Rooted in Health (RIH) Senior Advisor

Position Highlights

Position Title: Rooted in Health (RIH) Senior Advisor

Salary: $100/hour (part-time, up to 25 hours/week)

Position End Date: 6/30/2028

Location: Kentucky Department of Public Health (hybrid)

Overview:

The CDC Foundation is seeking an experienced Rooted in Health (RIH) Senior Advisor to support the Kentucky Rural Health Transformation Program (RHT). The Kentucky RHT is a statewide initiative funded through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to transform healthcare delivery across rural Kentucky. The program operates across five interdependent initiatives — Rural Community Hubs, PoWER (perinatal health), Rapid Response to Recovery (behavioral health and crisis care), Rooted In Health (integrated/oral health), and Crisis To Care (community trauma care and EMS) — coordinated by a central program office.

The RIH Senior Advisor provides strategic guidance and subject matter expertise to support the development, implementation and continuous improvement of the RIH’s oral health initiatives. This role will leverage extensive experience in oral health leadership to support collaboration among healthcare providers, educational institutions, public health organizations and community partners.

Required Qualifications:

· Advanced degree or professional degree in dentistry, dental hygiene, public health, health administration, healthcare, or a related field

· 10+ years of progressive experience in oral health, public health, healthcare leadership, or a related field, including experience providing strategic guidance or advising senior leaders

· Demonstrated expertise in oral health systems, workforce development, access to care, and/or public health strategy

· Strong understanding of oral health policy, care delivery models, and emerging trends affecting oral health programs and workforce development

· Demonstrated ability to provide strategic counsel on complex initiatives, evaluate program strategies and priorities, and translate subject matter expertise into actionable recommendations

· Experience building alignment among healthcare providers, educational institutions, public health organizations, government partners, and community stakeholders

Preferred Qualifications:

· Significant leadership experience within oral health, such as in a dental school, health system, professional association, public health agency, government or other oral health organization

· Experience advising or supporting statewide or large-scale oral health, rural health, workforce or transformation initiatives

· History of serving on advisory boards, commissions, workgroups or other multi-stakeholder bodies

Responsibilities:

Strategic Advisory & Program Direction

· Provide strategic guidance and subject matter expertise to inform the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of RIH oral health initiatives

· Advise RIH leadership on oral health priorities and opportunities to strengthen program impact, sustainability, and alignment with broader statewide health transformation efforts

· Provide input on long-term program direction by identifying opportunities to strengthen Kentucky’s oral health delivery system and expand access to care

· Review key program strategies, initiatives, and deliverables and provide recommendations based on extensive oral health leadership and subject matter expertise

Oral Health Strategy & Policy Expertise

· Monitor emerging trends, policies, and leading practices affecting oral health care and workforce development

· Advise RIH leadership on the implications of changes in the oral health landscape and potential considerations for current and future initiatives

· Identify promising models and approaches that may inform RIH strategies related to oral health access, workforce, care delivery, and sustainability

Advisory Workgroup & Stakeholder Engagement

· Serve as a member of the RIH Advisory Workgroup, contributing oral health expertise to strategic planning, priority-setting, and program discussions

· Participate in stakeholder meetings and working sessions to provide perspective on key oral health priorities and implementation considerations

· Support collaboration across stakeholder groups (e.g., healthcare providers, educational institutions, public health organizations, and community partners)

Program Review & Continuous Improvement

· Provide advisory review of RIH oral health initiatives and key deliverables to identify opportunities for refinement, alignment, and increased impact

· Identify emerging opportunities, risks, and strategic considerations that may impact RIH oral health investments

· Advise on strategies to support long-term sustainability and statewide impact of RIH oral health initiatives

Special Notes:

This project is 100% funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for a total of $212.9 million in budget year 1 with 100% by CMS/HHS. The Rural Health Transformation (RHT) grant spans five budget periods aligned with federal fiscal years (FY2026–FY2030). Funding is disbursed annually by CMS based on achievement of performance metrics. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS, or the U.S. Government. View the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

This role is involved in a dynamic public health program. As such, roles and responsibilities are subject to change as situations evolve. Roles and responsibilities listed above may be expanded upon or updated to match priorities and needs, once written approval is received by both the CDC Foundation and Kentucky Department for Public Health in order to best support the Kentucky Department for Public Health in their public health programming.

This position is currently a hybrid position. CDC Foundation retains the right to make adjustments to this as required.

This position requires the operation of a motor vehicle as a component of the job responsibilities and duties. In adherence with CDC Foundation’s Driver Safety Motor Vehicle Policy (“Policy”), offers for employment for this position require the Applicant to provide authorization to the CDC Foundation to conduct a Motor Vehicle Record (“MVR”) review both pre-employment and also annually post-employment while in this position. Additionally, if an offer of employment is accepted, employees in these positions must possess and maintain a valid driver's license in their state of residence, self-report motor vehicle violations/convictions, and provide proof of acceptable insurance coverage with mandatory minimum coverages as set forth within the Driver Safety Motor Vehicle policy. All offers of employment and continued employment for this position are contingent upon meeting all minimum qualifications of this Policy.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, mental or physical disabilities, veteran status, and all other characteristics protected by law. We comply with all applicable laws including E.O. 11246 and the Vietnam Era Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 governing employment practices and do not discriminate on the basis of any unlawful criteria in accordance with 41 C.F.R. §§ 60-300.5(a)(12) and 60-741.5(a)(7). As a federal government contractor, we take affirmative action on behalf of protected veterans.

The CDC Foundation is a smoke-free environment.

Relocation expenses are not included.

About the CDC Foundation

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations, and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the sole entity authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC’s critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has launched approximately 1,000 programs and raised over $740 million. The CDC Foundation managed over 300 CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 130 countries last year.