The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health and Henry Schein have launched the BRIDGE Health Network to advance dental-medical care integration.
The pilot programs will incorporate workflows during dental hygiene appointments to take patient vitals and conduct point-of-care screenings, including A1C, to help expand preventive care and close gaps with medical providers, according to a Nov. 10 news release from CareQuest.
One example of how oral health visits could be utilized for broader health conditions is with diabetes. Chairside A1C screenings have identified elevated HbA1c levels in more than 11% of previously undiagnosed patients with Type 2 diabetes and an additional 47% with prediabetes, according to the release.
Henry Schein will lead the pilot program implementation, with CareQuest providing program-level data to support the new network.
The network’s inaugural cohort includes Bright Direction Dental, Imagine Medical & Dental Group, NKC Dental, Smile House JBL, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine, Workman School of Dental Medicine at High Point University, Westwind Integrative Health and Zufall Health.
“Dentistry has historically been a siloed area of healthcare despite the strong correlation it has with a myriad of chronic health conditions,” Azeem Mallick, vice president of innovation and partnerships at CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, said in the release. “The BRIDGE Health Network reflects our commitment to improving overall health through oral health, and our collaboration with Henry Schein helps us scale that impact by bringing practical, integrated solutions to providers across a wide range of care settings.”
