The NOHLI application period is now closed and will reopen in the summer of 2025.

The NNOHA Oral Health Leadership Institute (NOHLI) can be a foundational and essential building block in your career development as a leader of an oral health program at a health center/safety-net clinic. This year-long, in-person and online training provides core knowledge and competencies that health center/safety-net oral health leaders need to develop as effective managers, directors, and advocates for oral health and their communities. NOHLI addresses the  need for training and technical assistance that is specific to oral health leaders practicing in Federally Qualified Health Centers/safety-net clinics. The core NOHLI curriculum was developed  from NNOHA’s Operations Manual for Health Center Oral Health Programs.

The 2024-2025 Cohort will be the 13th year of NOHLI. Thus far, the program has trained over 191 FQHC dental  directors. Topics covered include Leadership and Excellence; Health Center Fundamentals; Workforce and Staffing; Risk Management; Quality; Public Speaking; Managing Change; Leading a Team; Maximizing your  Strengths as a Leader; Public Health 101; Financials; Patient-Centered  Health Home; and Innovations in Delivery. NOHLI also provides opportunities for scholars to apply these skills using case studies and  group discussions under the direction of outstanding oral health educators from across the country.

Applicants for the NOHLI program should meet the following requirements:

• A dentist or dental hygienist in a leadership position  for no less than one (1) year and no more than  five (5) years at a Health Center/safety-net clinic oral health program. The applicant should be part of the organization’s leadership team, have administrative authority as a high level leader of the oral health program with responsibility to make clinical and operational decisions, provide staff guidance, affect policy and procedure and in a position to affect change in the organization or dental department/program as a whole (i.e. Dental Director or equivalent).

• Applicant’s health center must be a NNOHA Organizational member.

• Enough prior experience with the current or former clinical organization to understand the basic operational, clinical and cultural environment of the FQHC or broader safety net system.

• Sufficient understanding of the organization and dental clinical department to articulate well defined and focused personal and organizational goals for their participation in the program.

• Demonstrate motivation for improving leadership skills and a commitment to personal and professional growth.

• Demonstrate administrative support from  the executive officer of the organization for the time and cost  associated with participation in NOHLI by providing a letter of support  from the CEO of the Health Center program. That letter must: 

  • Describe the qualities of the applicant that make them appropriate for the program.

  • Describe the nature of the applicant’s leadership position and their role in the leadership structure of the organization.

  • Describe the executive’s expectations of the benefits of the program to the organization.

  • Express explicit commitment to allow the applicant the time for travel and completion of the didactic  portions of the program and the financial support for the travel. (All  decisions regarding in-person meetings and travel requirements will be made at the appropriate time with close monitoring of pandemic  conditions.  If travel/in-person meetings are not deemed safe, virtual  options will be provided)
    

Additional preference will be given to applicants:

• Who have previously attended a NNOHA conference or directly participated in a NNOHA sponsored collaborative.

• Who would be the first person from this organization to attend NOHLI.

Questions about participating? The Frequently Asked Questions page answers many basic questions. For additional inquiries, please email nohli@nnoha.org.