Health Policy & Health Services Research

The Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research was founded in September 1996 to develop a multifaceted program of research, teaching, population-based care, and community service focused on evidence-based practice.

The department’s organizing principle is that research must inform health policy, health promotion, and clinical care, with the aim of improving oral health outcomes. A key organizing theme, which also serves as a working hypothesis, is that “oral health matters.” Oral conditions are important determinants of general health and well-being; the goal of improving oral health must be an integral component of the mission of our health care system.