North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative

What North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative does

The North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative (NCOHC) is a nonprofit advocacy collaborative and a program of the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI) that works to increase access and equity in oral health care for North Carolinians. The organization operates statewide, engaging oral health providers, safety-net practices, policymakers, community organizations, dental schools, and the public through coalition-building, policy advocacy, workforce development, and educational programming. NCOHC's core activities include Medicaid reimbursement policy advocacy (notably around House Bill 60 to address rates unchanged since 2008), workforce pipeline development, the Community Oral Health Transformation (COrHT) Initiative piloting value-based care at safety-net practices, the Oral Health Transformation Initiative launched with NCIOM in January 2022, and signature events including Oral Health Day and the annual Legislative Breakfast.

The organization does not develop proprietary technology products; its platforms consist of a website (oralhealthnc.org), email newsletter, blog, and social media presence used to disseminate research, policy analysis, and educational resources. All published materials are released under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license for free reuse. NCOHC's technology stack is therefore content-and-advocacy focused rather than product-based.

NCOHC is funded entirely through grants and donations from foundations, government agencies, and corporate philanthropies. In 2023 it secured $1.8M from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation (its largest-ever grant, over two years) and $1.2M from The Duke Endowment (over three years), with additional support from Dogwood Health Trust and CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. The organization has 1-10 employees and is led by Crystal Adams (Director of NCOHC) and Dr. Steve Cline (Vice President for Oral Health at FHLI).

Name

North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative

Legal name

North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative

Website

https://oralhealthnc.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative is a nonprofit advocacy organization that advances oral health access and equity across North Carolina through policy advocacy, coalition-building, workforce development, and community engagement. It operates as a program of the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oral Health Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Equity, SDOH & Disparities Measurement (HLAJANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Non-Communicable Disease Prevention & Chronic Disease Programs (BPAIAJAI)

Keywords

• Oral health advocacy
• Health policy reform
• Dental access equity
• Oral health coalition
• Medicaid dental services

Headquarters

HQ city

Cary

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: NCOHC operates as a nonprofit program of the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI). It is funded entirely through grants and donations from foundations, government agencies, and corporate philanthropies. There is no product or service revenue. Major grants include $1.8 million over two years from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and $1.2 million over three years from The Duke Endowment, along with support from Dogwood Health Trust and CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

NCOHC advances oral health equity in North Carolina through policy advocacy, coalition building, and educational programming. It convenes providers, payers, policymakers, and community organizations to address Medicaid dental coverage gaps, workforce shortages, and disparities in care, while producing research, hosting events, and supporting initiatives such as the Community Oral Health Transformation (COrHT) Initiative and the Western NC Oral Health Collaborative.

Product overview

North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative (NCOHC) is a nonprofit organization and program of the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation. It does not offer technology products or services but instead provides advocacy, education, policy development, and community engagement programs to improve oral health access and equity across North Carolina. Its activities include legislative advocacy, workforce development initiatives, community convenings, educational events (such as Oral Health Day and Legislative Breakfast), and publishing research and resources on oral health topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COrHT Initiative: Community Oral Health Transformation Initiative - a program helping safety-net practices pilot a value-based care payment model
• Western NC Oral Health Collaborative
• Oral Health Transformation

