Arcora Foundation is Washington state’s largest foundation dedicated exclusively to improving oral health. A nationally recognized catalyst for change, Arcora ensures policymakers, advocates, and the public have the right information to make wise decisions that lead to better health. Their goal is to change the trajectory of oral health so that in the future everyone can enjoy the benefits of good oral health.
The Timothy A. DeRouen Center for Global Oral Health was recently awarded an Arcora Foundation New Opportunities grant that will help us achieve our overarching goal of integrating oral health within comprehensive medical care that refugees received soon after resettlement in Washington state. Currently, there are seven clinics in the state of Washington that are approved by the department of health to conduct such assessments. For this project, we aim to collaborate with each of these sites.
Via virtual and in-person meetings at each site around the state, we aim to learn about the current clinical procedures, logistical approach, and electronic chart systems to design a custom-made protocol for oral health integration. We will be the first state in the US to implement oral health among the health outcomes that are mandated for refugees’ resettlement. To accomplish our aim, we will use evidence-based mixed-methods techniques informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Integrating oral health within required health screenings in Washington can serve as a model for a national oral health program for refugees.