What has you most optimistic about the future of healthcare?

There is, without question, an oral health crisis in our country. But we are making progress towards a more integrated and equitable health care system. We’re seeing better access to preventive care for underserved populations. Dental and medical systems that talk to each other. A care model that prioritizes quality and value. Patient experiences that are equitable and holistic. These are not dreams of some distant future; they are happening now.

How is your organization contributing to driving health equity and mitigating disparities?

Right now, our health care system does not work for everyone because it was not built for everyone — people of color and other historically marginalized groups have been left behind. While we embed health equity advancement in all our work, one area that I’ve empowered the team at CareQuest Institute to focus on is data. In just three years, we’ve built and continue to grow an extensive database of health and oral health data. The team is leveraging this data to create a deeper understanding of the disparities and inequities in oral health that disproportionately impact marginalized and underserved communities. We’ve developed research protocols and best practices for collecting, analyzing, and reporting data that is representative of individuals and communities often overlooked by traditional data collection methods and research design. The data insights we’ve developed are disseminated broadly through peer-reviewed research journals, industry, and the press. These insights are also built into our own clinical and care delivery programs, grantmaking initiatives, and public policy proposals aimed at integrating medical and dental care to improve outcomes and reduce or eliminate disparities. 

What motivates you to keep doing the work that you do?

The incredible people I have the privilege to work with―they are changemakers who are dedicated to helping more people access critical health care. Oral health is more than just a nice smile. It has far-reaching impacts on overall health and well-being. High blood pressure, diabetes, dementia, and adverse birth outcomes all have a direct correlation to oral health. Dental disease can also threaten family financial stability, state budgets, and maternal and child health, from risking a child’s school success to limiting an adult’s earnings. Through our work, we are expanding access to oral health care and improving health outcomes, especially for marginalized populations—this work has a real impact on people’s lives.  

What does healthcare disruption mean to you?
Health care is a basic human right, yet we continue to struggle as a country to ensure that everyone has access to the health care they need, when they need it. In many ways, we’ve created a system with inequity built into the foundation. Disruption in health care is about calling out the root causes of inequity and fragmentation and tackling them head on. It’s about not being afraid to talk about structural racism and its manifestations in health care.  

When we talk about “disruption”, the conversation is often about big, audacious goals of transformation and reimagining the essential components of our health care system. While that is valuable, we shouldn’t ignore the smaller scale opportunities for disruption that can create incremental positive change. Sometimes, disruption can be as simple as asking the right question. “Is this data representative?”

What necessary collaborations/partnerships have you established within and/or outside of your organization in developing your initiatives?

Partnership is essential. We collaborate with health care providers and payors, community leaders, patients, and local, state, and federal policymakers to accelerate oral health care transformation and create a system designed for everyone. Through our work with these partners, we’ve seen a growing desire to provide more comprehensive and  personalized care for patients and we are encouraged by recent changes in regulations and processes to make our health care system more accessible and integrated.