New National Nonprofit Will Battle Inequity in Health Care

The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health will champion health transformation to build a future in which better health through oral health is possible for everyone.

Amidst a national reckoning on the deep inequities that exist across this country, a new national nonprofit organization launches today with a commitment to creating a health system that is more accessible, equitable, and connected. CareQuest Institute for Oral Health — with two billion dollars in revenues and in estimated assets — will serve as a national champion of oral health transformation, because good overall health depends on good oral health.

This new organization will amplify and expand the programming, resources, and strengths of past organizations — including the DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement – to broaden its impact and move faster toward creating a health system designed for everyone. CareQuest Institute is also announcing the creation of CareQuest Innovation Partners, a for-profit affiliate dedicated to advancing innovation to transform oral health access and outcomes for underserved populations. CareQuest Innovation Partners will officially launch later this year. 

“The past year has laid bare what we knew long before the COVID-19 crisis—we have a health system that does not work for everyone because it was not built for everyone,” said Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan, president and CEO of CareQuest Institute. “We cannot stand by and allow the status quo to define our future. At CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, we are putting everything we have into championing progress and solving these issues. And we will stand with anyone who shares our belief in a future where better health through oral health is possible for everyone.”

“There is no shortage of work to be done to fix our health care system and achieve one that recognizes that health care is a fundamental human right,” said Kedar Mate, MD, president and CEO at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). “Oral health is a significantly underappreciated driver of inequity in health care. That’s why I am grateful that the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health is prioritizing a focus on oral health equity. Science and knowledge can guide action, but they do not always cause action. A commitment to progress and action from organizations like CareQuest Institute will help us achieve meaningful change.”  

A recent survey conducted by CareQuest Institute highlights the urgent need for action to create a more equitable, accessible, and integrated oral health care system. Among its findings, the