Anti-racist approaches to increase access to general and oral health care during a pandemic in the Pacific Islander community

[ad_1]


. 2022 Mar;82 Suppl 1:128-132.


doi: 10.1111/jphd.12519.

Affiliations

Item in Clipboard

Matthew M Oishi et al.


J Public Health Dent.


2022 Mar.

Abstract

Limited data exists on Pacific Islander (PI) health, but a growing body of literature reports the existence of racial discrimination and inequities and mistrust of the healthcare system, leading to poor health outcomes. When COVID-19 restricted health services, such inequities and mistrust due to historical trauma were magnified. This report describes one federally qualified health center’s dental department’s response utilizing culture-based approaches, community relationships, and the social determinants of health (SDOH) to dispel the stigma of COVID and restrictions on in-person care in order to lower barriers to accessing care. When the dental department transitioned to emergency-only care, staff were redeployed to address significant inequities facing the PI community. Redeployment activities included building relationships with the most vulnerable patients, delivering healthy foods, supplies, oral hygiene kits to households, and canvasing neighborhood businesses with public health education. The mobile dental clinic, a trusted symbol in the community, also brought public health education to community testing events and food distributions. From March 2020 to July 2020, staff conducted over 800 outreach calls for health and food security, delivered over 2000 care packages and oral hygiene kits. Also, frequent community outreach by the mobile dental clinic led to a 10-fold increase in COVID testing. Investing in relationship building can maintain access to health care and build trust in the health care system for PI communities. This approach may be relevant to others serving other communities experiencing racism.


Keywords:

FQHC; Pacific islanders; community dentistry; dental public health; racism; social determinants of health.

References

REFERENCES

    1. Mau M, Patricia Blanchette, Dee-Ann Carpenter, Martina Kamaka, E. Saito. Health and health care of Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander Older Adults. In: Periyakoil, V.S. (eds.) eCampus-Geriatrics. Stanford, CA (2010). Available from: https://geriatrics.stanford.edu/ethnomed/hawaiian_pacific_islander.html

    1. Palafox NA, Riklon S, Alik W, Hixon AL. Health consequences and health systems response to the Pacific U.S. Nuclear Weapons Testing Program. Pac. Health. Dialog. 2007;14(1):170-8.

    1. Palafox NA, Hixon AL. Health consequences of disparity: the US affiliated Pacific Islands. Australas Psychiatry. 2011;19(Suppl. 1):S84-9.

    1. Congress has restored Medicaid eligibility for citizens from one of the Compact of Free Association (COFA) Nations residing in the United States [press release]. State of Hawaii Department of Human Services, Med-QUEST Division; 2021.

    1. Hagiwara MK, Miyamura J, Yamada S, Sentell T. Younger and sicker: comparing Micronesians to other ethnicities in Hawaii. Am J Public Health. 2016;106(3):485-91.

[ad_2]

Source link

Trending Topics

Features

Download and distribute powerful vaccination QI resources for your community.

Sign up now to support health equity and sustainable health outcomes in your community.

MCED tests use a simple blood draw to screen for many kinds of cancer at once.

FYHN is a bridge connecting health information providers to BIPOC communities in a trusted environment.

Discover an honest look at our Medicare system.

ARC was launched to create a network of community clinicians to diversify and bring clinical trials to communities of color and other communities that have been underrepresented.

The single most important purpose of our healthcare system is to reduce patient risk for an acute event.

