Through the Community and Care Transformation Initiative, CareQuest Institute is seeking to fund projects and partners that carry forward care transformation concepts and ensure authentic and deep community engagement.
Donor Name: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
State: All States
County: All Counties
Territory: Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/30/2023
Size of the Grant: up to $125,000
Details:
In the United States, the oral health care needs of historically marginalized communities have continually been unmet, and the oral health outcomes of these populations suggest that traditional forms of oral health care delivery through education and clinical treatment are not responsive to these communities’ expressed needs.
Data from CareQuest Institute’s 2022 State of Oral Health Equity in America survey demonstrates limited access to adequate oral health care for marginalized communities alongside the unfavorable, sometimes unwelcoming experiences for these patients within oral health care settings:
- Black adults and American Indian or Native Alaskan adults are two and three times more likely, respectively, to visit the emergency department (ED) for a dental condition than white adults. At the same time, nearly half of Hispanic adults, Asian adults, and Black adults report experiencing discrimination in an oral health setting.
- LGBTQ+ individuals, when compared to non-LGBTQ+ individuals, were 77% more likely to have visited a hospital ED for dental care within the past year. At the same time, LGBTQ+ individuals were 77% more likely to report experiencing discrimination on a weekly basis.
- Adults with poor mental health (including depression) are more likely to have one or more unmet oral health needs and are less likely to seek care for these needs than those with better mental health.
Projects Examples
Examples of projects within the Community and Care Transformation Request for Proposals:
- a safety net partner piloting new value-based care procedures within clinical practice, overseen by a representative patient/community body that has active input into the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the new practice impact on patient experience
- a state policy organization utilizing a formal process that ensures ongoing community input and involvement to advocate for medical/dental integration measures within state Medicaid policy
- a community-based or grassroots organization building power among community members to participate in advocacy in local or state policy spaces around care transformation concepts
- a safety net organization collaborating with community partners to expand and use innovative workforce models that are representative of their patients and families.
Funding Information
CareQuest Institute will fund 10 projects for up to $125,000 each.
Use of Funds
Grant funds may be used for:
- project staff salaries
- subgrants to project partners/community organizations
- consultant fees
- data collection and analysis
- meetings
- supplies
- activities related to fundraising and development
- project-related travel
- other direct project expenses
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must be based and operating in the United States or its territories and may be either a public entity or nonprofit organization that is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue code. Applicants will likely be community organizations looking to expand how oral health care is delivered or safety net clinical facilities looking to grow their community engagement.
Selection Criteria
The Community and Care Transformation Initiative seeks to fund creative, innovative community-driven projects that advance the evidence base for, support for, and/ or implementation of care transformation best practices. The parameters for selection of proposals are intentionally broad, recognizing that innovative work aligned with this strategy may employ a variety of tactics, partnerships, etc. Compelling projects should effectively identify and incorporate opportunities for community engagement that will inform and assess the effectiveness of the project/solution.
Proposals will be reviewed, and grantees selected, based on the following criteria:
- a demonstrated understanding or willingness to learn about the care transformation topic(s) related to the project (medical/dental integration, value-based care, teledentistry and/or minimally-/noninvasive care) and experience, or desire to strengthen capacity, in advocating for and advancing care transformation
- a demonstrated commitment to, or willingness to deepen, engagement of community members, community organizations, and/or health care consumers in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of organizational work
- a demonstrated commitment to health and racial equity and clear identification of which communities or populations will be most directly impacted by care transformation efforts in the proposed project environment (individual organization, region, state, country)
- clarity and practicality of the proposed activities, including intended/anticipated outcomes and the potential impact of the proposed project on community members, patients, and health care consumers broadly
- experience in effective data collection and analysis as well as project reporting/communications
- willingness to seek and engage other funders in supporting this work
- willingness to leverage and partner with existing network (Oral Health Progress and Equity Network, other CareQuest Institute grantees, etc.) to spread learnings, opportunities, and thought leadership to strengthen community engagement in care transformation across the broader oral health field.
For more information, visit CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.
