(Atlanta, Georgia 10/27/2017) As the leading U.S. philanthropy focused solely on oral health, the DentaQuest Foundation supports the nationwide development of the Oral Health 2020 network, a group of partners committed to working collectively at the national, state, and community levels to ensure that oral health is regarded as essential to overall health and well-being. This network focuses on early access and prevention for children, care, and coverage across the lifespan, ensuring that oral health is integrated into overall health care, and creating a new social norm for what it means to be healthy.
Julie Seward is the Oral Health 2020 Grassroots Representative from Oklahoma and Public Health Specialist at Southern Plains Tribal Health Board. She connected with the Arizona American Indian Oral Health Initiative and Native American Connections, both based in Phoenix, AZ, at the DentaQuest Oral Health 2020 National Network Meeting in Atlanta, GA in October. These organizations are working at the state and community levels to improve the oral health of the Native communities they serve. Through the Oral Health 2020 Network, tribal organizations are building relationships and sharing best practices toward achieving oral health equity. While their Native communities are unique, they have seen the value in coming together to learn ways to lift the voices of those in their communities who are experiencing poor quality of life because of oral health problems.
For more information about the Oral Health 2020 Network and how you can get involved, contact Julie Seward at jseward@spthb.org