Related Posts
Filipino American History Month: Health and Wellness Among the Community
Trish Tabor
Shamonda Virus: A New Cattle Virus Spreading Across Europe
Trish Tabor
Invisible Disabilities, Unequal Care and the Fight for Health Access
Scroll to Top
Featured Articles
Screenshot 2026-10-23 at 11.47.13 AM
Filipino American History Month: Health and Wellness Among the Community
Trish Tabor
dreamstime_s_44202654
Shamonda Virus: A New Cattle Virus Spreading Across Europe
Trish Tabor
Invisible Disabilities, Unequal Care and the Fight for Health Access
Invisible Disabilities, Unequal Care and the Fight for Health Access
Selena Gomez discusses nicotine vaping and changes to her voice
Selena Gomez Says Vaping Changed Her Voice, Raising Concerns About Nicotine A...
Xavier Ochsner Medical School Earns Accreditation for 2027 Opening
Xavier Ochsner Medical School Earns Accreditation
GLP-1 Bridge 2026 What Medicare Patients Need to Know.
GLP-1 Bridge 2026 What Medicare Patients Need to Know.
Categories
AI
ATTR-CM
BIPOC News
Cancer
Clinical Trials
Covid19
Diseases of the Body
Environment
Health Data
Health Equity Events
Health Policy
Health Tips
Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our latest news​
All Stories
Screenshot 2026-10-23 at 11.47.13 AM
Filipino American History Month: Health and Wellness Among the Community
Trish Tabor
dreamstime_s_44202654
Shamonda Virus: A New Cattle Virus Spreading Across Europe
Trish Tabor
Invisible Disabilities, Unequal Care and the Fight for Health Access
Invisible Disabilities, Unequal Care and the Fight for Health Access
BIPOC News
Invisible Disabilities, Unequal Care and the Fight for Health Access
Invisible Disabilities, Unequal Care and the Fight for Health Access
Xavier Ochsner Medical School Earns Accreditation for 2027 Opening
Xavier Ochsner Medical School Earns Accreditation
GLP-1 Bridge 2026 What Medicare Patients Need to Know.
GLP-1 Bridge 2026 What Medicare Patients Need to Know.
Environment
Invisible Disabilities, Unequal Care and the Fight for Health Access
Invisible Disabilities, Unequal Care and the Fight for Health Access
ID 213880366 ©  Prostockstudio | Dreamstime.com
Illinois Infant Mortality Is Declining, but Racial Disparities Remain
Gary, Indiana Tap Water Raises Health and Environmental Justice Concerns
Gary, Indiana Tap Water Raises Health and Environmental Justice Concerns
Work Force
A multigenerational Black and Hispanic family sitting together in a park, showing how Social Security helps support older adults, people with disabilities, and families across generations.
Millions of Older Americans Could Face Smaller Social Security Checks by 2032...
dreamstime_s_243253251
The Caregiver Journey: The Hidden Backbone of American Healthcare
Families gather at a Bronx community festival with live music, kids’ activities, and health booths sharing SOMOS social care resources and free screenings.
Celebrating Hispanic heritage while learning about health care

[xyz-ips snippet=”Output-Source-Name”]

Clinical Trials
ID 467708657 | Black Doctor ©  Fizkes | Dreamstime.com
Multi-Cancer Early Detection Could Shift Cancer Earlier, But Who Has Access?
Historic Cancer Leadership Milestone Highlights the Importance of Early Detection and Community Outreach
Historic Cancer Leadership Milestone Highlights the Importance of Early Detec...
House Advances Bipartisan EARLY Act Reauthorization, Renewing Focus on Early Breast Cancer Detection for Young Women
House Advances Bipartisan EARLY Act Reauthorization, Renewing Focus on Early ...
Vaccines and Outbreaks
dreamstime_s_276142618
RSV Season Is Starting. Here’s What Families Should Know
Victor Mejia Lacayo
Summer COVID Surge Builds Across U.S. Fyh.news
Summer COVID Surge Builds Across U.S. as Cases Rise Again
Class I Salmonella Egg Recall What to Know Fyh.news
FDA Gives Egg Recall Highest-Risk Class I Designation Over Salmonella Outbreak
Other Categories
AI
Read the latest AI News stories trending around the world
ATTR-CM
Cancer
Read the latest Cancer stories trending around the world
Covid19
Diseases of the Body
Read about the latest Diseases of the Body trending around the world
Friday Webinars
Every Friday, we bring you insightful webinars covering critical topics in healthcare, data equity, and policy reform.
Health Data
Read the latest Health Data stories trending around the world
Health Equity Events
Read the best Health Equity Events around the country.
Health Policy
Read the latest Health Policy stories trending around the world
Health Tips
Heart Health
Read the latest on Heart Health News, Stories and Tips.
kidney Health
Read more trending News about Kidney Health, Stories and Tips.