Undermining racism: A road to promoting equity in oral health

Background: The inequities caused by racism include negative impacts on health and quality of life. A key grant-making strategy of the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health has been the development of a network of stakeholders, the Oral Health Progress and Equity Network (OPEN), which engages and leverages community voices to address racism and the corresponding health inequities across the lifespan.

Methods: OPEN's nearly 3000 members undertake various approaches to acknowledge and address the negative impact of systemic racism on health. OPEN has developed structures and offerings that have advanced a unique culture of equity, which encourages authentic dialogue. OPEN created and facilitated cohorts within the network called Network Response Teams to elevate awareness and develop strategies to address health disparities advocating for specific populations, including LGBTQIA+, Native American, LatinX, People with Disabilities, and rural residents, Medicare, and Medicaid. Network members work toward an equitable oral health system by aligning common goals.

Results: The activities and products of these teams and OPEN developed trusted relationships to combat the impacts of racism and promoted equitable oral health locally and nationally.

Conclusion: Supporting network development is a highly effective tool to combat racism.