Dr. Joseph Boffa
Associate Professor in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research Dr. Joseph Boffa attended the 2015 Northeast Regional White House Conference on Aging Forum, which took place on May 28.
The forum was one of five regional forums that preceded the main White House Conference on Aging on July 13. The four other regional forums took place in Tampa, Phoenix, Seattle, and Cleveland. The goal of all five of these smaller regional forums was to start discussions about issues affecting older Americans, and pass on the notes of these discussions to the main conference.
The White House Conference on Aging occurs approximately once a decade in Washington, D.C. The last conference was in 2005.
The Boston forum attended by Dr. Boffa, which was the last of the five regional forums, took place at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Boston. Dr. Boffa and the other participants of the forum partook in discussions about four topics: healthy aging, long-term services and supports, elder justice, and retirement security.
During the forum, Dr. Boffa explained to the other attendees his belief that wellness programs for the elderly must include a strong emphasis on oral health. He found that several other participants agreed with him.
“As the only dentist at the conference I was gratified to see so many other knowledgeable professionals push for the inclusion of oral health,” said Dr. Boffa. “In maintaining a healthy life style, proper diet is so important and good oral health is paramount.”
He continued, “At least the Northeast Conference report will inform the White House and President Obama the need to start including oral health service in any future health aging program.”
At the national conference July 13, several actions were put in place after the discussions. These actions included the launching of Aging.gov, a one-stop website for information on various resources to help aging American’s live fulfilling, healthy lives.
“Dr. Boffa’s attendance at the White House Conference on Aging Regional Forum proves that oral care is a crucial component of all healthcare programs for elderly Americans,” Said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “I am delighted to hear that several other attendees of the forum shared Dr. Boffa’s views of the importance of quality oral healthcare.”