Left to right: Grandy Cody, Chrysta Abulencia, Representative James Moylan, Patrick Donnelly. Photo by Representative Moylan’s office
Chrysta Abulencia, a predental student at Emory University who grew up in Guam, traveled to Washington, DC, to meet with Representative James Moylan (R-Guam) during OPEN Hill Day in early June. She had high hopes for the conversation.
“As a veteran himself and the representative of a district with the highest per-capita military enlistment rate in the US, Congressman Moylan understands both the sacrifices made by service members and the health care challenges many veterans continue to face after their service ends,” Abulencia says. “Our conversation reinforced the importance of ensuring that veterans have access to comprehensive health care, including oral health care.”
And now, after listening to her message, he’s taking action.
Representative Moylan signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 210, the Dental Care for Veterans Act, legislation that would expand access to dental care for veterans nationwide. His endorsement brings the total number of cosponsors to 105. Representative Moylan’s support is particularly significant because he is one of only three Republicans to sign on to the measure. If enacted, the bill would make all veterans eligible to receive dental care through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Right now, eligibility is limited to veterans with a service-connected dental condition, former prisoners of war, and certain veterans with a 100% disability rating.
Improving access to dental care for veterans was one of three priorities the 120 oral health advocates had when they traveled to Capitol Hill for OPEN Hill Day, which resulted in several new lawmakers cosponsoring legislation. The other two priorities were protecting Medicaid as a critical pathway to dental care and ensuring sustained federal investment in oral health infrastructure and prevention. Work continues on both of those goals.
For many advocates, Hill Day is a chance to start a conversation with lawmakers. For Abulencia, it was also an opportunity to build a lasting relationship.
“The biggest takeaway from my experience,” she says, “is that advocacy does not end after Hill Day.”
Following the event, she continued engaging with Representative Moylan’s office and encouraging support for policies that would improve veterans’ access to oral health care. Below, Abulencia shares more about how she maintained that momentum, how she helped advocate for the Dental Care for Veterans Act, and how OPEN supported her advocacy efforts along the way.
How did OPEN Hill Day help you advocate effectively with lawmakers?
Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) face unique barriers to care due to geography, workforce shortages, and limited health care infrastructure. While those realities are well known to the people who live there, they are not always reflected in the national data that shapes health policy. Compared with other states, Guam and the CNMI also have fewer oral health, Medicaid, and veteran health data resources available.
OPEN and CareQuest provided the data, policy background, and messaging needed to effectively communicate these challenges. The training and resources provided before Hill Day allowed us to pair personal experiences with evidence-based advocacy, particularly when discussing veteran oral health and the importance of federal investments in oral health research and programs.
How did you keep the conversation going with Representative Moylan after Hill Day?
After returning home, I encouraged dental professionals, medical providers, veterans, military families, and community members to share their experiences, providing them with customizable letter-to-Congress templates to make it easier to personalize and send letters of support as well as a variety of CareQuest Institute advocacy materials.
So far, more than 20 dental and medical professionals — many of whom are veterans or active-duty service members — have joined the effort, submitting letters to Representative Moylan or preparing to do so.
I also helped connect local dental providers with Representative Moylan while he was in Guam. These conversations gave providers an opportunity to share firsthand accounts of the challenges their patients face, including difficulties maintaining Medicaid coverage, finding participating providers, accessing VA services, and affording necessary treatment. They also highlighted the difficult decisions providers sometimes make to deliver care despite little or no reimbursement because the need in their communities is so great.
What did you gain from collaborating with advocates from other states?
Chrysta Abulencia and Patrick Donnelly at OPEN Hill Day training
One of the most impactful aspects of the OPEN experience was partnering with Patrick Donnelly from Hawaii. Hawaii shares many similarities with Guam and the CNMI, including geographic isolation, island-based health care delivery challenges, and diverse Pacific Islander populations.
Together, we combined data and lived experience to show lawmakers what is possible when island communities have access to the resources, funding, research infrastructure, and data needed to support effective policymaking. Hawaii’s progress demonstrates how sustained investments in oral health programs, workforce development, research, and data collection can improve health outcomes. Our message was clear: With similar support, Guam and the CNMI can strengthen access to care and build healthier futures for their communities.
What lessons from Hill Day will you carry forward?
Hill Day reinforced how clinical care, advocacy, and policymaking connect to improve access to care for underserved populations. As someone pursuing a career in dentistry with a focus on public health and health policy, the experience strengthened my belief that improving access to care requires both caring for patients in the clinic and advocating for the systems and policies that shape their health outcomes.
It also showed me that meaningful change starts with relationships, persistence, and a commitment to ensuring that underserved communities have a seat at the table in oral health policy decisions. I hope to continue building connections among policymakers, providers, and community members while advancing efforts to improve oral health access in Guam, the CNMI, and other Pacific Island communities.
If your representative is not listed as a cosponsor, ask them to support the Dental Care for Veterans Act and help ensure all veterans can access the dental care they deserve.
Learn more about veteran oral health, OPEN and OPEN Hill Day policy priorities.