Zulayka Santiago Speaks at Emerging Issues Panel About Childhood Health

Zulayka Santiago, Director of the North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative recently spoke at the Institute for Emerging Issues (IEI) panel about health in childhood. The panel, which took place at NC State University, was a part of IEI’s kidoNomiCs kickoff Tuesday. It was moderated by Kathy Higgins, president of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and vice president of BCBSNC Corporate Affairs.

Along with Zulayka, the panel included the following guests:

• Michelle Hughes, executive director, NC Child
• Jamie Kilpatrick, associate manager, Public Consulting Group
• David Reese, president and CEO, East Durham Children’s Initiative

While discussion surrounded overall childhood health, Zulayka weighed in on the oral health sector. She discussed the importance of oral health care at a young age, noting that tooth decay is the most common chronic disease of early childhood,  and is two to three times more common than asthma or obesity. She also touched on the importance of health equity.

To view the full panel discussion, see below: