Office of Global and Community Health

The Office of Global and Community Health is responsible for developing, promoting, and sustaining initiatives in oral public health domestically and around the globe. As the home of the HSDM Global Oral Health Initiative, the Office is working with HSDM faculty and students to refine the School’s vision for global health and to coordinate its many outreach programs and curricular offerings. Such efforts include working with faculty to incorporate global health into the curriculum at the pre- and postdoctoral levels, to increase externship and research opportunities, and to integrate oral health into the Harvard University Initiative on Global Health. The Office also liaises with other schools at Harvard, health care providers, charitable organizations, and government agencies to raise awareness of oral health issues and to establish collaborative partnerships.

Webinars

 

Access to Good Quality Dental Care

 

 

From Local Innovations to Global Impact: Oral Cancer Screenings and Multimedia

Global and Community Health Seminar Series flyer

 

Silver Diamine Fluoride: A Cost Effective Tool for Medical Providers to Thwart

Silver Diamine Fluoride Webinar

 

The Health Insurance Landscape: Implications for Oral Health and Dental Care

webinar

Oral Health Advocacy in Massachusetts

Public Health Leadership at National Scale: How a Pandemic, Innovation, and Diplomacy Strengthened a Health System

Health Systems Strengthening in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Challenges and Barriers

Driving Toward Equity in Health, Education, and Economic Opportunity: The Role of City Government

Medicine in the Streets: Lessons Learned caring for Boston’s Rough Sleepers

A Conversation with Dr. Subramaniam Sathasivam

Related News

Bridging the Dental Workforce Gap in New Hampshire

Bridging the Dental Workforce Gap in New Hampshire

November 15, 2023

New Hampshire’s scenic beauty stretches from the state’s rocky coastline to the majestic White Mountains, however behind its picturesque image is a less idyllic landscape for dental care. Access to care is challenging for rural populations in the Granite State, particularly for those with medically complex cases or special needs. Just last year, the state began to cover basic dental care for adults on Medicaid, yet less than 15 percent of the state’s 850 dentists are participating thus far. With no dental school of its own, New Hampshire is...

Read more about Bridging the Dental Workforce Gap in New Hampshire
A smiling verteran sitting in a operatory chair flanked by two masked dental students.

Expanding Dental Access to Veterans

October 24, 2023

What started as a concept aimed at disease prevention and patient retention has turned into an annual event to aid veterans in need. Now in its third year, Harvard School of Dental Medicine’s (HSDM) Give Veterans a Smile (GVAS), which takes place in October, provides veterans with a day of free dental care and consultations, with a long-term goal of creating a dental home for those who have served.

 

Veterans are provided with healthcare while serving in the military...

Read more about Expanding Dental Access to Veterans
Child covering mouth with dentist standing behind them holding dental tools

Fillings, Cleanings, Exams...Oh My! Getting to the Root of Dental Fear

October 23, 2023

For some, the mere thought of sitting in a dental chair can send shivers down their spine and set their heart racing. In fact, nearly 40% of the population admits to having anxiety or fear of the dentist, which can have serious consequences for an individual’s oral health. We asked Dr. Isabelle Chase, a leading expert in the field of pediatric dentistry, where this fear might stem from and how patients and dental providers can address it. Chase serves as...

Read more about Fillings, Cleanings, Exams...Oh My! Getting to the Root of Dental Fear
Drs. Eleana Stoufi and Donna Hackley with Rwanda mountains in background

Returning to Rwanda: New Program Focuses on Training Future Physicians

October 2, 2023

Building on strong partnerships in Rwanda that led to the launch of a new dental school in the country in 2018, Harvard School of Dental Medicine faculty returned to Rwanda this summer to expand oral health training, this time with a focus on future physicians.

“It was exciting to be involved in this transformative effort to train future physicians in key oral health concepts,” said Dr. Donna Hackley, assistant professor of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology who serves as department...

Read more about Returning to Rwanda: New Program Focuses on Training Future Physicians

Related Resources:

Harvard Medical School Student Community Engagement

Learn more about opportunities for medical and dental students to engage with local communities in the Boston area and elsewhere are plentiful. Students have a range of options for short-term service, longer-term engagement, clinical training and scholarly work.

COVID-19 Testing Communications Toolkit

This COVID-19 Testing Communications Toolkit is a free, public resource for anyone looking to communicate the importance of COVID-19 testing to communities across America.

Harvard Global

A Massachusetts nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing operational support for Harvard University's international activities so that scholars and students can focus on research and programs.
Learn more about Harvard Global.

Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs

The mission of the Office of the Vice Provost for International Affairs (OVPIA) is to support and encourage the work of Harvard students and faculty, bringing Harvard to the world and the world to Harvard.
Learn more about OVPIA.

Harvard Worldwide

Worldwide Week at Harvard showcases the remarkable breadth of Harvard’s global engagement. During Worldwide Week, Harvard Schools, research centers, departments, and student organizations host academic and cultural events with global or international themes.
Learn more about Harvard Worldwide.

