Community partners work together to achieve health equity. 

LINs across Washington state. 

Currently, LINs are in the North Sound region and Spokane and Pierce counties. 

We support LIN development based on: 

• Burden of disease and best opportunities for improvement. 
• Significant inequities in care access. 
• Local partners committed to better oral health outcomes through improved access and increased prevention. 
• Aligned regional assets, such as public health departments or an Accountable Community of Health (ACH)—independent, regional organizations focused on specific health care and social issues. 

Anchor strategies. 

LINs develop activities based on strategies best suited to meet their communities’ needs: 

• Community Care Coordination: Connect people to dental care that accepts their insurance or provides no- or low-cost dental services. 
• Access to Care: Weave together access pathways for populations that face barriers, testing new care approaches, including teledentistry, and increasing the number of dentists serving Apple Health (Medicaid) patients. 
• Place-Based Approaches: Provide coordinated medical, dental, and behavioral health services in community-based settings. 
• Community Education: Promote targeted education messages to influence healthy behaviors and community norms. 
• Sealants: Increase the number of children who receive dental sealants at school. 
• Medical Dental Integration: Provide oral health preventive services in medical settings and connect patients to local dental providers for routine care. 
• Opioid Prescribing Practices: Reduce the use of opioids for dental pain management through provider and patient education. 

How Local Impact Networks work. 

1. Arcora Foundation partners with a local organization to serve as the backbone of the LIN, including cultivating partners to lead anchor strategies. 
2. Arcora provides start-up funding for the backbone, evaluation, and anchor strategy work. 
3. The LIN develops creative approaches to reduce barriers and coordinate access to care. 
4. The LIN engages clinical experts, policy advisors, and local funders to scale the work and develop sustainability plans.