Wood River Health was recently featured as a Promising Practice by the National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA), a national organization that supports community health centers in expanding access to high quality, integrated oral health care. This recognition highlights innovative, effective approaches that can be replicated by health centers across the country.
This designation reflects Wood River Health’s model of engaging patients in multiple services during a single visit, strengthening access, convenience and overall health outcomes. At Wood River Health, this work focuses on integrating oral health and diabetes services across our medical and dental teams.
This work began after identifying a gap: many patients with diabetes were not consistently receiving dental care, despite the strong connection between oral health and diabetes management. In response, our teams implemented a more coordinated approach that connects patients to dental services during medical visits.
Patients with diabetes now receive a brief oral health assessment during routine appointments, along with education about its importance. Whenever possible, same day dental visits are offered. If not, patients leave with a scheduled appointment, improving follow through and access to care.
This initiative is supported by cross training between medical and dental staff, ensuring every team member is equipped to support patients more holistically. Using a phased, quality improvement approach, Wood River Health has steadily expanded this model across sites.
Early results show increased access to both medical and dental services for patients with diabetes, helping improve outcomes and reduce complications.
At Wood River Health, we remain committed to coordinated, accessible care that supports every aspect of our patients’ health. The full study is available on NNOHA's website.