Harvard Global Health Institute (HGHI)

Addresses broad challenges in public health that affect large populations around the globe, believing that solutions that will move the dial draw from within and beyond the medicine and public health spheres to encompass design, law, policy, and business. HGHI does that by harnessing the unique breadth of excellence within fields at Harvard and by being a dedicated partner and convener to organizations, governments, scholars, and committed citizens around the globe.
Learn more about HGHI.

Harvard Global Institute (HGI)

Supports research initiatives that deepen Harvard’s international engagement and promote University-wide scholarship to address pressing global challenges.
Learn more about HGI.

Harvard Global Support Services

Provides tools and guidance that enable faculty, students, and staff to study, work, and research overseas.
Learn more about Harvard Global Support Services.

Harvard International Office

Provides services to international students and scholars at Harvard College, the graduate and professional schools, as well as the numerous research centers and affiliated teaching hospitals, to minimize the difficulties they may experience both upon arrival and later during their stay at Harvard. 
Learn more about Harvard International Office.

Program in Global Surgery and Social Change

The Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) is a collaborative effort between the Harvard teaching hospitals, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Partners In Health (PIH).
Learn more about Harvard's PGSSC.

Harvard Medical School Center for Global Health Delivery

The Harvard Medical School Center for Global Health Delivery is addressing some of the most pressing health challenges globally, from infectious disease to mental health. By focusing on research, medical education, and training that promises to improve health care delivery systems and patient outcomes, our work creates both care delivery and research capacity where our affiliates live and work. 
Learn more about HMS Center for Global Health Delivery.

HMS Center for Primary Care 

The HMS Center for Primary Care is committed to uncovering, promoting, and fighting for the best and most efficient ways to deliver high-quality primary care around the world. 
Learn more about HMS Center for Primary Care.

HMS Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) 

The mission of the Department of Biomedical Informatics is to develop the methods, tools and infrastructure required for a new generation of biomedical investigators and care providers to move biomedicine, writ large, rapidly forward by taking full advantage of the insight and precision offered by these enormous data resources. 
Learn more about HMS DBMI.

HMS Department of Global Health and Social Medicine (GHSM)

The Department of Global Health and Social Medicine is an interdisciplinary basic social science department at Harvard Medical School. The faculty of social scientists and physicians teach and conduct research in the social sciences and humanities relevant to health and illness, health care delivery, and the professional culture of medicine. 
Learn more about HMS GHSM.

Harvard University Center for African Studies

The Harvard University Center for African Studies is a globally recognized, interdisciplinary body at Harvard University committed to broadening knowledge about Africa and African perspectives.
Learn more about Harvard University Center for African Studies.

Harvard University Native American Program (HUNAP)

The Harvard University Native American Program brings together Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students and interested individuals from the Harvard community for the purpose of advancing the well-being of Indigenous peoples through self-determination, academic achievement, and community service.
Learn more about HUNAP

Harvard University Asia Center

The Harvard University Asia Center generates and shares knowledge about Asia in transnational and transregional perspective. Fostering teaching, collaboration, and innovation across and beyond cultural and disciplinary boundaries.
Learn more about Harvard University Asia Center.

Harvard China Fund

In service of the entire University, the Harvard China Fund supports teaching and research on China and promotes Harvard’s presence in China. The Fund amplifies Harvard’s commitment to China and advances collaborative research on the major challenges facing Greater China.
Learn more about the Harvard China Fund.

David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies (DRCLAS)

Founded in 1994 by then-President Neil L. Rudenstine and alumnus David Rockefeller, DRCLAS is an inter-faculty initiative, with offices in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico, positioned to be intellectually poised to respond to real-world changes in the Americas resulting from democratic transitions and economic restructuring. 
Learn more about DRCLAS.

Harvard Business School Health Care Initiative (HCI) 

HCI impacts managerial practice and the pace of innovation by educating leaders and innovators who aspire to improve value across the health care industry. The Initiative fosters and promotes faculty research, supports the development of a portfolio of high-impact educational programs, and creates an interconnected HBS health care community.
Learn more about Harvard Business School HCI.

Harvard Health Innovation Network (HHIN) 

HHIN'S mission is to promote health care innovation and entrepreneurship across the Harvard ecosystem by connecting people to create partnerships and collaborations; communicating events, resources and funding opportunities; and by cultivating ideas in an inclusive community. Learn more about HHIN.

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management

The Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is dedicated to improving the health care delivery system and mitigating public health risks in the United States and abroad.
Learn more about Havard  T.H. Chan School of Public Health Department of Health Policy and Management.

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health India Research Center

The India Research Center is designed to broaden and coordinate the School’s existing collaborations and create new relationships with organizations and agencies across India. The ultimate goal is to improve health in India and around the world through the strategic goals of research, training, and knowledge translation and communication.
Learn more about Havard  T.H. Chan School of Public Health India Research Center.

The Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN)

The Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN) is a collaboration between Harvard Medical School (HMS) and two HMS-affiliated teaching hospitals, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH).
Learn more about VAIVN.