Under the Same Sky with Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan and Dr. Kaz Rafia of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health
On Thursday, November 30, Abner Mason, founder and CEO of SameSky Health, hosted a discussion with Myechia Minter-Jordan (MD, MBA), president and CEO, and also Kaz Rafia (DDS, MBA, MPH), chief health equity officer of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. Despite the growing understanding of the relationship between oral health and systemic disease, oral health care often remains siloed from the rest of the health care system. Medical-dental integration can help build that critical bridge between oral health and overall health. This conversation focused on the connection between oral health, behavioral health, and overall health, and the impact of oral health disparities.
View the event summary or watch the full recording.
About Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, MBA
Myechia Minter-Jordan, MD, MBA, serves as the president and CEO of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. A physician and business executive, Myechia leads a dynamic team of professional and clinical experts committed to building a future where every person can reach their full potential through excellent health.
Through Myechia’s leadership, CareQuest Institute operates as a catalyst for systems change, bringing forth ideas and solutions to create a more accessible, equitable, and integrated health system for everyone. CareQuest Institute collaborates with a wide range of partners to achieve its mission — to improve the oral health of all — through work in grantmaking, research, health improvement programs, policy and advocacy, and education, as well as leadership in dental benefits, care delivery, and innovation advancements.
Myechia also continues to shine a national spotlight on the importance of ending deep social inequity. In 2020, Myechia joined 18 other Black and Brown executives in Massachusetts as a founding leader of the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund (NCF) to provide philanthropic support to community groups and coalitions fighting systemic racism and racial inequity in the Commonwealth. Originally seeded with $20 million, the NCF aims to raise $100 million.
Before joining CareQuest Institute, Myechia served as chief medical officer and CEO of the Dimock Center, one of the largest community health centers in Massachusetts. During Myechia’s tenure, Dimock was recognized as a national model for comprehensive, integrated health and human services. As CEO, Myechia formed partnerships with world-class institutions to advance person-centered care, including Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and Partners HealthCare. Prior to Dimock, Myechia worked for Johns Hopkins Medicine as an attending physician and instructor of medicine.
Myechia also invests personal time in her community, serving on several boards and committees, including BlueShield of California, The Boston Foundation, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Point32 Health, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Previously, she held appointed positions for influential agencies, including the Massachusetts Health Planning Council Advisory Committee and the City of Boston Public Health Commission.
Myechia earned her doctor of medicine degree from Brown University School of Medicine and a master of business administration degree from Johns Hopkins University Carey School of Business. She also received honorary doctorates from Northeastern University and Newbury College.
About Kaz Rafia, DDS, MBA, MPH
Kaz Rafia serves as chief health equity officer, executive vice president of CareQuest Institute for Oral Health.
In his role, Kaz spearheads strategic initiatives to foster and advance engagement and access to integrated oral health care for the underserved and underrepresented communities. Kaz also drives the organization’s efforts to elevate the integration of oral health and overall health care through the oversight of the health improvement and grantmaking teams.
Kaz brings over two decades of experience in successful startups, academia, managed care, government, and nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining CareQuest Institute, Kaz served as the state dental director for the Oregon Health Authority, where he set the equity centered State Oral Health Strategic Plan focusing on population health measures, health care workforce development, optimization of the value-based care coordination model, and telehealth.
Previously, Kaz was the director of operations for the Partnership for International Medical Access-Northwest, working to build sustainable long-term international partnerships with culturally diverse authorities and leaders to better understand and serve their needs. Kaz was also a founding partner of Rafia Dental, a clinical associate professor at Oregon Health & Science University, and a clinic director at Kaiser Permanente.
Kaz holds a doctor of dental surgery degree from the Ohio State University, a master of business administration degree from University of Illinois, and a master of public health degree from Johns Hopkins University.
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