Oral Health LIN

The North Sound Oral Health Local Impact Network (LIN) is a partnership of committed organizations in the North Sound region (Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island, and San Juan Island counties) working together to improve oral health equity.

The LIN was founded by the Arcora Foundation and North Sound ACH in 2019, which committed resources to help partners achieve LIN-specific goals and are guided by a regional Steering Committee that sets the strategic direction. Partners share resources, best practices, and performance improvement data, and work together on projects. This group has done essential work to expand access to oral health care across our region, particularly in rural areas and for elementary school students. As the Network continues to grow we will be transitioning the Oral Health LIN into a community of practice.

On September 30, 25 members of the North Sound Oral Health Local Impact Network (LIN) participated in a data walk highlighting eight essential oral health metrics across the region, including dental provider and dental clinic shortages, dental utilization rates for children and adults with Medicaid, and cities with fluoridated water supplies. The Oral Health LIN evaluator, Lara Welker, spent nearly a year organizing these data and the group was able to discuss potential areas for greatest impact.

We welcome new and existing partners to help plan the future of oral health in the region! Please reach out to Nyka Osteen at nyka@northsoundach.org if you, or a group you are part of, is interested in:

  • Scheduling a virtual or in-person data walk with Lara Welker to explore the current state of oral health in our region and its ties to other community metrics 
  • Joining the upcoming Oral Health LIN virtual planning meeting on Tuesday, November 12, at 2 p.m., to strategize about the future work and reflect on past successes
  • Subscribing to the Oral Health LIN mailing list to keep updated on new developments

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Oral Health LIN Data Mapping 2023-2024

Here are the results of the Oral Health LIN data mapping project at the sub-county level, created by Lara Welker. The data is from 2023-2024, and was compiled in 2024. This data includes maps, corresponding tables,
and data notes providing information at a sub-county level for each of the five counties in our region: Island, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom.

Our Mission

The mission of the North Sound Oral Health LIN is to create innovative partnerships and sustainable strategies to increase oral health equity and improve the quality of life for all people in the North Sound region.

Anchor Strategies

The North Sound LIN focuses its work on five mutually reinforcing anchor strategies: Access to care, Mobile Dental, Workforce, Oral Health Integration, and Oral Health Education.

Network Pillars

The Network exists to promote dialogue and projects that are grounded in the following concepts: Collaboration, System Change, and Sustainability.

Previous Meetings

Here you can find previous meeting recordings of North Sound Oral Health LIN meetings.

The next Oral Health LIN virtual planning meeting is on Tuesday, November 12, at 2 p.m., to strategize about the future work and reflect on past successes.

Sign up for the Oral Health newsletter to find out when the next general LIN meeting is.

Newsletters

Are you interested in oral health and want to stay connected to what’s going on in the North Sound region?

Sign up for the North Sound Oral Health Local Impact Newsletter! The purpose of this newsletter is to provide specific information about the LIN, such as funded projects, meeting announcements, and general oral health-related information.

If you have questions about the Oral Health Network or would like to receive this newsletter, please reach out to us at Nyka@NorthSoundACH.org.

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