with low birth weight than those who do not receive oral health care services.
Pang, J, Shirey S, Armstrong D. Exploring the Pay Disparity Between Nursing Faculty and Clinical Nurses. Nurse Educator. November 05, 2025. doi:110.1097/NNE.0000000000002026
Available at: https://journals.lww.com/nurseeducatoronline/fulltext/9900/exploring_the_pay_disparity_between_nursing.842.aspx
This study examines salary differences between nursing faculty and other nurses using 2022 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses data and identified specific factors contributing to these disparities.
Pang J, Surdu S, Fernando T, Moore J. Key factors associated with oral health services at Federally Qualified Health Centers. J Public Health Dent. 2025;85(2):113-124. doi:10.1111/jphd.12659
Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jphd.12659
The dental safety net is a crucial component of the oral health care delivery system providing needed care for vulnerable populations. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are an important part of the dental safety net and serve underserved communities, delivering care to all patients, regardless of income or insurance status. Staffing levels, types of services reimbursed through Medicaid, and funding streams all impact oral health service provision at FQHCs. This article aims to investigate changes in oral health services from 2012 to 2021, using data from 2012-2021 Uniform Data System (UDS), to identify factors influencing the number of different types of services directly provided by FQHCs.
Ramesh T, Armstrong D, Forte GJ, Horvitz-Lennon M, Zhang F, Yu H. Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on New Physician Job Market Outcomes. Med Care. 2025 Mar 11;():10.1097. doi:10.1097/MLR.0000000000002137.
Available at: https://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/abstract/9900/effects_of_the_covid_19_pandemic_on_new_physician.321.aspx#
This article evaluates the pandemic’s impacts on new physician job market outcomes.
Zarek P, Ruttinger C, Armstrong D, Chakrabarti R, Hess DR, Manal TJ, Dall TM, Current and Projected Future Supply and Demand for Physical Therapists From 2022 to 2037: A New Approach Using Microsimulation. Phys Ther. 2025;105(3). doi:10.1093/ptj/pzaf014.
Available at: https://academic.oup.com/ptj/article/105/3/pzaf014/8047019
Assessing the balance between the physical therapist workforce and the demand for services is essential to meeting healthcare needs and understanding the profession’s future. As one of the largest clinical healthcare occupations in the US, physical therapy plays a critical role, especially with an aging population and rising prevalence of conditions requiring care. Ensuring a well-distributed and sufficient workforce is key to providing timely, effective treatment. This article examines current supply and demand trends, projects future workforce needs, and offers insights to help policymakers address shortages, improve training programs, and optimize resource allocation.
Citation: Sasaki N, Pang J, Surdu S, Shirey S, Fernando T, Moore J. Use of oral health services among pregnant women and associations with gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: Insights from the 2016-2020 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System. JADA. Published online January 31, 2025: doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2024.11.013
Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2024.11.013
In the United States, fewer than 40% of pregnant women seek preventive oral health care, highlighting a persistent gap in service utilization. Analysis of Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) data from 2016-2020 (Phase 8) reveals key factors linked to lower oral health care use during pregnancy. These include lack of dental insurance, Medicaid enrollment, absence of routine dental care before pregnancy, and inadequate education from health care providers on the importance of oral health. This study examines diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups to understand better disparities in access to oral health care during pregnancy.
Citation: Sasaki N, Pang J, Surdu S, Morrissey R, Vujicic M, Moore J. Workplace Factors Associated With Job Satisfaction Among Dental Hygienists and Assistants in the United States. Health Affairs Scholar. 2025;3(1). Published online January 13, 2025. doi:10.1093/haschl/qxae147
Available at: https://academic.oup.com/healthaffairsscholar/article/3/1/qxae147/7951759
The dental workforce in the US is facing a significant reduction in the number of dental hygienists and dental assistants. This decline, marked by a 10% decrease in practice capacity in 2022, is impacting the efficiency and quality of dental care services while presenting serious challenges to job satisfaction and the overall well-being of the oral health workforce. This article evaluates job satisfaction among US dental hygienists and assistants and identifies workplace factors contributing to their job satisfaction or dissatisfaction.
Citation: Kang, B, Fernando T, Pang J, Armstrong D, Shirey P. Utilizing federal data to support nursing workforce analysis. Policy Polit Nurs Pract. 2024. Published online October 22, 2024. doi:10.1177/15271544241286078
Available at: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15271544241286078
In this article, researchers review 18 federal data sources pertinent to nursing workforce analysis. They categorize the datasets by their associated federal agency, describe each source, discuss their applicability to nursing workforce studies, present examples of past studies that employed these datasets, and highlight their limitations. Their aim is to help researchers, policymakers, and healthcare administrators efficiently locate and leverage relevant data for their analysis.