Products and services

• Community Oral Health Transformation (COrHT) Initiative A transformation initiative providing funding, technical assistance, and support to safety-net dental practices in North Carolina to strengthen sustainable, equitable oral health care delivery for historically marginalized populations.
• Western NC Oral Health Collaborative A regional community of practice convened by NCOHC to support oral health stakeholders in western North Carolina through networking, shared learning, and locally tailored oral health improvement efforts.
• Portrait of Oral Health in North Carolina (research report series) A research publication series profiling the state of oral health in North Carolina, released under Creative Commons licensing to inform policymakers, providers, and advocates working on oral health access and equity.
• Oral Health Day and Legislative Breakfast (annual events) Annual convenings that bring together North Carolina legislators, oral health providers, payers, advocates, and community stakeholders to advance oral health policy and awareness, including a Legislative Breakfast designed to engage state lawmakers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Medicaid Expansion (December 2023) extended coverage to ~600,000 North Carolinians, with ~$2.4M in dental claims within the first two months
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CareQuest Institute for Oral HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA major funder and co-development partner. CareQuest Institute co-funded the NCIOM Oral Health Transformation Task Force and partnered with NCOHC and Blue Cross NC Foundation on the COrHT Initiative (Community Oral Health Transformation), a two-year initiative launched in 2022 to help safety-net practices pilot a value-based care payment model based on CareQuest's 'three-domain framework' (teleprevention, minimally invasive care, and integration of oral health with overall health). CareQuest Institute also co-sponsored Oral Health Day and other programming.
• Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCOHC is a program of the Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI). FHLI provides organizational infrastructure, administrative support, and strategic alignment across its multiple health programs, including NCOHC, the North Carolina Rural Health Association (NCRHA), and the Center of Excellence for Integrated Care (COE). NCOHC shares staff, leadership, and strategic direction with FHLI.
• Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at UNCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with NCOHC on oral health workforce data and policy research. The Sheps Center's NC Health Professions Data System (HPDS), with 43 years of continuous licensure data on health professions, provides the empirical foundation for NCOHC's workforce advocacy. Connor Sullivan, PhD from the Sheps Center presented workforce data at NCOHC's Oral Health Day 2024.
• North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCOHC and NCIOM jointly launched the Oral Health Transformation Initiative in January 2022, forming a multi-sector task force with 70+ stakeholders. The task force published a comprehensive report — 'Transforming Oral Health Care in North Carolina' — with 14 recommendations covering payment design, care integration, workforce, and consumer experience. NCIOM and NCOHC continue collaborating on implementation opportunities.
• North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCOHC engages with NCDHHS on Medicaid dental policy, reimbursement rate advocacy, and oral health workforce initiatives. NCDHHS implemented temporary Medicaid flexibilities for dental providers during the Hurricane Helene public health emergency, including expanded teledentistry codes, radiographic image overrides, and denture replacement flexibility.
• Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCOHC partnered with MAHEC to launch an oral surgery mini-residency program for safety-net dentists in WNC. The first cohort of four dentists received hands-on complex surgery training. MAHEC also served as a key partner in post-Hurricane Helene recovery, with its dental team working to resume patient care immediately after the storm.
• North Carolina Dental SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA key professional partner in NCOHC's oral health ecosystem. The NC Dental Society collaborates with NCOHC on workforce development initiatives including dental assisting scholarships (16 awarded), certification exam stipends (20 awarded), and new dental assisting and hygiene programs at community colleges statewide.
• Old North State Dental SocietymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NCOHC on efforts to improve and diversify the dental school pipeline. The Old North State Dental Society focuses on expanding the pool of new dentists from underrepresented backgrounds to address workforce diversity and access disparities.
• North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner on dental hygiene and dental assisting workforce expansion. NCCCS is establishing new dental hygiene programs (targeting 400 graduates per year by 2028, up from ~260) and expanding dental assisting programs statewide, with $4M in General Assembly funding allocated to start and expand programs at multiple community colleges.
• UNC Adams School of DentistrymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of North Carolina's three dental schools (alongside East Carolina University and High Point University). UNC Adams School of Dentistry collaborated with NCOHC and UNC School of Social Work on a social work integration program in dental education. It is also referenced as a model for scope of practice discussions.
• North Carolina Rural Health Association (NCRHA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCRHA is another program of FHLI, operating alongside NCOHC. The two organizations co-host the annual Legislative Breakfast and collaborate on advocacy for rural health priorities, including oral health workforce and access issues affecting rural North Carolinians.
• Center of Excellence for Integrated Care (COE)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAn FHLI partner program. COE focuses on integrated care including behavioral health. NCOHC collaborates with COE at events such as the annual Legislative Breakfast to advance whole-person, integrated health care including oral health.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• American Dental Association (ADA): Largest national professional association for dentists, addressing policy, workforce, and access issues at scale. Operates broadly in the same policy and workforce space as NCOHC but as a national professional association rather than a state-focused equity collaborative.

Emerging players

• America's ToothFairy: National Children's Oral Health Foundation: Nonprofit focused on children's oral health education and access, particularly for underserved kids. Comparable in the nonprofit pediatric oral health equity space where NCOHC also runs school-based and children's programming.

Direct peers

• National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA): Nonprofit membership organization supporting safety-net oral health providers (FQHCs, public health clinics). Direct peer in serving the same safety-net dental constituency NCOHC advocates for in NC.
• CareQuest Institute for Oral Health: National nonprofit focused on oral health equity, transformation, and value-based care. Directly comparable as a philanthropic/advocacy organization driving systems-level oral health change; NCOHC is a COrHT partner with CareQuest Institute.
• Oral Health America: National nonprofit advocating for oral health equity and education, with programs targeting older adults and children. Comparable nonprofit advocacy model focused on oral health access and education.
• DentaQuest Foundation: Philanthropic arm of DentaQuest, focused on oral health equity, prevention, and access. Direct peer as a foundation funding oral health equity initiatives and value-based care transformation across multiple states.
• Association of State and Territorial Dental Directors (ASTDD): National association representing state dental directors working on public oral health policy, workforce, and access. Comparable state-level oral health policy focus to NCOHC's NC-specific advocacy work.
• Center for Health Care Strategies: National nonprofit policy resource center focused on Medicaid, health equity, and care transformation for vulnerable populations. Comparable nonprofit advocacy/policy model targeting Medicaid reform and safety-net provider support.
• North Carolina Institute of Medicine (NCIOM): NC-based nonprofit health policy organization. Direct peer and active NCOHC partner - co-launched the Oral Health Transformation Initiative in 2022 producing the 14-recommendation statewide task force report.

Others

• Foundation for Health Leadership & Innovation (FHLI): Parent organization of NCOHC. Comparable as a North Carolina nonprofit operating multiple health programs (NCOHC, NCRHA, COE) with shared infrastructure and joint advocacy (e.g., Legislative Breakfast).

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/oralhealthnc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oralhealthnc
• Xx.com/oralhealthnc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North Carolina Oral Health Collaborative