Bridging Gaps: Medical-Dental Integration for Veterans in Family Medicine Training

Advancing medical-dental integration, with a particular focus and priority on innovative solutions that link behavioral health and oral health for veterans


Medical-Dental Integration for Veterans in Family Medicine Training Performance Improvement Pilot Project

Explore the Full Performance Improvement Project or Start Learning Today with Educational Webinar and Resources

As Family Physicians, we know you are passionate about Veterans' Health and Oral Health; however, you may face challenges integrating these topics into your training and practice. We invite you to participate and share your voice.

If you're just beginning to explore this topic, we encourage you to start with our recent webinar, which is available on this YouTube playlist. For those ready to delve deeper, or if you are looking for your next PICME Project, you will find comprehensive details about the full scope of our project below.

PICME Project Overview

FMEC has launched an initiative to examine how primary care providers (PCPs) within the family medicine academic system integrate oral health care into their practice, with a special focus on veterans, a population disproportionately affected by dental disease, trauma, behavioral health challenges, and other complex health needs. This initiative is made possible through the generous support of the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health, Inc.

Project Learning Objectives

After participating in the project, participants will be able to:

  • Demonstrate an understanding of the unique health needs of veterans, emphasizing the importance of trauma-informed care and addressing their high prevalence of oral diseases.
  • Develop and implement strategies to identify veterans, conduct oral health screenings, provide brief dental interventions, and coordinate referrals to dental care.
  • Identify common medical and behavioral health conditions among veterans and their dental manifestations.
  • Recognize and implement key principles of trauma-informed care in clinical encounters to provide effective dental care and understand actionable strategies for common oral health problems in primary care.
  • Implement and evaluate a veterans' oral health pilot within the clinic setting, refining processes for sustained use and utilizing findings to enhance practice improvement.

Get Involved

To kick off the project, FMEC hosted the Veteran Oral Health & Medical-Dental Integration Family Medicine Training webinar on May 13, 2025, which is now available for viewing. You can explore the webinar independently or use it as a first step in joining the larger project. The webinar recording is available on this YouTube playlist.

This project will engage family physician providers through two (2) learning sessions and two (2) collaborative discussion events. By watching the webinar, you will complete the first step toward participating in the FMEC Performance Improvement/Continuing Medical Education (PICME) project. Mentorship and guidance from the Project Advisors and opportunities for peer-to-peer learning will also be available.

Benefits to PICME Project Participants

  • Earn 20.00 Performance Improvement AAFP Prescribed Credits for each physician participating. (AAFP Approved Activity ID: 106152)
  • Participate in a Residency Learning Network per ACGME guidelines.
  • Gain regional and national recognition for participation.
  • Learn from experts and peers.
  • Opportunity to integrate into research and scholarly activity.
  • Receive two free FMEC Annual Meeting registrations (Professional or Resident, $430-$680 value each) per participating residency.
  • (Optional, limited) Travel stipend for presenting on the project at a 2026 state, regional, or national meeting.

How to Participate

The project is expected to take place from May to July 2025, and all faculty and residents within your program are eligible to participate. Whether you join individually or as part of a small team, no minimum number of participants is required. Participation entails viewing the webinar, completing a QI training module, and engaging in structured practice-based activities to improve oral health integration and veteran care.

For further details, please review the Project Agreementand contact Rebecca Bouck at [email protected] with any questions or to enroll.

Project Advisors and Reviewers

  • Elizabeth Alpert, DDS, MPH, Instructor, Part time | Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
  • Maya Bass, MD, MA, Program Director, Cooper Family Medicine Residency/Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
  • Roxanne Bavarian, DMD, DMSc - Instructor | Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Harvard School of Dental Medicine
  • Alec S. Eidelman, DMD, MPH, MMedEd, Lecturer, Oral Health Policy & Epidemiology – Harvard School of Dental Medicine
  • Britt Gayle, MD, MedStar Health
  • Janet F. Hale PhD, RN, FNP, Professor Emeritus, Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing, Univ of Massachusetts Medical School
  • Robert Motley, MD, MHCDS, Vice Chair, Community Medicine and Ellen M. & Dale W. Garber Professor in Family Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University
  • Hugh Silk, MD, MPH, Professor, Dept. of Family Medicine and Community Health, Univ of Massachusetts Medical School
  • Robert Smethers, RDH, MSDH, Dental Hygiene Assistant Professor, Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
  • Lisa Thompson DMD, Program Director, Geriatric Dentistry, Harvard School of Dental Medicine

Join us in making a difference in the lives of our veterans. By participating in this project, you will help bridge the gap between medical and dental care, ensuring that our veterans receive the comprehensive care they deserve. We look forward to collaborating with you on this important initiative.

Contact Rebecca Bouck at [email protected] with any questions or to enroll.