The Initiative supports a core academic mission of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine — the integration of oral health and medicine. Initiative supported projects pilot innovative models of education, training and clinical practice; measure clinical outcomes; and evaluate financial models to provide the evidence-base required to demonstrate value and affect policy change.
With Initiative support, HSDM has been able to:
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Procure $3.5 million in HRSA funding to establish a national center for oral health competencies for primary care providers
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Procure $1.5 million in HRSA funding to serve as a national center to identify and close gaps in care coordination for vulnerable older adults
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Establish a national data repository and data science team
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Engage in a systematic review of existing literature supporting the cost savings associated with combined medical and dental benefits
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Launch a robust review of national claims data to validate the existing surveys
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Sponsor and serve on an international working group ICHOM that is collaborating with FDI to develop a global repository of outcome metrics
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Develop an operations and business plan for an interdisciplinary team-based clinical practice and training center
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Design a longitudinal study of integration with national collaborators
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Design a review of oral health literacy study and benefits utilization at a major international employer
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Host Leadership Forums