A House panel has advanced a bill that would add a mid-level dental provider in Florida, setting off a debate over whether the new role would expand access to care or allow irreversible procedures by non-dentists.

HB 363, sponsored by Republican Rep. Linda Chaney of St. Pete Beach, would create a dental therapist position to work between hygienists and dentists on the dental care team. 

Chaney told the House Health Professions and Programs Subcommittee that the therapists would provide preventive and routine restorative care such as filling cavities, placing temporary crowns and extracting “badly diseased or lose teeth” under collaborative agreements with supervising dentists.

She and other supporters argue that the expanded dental care team would grow access to dental care. Opponents warn about the need for the more experienced dentist’s hands on the wheel in case a simple extraction is not so simple.

The subcommittee approved the bill 13 to 3. It is the third time Chaney has submitted the measure for approval from the Legislature.

“Sixty-six of our 67 counties are federally designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA’s),” Chaney said. “Fifty-nine million Floridians live in these 274 dental HPSA’s. … The need is significant.”

Chaney explained that the bill is driven by a statewide shortage of about 1,300 dentists, and that 66 of 67 counties are federally designated health professional shortage areas. She said dental therapy programs already operate in other states and that colleges in Florida are prepared to launch tailor made programs for the position.

Chaney said therapists could practice only within their training and licensure, and under a collaborative management agreement that dentists can mold. 

“The goal of the bill is to increase access, reduce costs, allow dentists to do more advanced procedures and see more patients,” she said.

Catherine Cabanzon, a licensed dental hygienist and former Chair of the Florida Board of Dentistry, said she has seen access challenges across the state.

Cabanzon pushed back on concerns about training, saying dental therapy programs are developed by the same accrediting commission that oversees dental and dental hygiene standards. She said that therapists take the same exam as dentists for the procedures they perform.

“We have been going through this cycle over and over and over again, it is time for us to look at different tools and the tool box,” Cabanzon said. “There’s not one answer to this problem. There’s multiple answers to it.”

Opponents urged lawmakers to reject the bill, arguing that irreversible procedures should remain in the hands of fully trained dentists. Retired Navy and general dentist Merlin Ohmer, who served 30 years on active duty, said that in his experience, even seemingly simple extractions can become complicated.

“I can tell you there’s no such thing as a simple extraction until the tooth is out and laying on the table,” he said. “You don’t know, and you can’t tell, until the procedure is complete.” 

Chaney said dentists would retain authority to decide what procedures therapists can perform, and that their licenses remain on the line. 

She argues the bill fixes a specific problem with access to care in Florida: that low Medicaid participation leaves many people without options.

“The dentist’s license is going to be on the line, that their therapist is performing procedures that they are comfortable with,” Chaney said. “Only 18%, or 1 in 5 dentists, take Medicaid. So there’s a whole lot of patients out there that don’t have access to dental care, they end up in the ER.”

The bill has one more committee stop in front of the House Health & Human Services Committee.

Tampa General Hospital (TGH) CEO John Couris has made Modern Healthcare’s list of the 100 most innovative and prominent health care leaders in the nation.

The annual Modern Healthcare Power 100 is one of the industry’s most highly regarded accolades. It recognizes executives, health care leaders and policymakers for their impact in breaking down barriers, advancing innovations and elevating quality of care. 

Couris is widely known as a transformative leader in health care. He partners and collaborates with organizations across sectors and from all over the world, while leading an ever-growing, integrated academic health system in partnership with the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine that includes more than seven hospitals, powered by approximately 15,000 team members and providers.

“John’s vision and commitment to excellence have positioned Tampa General as a leader not only in Florida, but nationally,” said Drew Graham, chair of the Florida Health Sciences | Tampa General Hospital Board of Directors. “His ability to unite innovation, quality and compassion is transforming health care delivery and improving lives across the communities we serve, and more broadly by setting new standards for the industry to follow.”

Under Couris’ leadership, Tampa General has expanded its geographic footprint while at the same time enhancing its quality of care and patient experience. 

Through strategic acquisitions and innovative partnerships, Tampa General is now a comprehensive network of hospitals, which includes a specialized rehabilitation hospital and a behavioral health teaching hospital, as well as outpatient centers, urgent care clinics, virtual health services and TGH at Home, TGH’s hospital at home program. 

The integrated academic health system’s quality and safety performance rank among the top 30% of academic medical centers nationally, as measured by Vizient. 

“I am deeply honored to be recognized among this group of visionaries, representing a multi-disciplinary group of professionals who are relentless in advancing health care excellence, driving innovation and improving health outcomes for the people we serve across the country,” Couris said. “Together, we are proving that by advancing cutting-edge research, ensuring the best possible education for the next generation of health care professionals and delivering personalized and compassionate care, we can transform the future of health care in Florida and beyond.”

Couris is active in advocacy on the state and federal levels, having helped shape health policy, including the At HOME Services Act and the Live Healthy Act. In partnership with the state, Couris established Florida’s first behavioral health teaching hospital. He also was appointed to Florida’s Health Care Innovation Council by former Senate President Kathleen Passidomo. 

Couris is cementing Florida’s reputation as a global destination for world-class health care. with the creation of the Tampa Medical & Research District (TMRD). The district, anchored by Tampa General and USF Health, is an intersection of premier clinical care, exceptional academics, cutting-edge medical research and innovative life sciences and biotechnology companies. The TMRD fosters collaboration and innovation by providing access to educational opportunities and promoting new career pathways, advancing health care research and driving economic growth. 

Couris is the only health system leader in the state of Florida to receive the best-in-class honor from Modern Healthcare.