Data-driven program integrates medical and dental care to improve outcomes for patients

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health®, a national nonprofit focused on creating a more accessible, equitable, and integrated oral health system, today announced a data-driven program with NxtCare. As a health care operations and analytics company, NxtCare partners with post acute providers, health systems, payers, and accountable care organizations (ACOs). The program integrates oral health insights into home-based care settings. It will launch in Nebraska with the goal of scaling nationally over time.

This initiative focuses on home health patients, a high-risk population that is traditionally underrepresented in oral health evaluation across the broader health care continuum. By systematically analyzing oral health assessments within postacute settings, NxtCare and CareQuest Institute will generate clinical intelligence that connects oral health status to broader health outcomes. These insights will equip providers, payers, and ACOs with the data needed to improve care quality, reduce costs driven by unaddressed oral health conditions, and accelerate access to treatment before conditions escalate.

“We know that oral health is essential to overall health, but it’s often missing from how medical care is delivered and measured,” said Wade Rakes, Chief Executive Officer at CareQuest Institute. “Through our partnership with NxtCare, we can improve oral health for this high-risk population, directly enhancing clinical outcomes and positively impacting not only the individual but also the broader care environment — which is critical for sustained systems change.”

“This partnership represents a significant step forward in how the health care ecosystem understands the relationship between oral health and whole-person outcomes,” said Bob Mikulak, CEO of NxtCare. “CareQuest Institute brings the research credibility and mission alignment that makes this work matter. NxtCare brings the data infrastructure to translate that mission into population-level intelligence. Together, we are creating visibility into the patient journey that has never existed before.”

Oral health is deeply connected to overall health and well-being, with growing evidence linking it to conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Yet medical and dental care remain largely disconnected. By improving data sharing and coordination across these systems, providers, payers, and policymakers can gain a clearer view of the full patient journey, helping to identify risks earlier and intervene before conditions worsen.

This partnership aligns with CareQuest Institute’s broader mission to advance oral health equity and strengthen the health care system through data, research, and innovation.

About CareQuest Institute for Oral Health

CareQuest Institute for Oral Health is a national nonprofit championing a more equitable future where every person can reach their full potential through excellent health. We do this through our work in philanthropy, analytics and data insights, health transformation, policy and advocacy, and education, as well as our leadership in dental benefits and innovation advancements. We collaborate with thought leaders, health care providers, patients, and local, state, and federal stakeholders to accelerate oral health care transformation and create a system designed for everyone. To learn more, visit carequest.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

About NxtCare

NxtCare builds curated postacute care networks and delivers the analytics platform that connects patient outcomes to provider performance. For payers, health systems, and ACOs, NxtCare provides real-time visibility into the discharge ecosystem, enabling smarter network decisions, fewer avoidable adverse events, and measurable accountability across the care continuum. To learn more, visit www.mynxtcare.com.

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