Health Issues
For the first 10 years of our existence, AIDPH focused on improving access to oral healthcare, amplifying oral health as a critical component of overall health, and facilitating a community-driven approach to public health. As our work evolved, we expanded our focus to women’s health, mental health, and chronic disease, building on our strong foundation in oral health to address adjacent health issues. Our mission is to empower communities to eliminate health disparities through research, education, and advocacy.
Oral Health
Oral health is our central health issue, building on a decade of efforts to propel community-driven research, education, and advocacy that addresses access, affordability, and workforce capacity. Since our inception, AIDPH has advocated for a more holistic healthcare system that recognizes oral health is a key component of overall health. To this end, AIDPH has published research on the impact of oral health in relation to chronic disease, prevention technology, clinical practice, and cost savings. We leverage our research to equip the oral health and public health workforce to address health disparities with our advocacy and educational programming.
Women’s Health
Women’s health is a growing area of focus for AIDPH, informed by our established work related to pregnant veterans and women in oral health leadership. Building on this foundation, AIDPH is expanding our women’s health portfolio to examine the intersection of chronic disease and women’s health outcomes, empowering women within the public health workforce, and exploring underexamined connections between oral health and women’s health across the life course—including perimenopause and menopause. Through this work, AIDPH aims to contribute clinical practice, workforce education, and policy-informed strategies that advance women’s health in meaningful and sustainable ways.
Chronic Disease
Chronic disease is a longstanding focus area for AIDPH, grounded in our work examining the bidirectional relationship between oral health and conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke—particularly among veterans and other populations facing barriers to care. Through research, education, and advocacy, AIDPH has highlighted how oral health status both influences and reflects chronic disease management, prevention, and healthcare costs. Building on this foundation, AIDPH is expanding its chronic disease portfolio to strengthen public health infrastructure and support more coordinated policy strategies that address prevention, early intervention, and system-level gaps in chronic disease care.
Mental Health
Mental health is an emerging area of focus for AIDPH, informed by our work on the intersection of oral health and mental well-being. Our research with veterans has highlighted how mental health affects access to care, executive functioning, patient empowerment, and health outcomes. Building on these insights, AIDPH is expanding our mental health work to explore how public health systems can better integrate mental and oral health, while also addressing the mental health needs of the public health workforce itself. This includes examining strategies to support self-care, prevent burnout, and build resilience within a system under increasing strain.
Our History
Learn more about AIDPH’s ten-year evolution, our focus on integrated healthcare and public health infrastructure, and how our community-engaged approach has remained a central feature of our work.