Lawyers and Dentists Team Up for Better Health in First-Of-Its-Kind Partnership

Each patient who checks in for an appointment at Northern Access is given a self-screening document to indicate whether he or she would like to meet with an attorney for free legal advice.

For example, a low-income dental patient might be diagnosed with an oral infection. After a chat with her dental technician, the technician might learn that the patient can’t afford to buy nutritious foods that are higher in vitamins C and D. The technician introduces her to an attorney who has an office at the clinic, who then helps her apply for public benefits for which she’s eligible. As diet improves, so does overall health.

It’s this innovation, the first of its kind in the country, that is aimed at bettering the health of so many Minnesotans and that is just the kind of thinking that the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation is committed to supporting. The Foundation awarded the program a $90,000 grant in 2015 to support a unique partnership between Northern Dental Access Center, a grassroots, nonprofit community access center, and Legal Services of Northwest Minnesota, a nonprofit organization that provides free services to low-income and elderly people in 22 northwestern Minnesota counties.

“This collaborative effort of lawyers and dentists is a very promising way to improve health.”

“We are committed to funding organizations that help everyone in a community reach their full health potential,” said Carolyn Link, executive director of the Blue Cross Foundation. “This collaborative effort of lawyers and dentists is a very promising way to improve health.”

The Origin Story

The story began in 2008, when Northern Dental Access Center opened in Bemidji, addressing the lack of dental services for thousands of low-income patients in northwestern Minnesota. The clinic is staffed by a rotating group of 15 dentists from around the state as well as dental assistants, hygienists and schedulers who provide continuity of care on a day-to-day basis. Northern Access, which is known for delivering compassionate, individualized patient care, serves 10,000 people a year.

Executive Director of Northern Dental Access Center Jeanne Edevold Larson says that despite its large impact within the community as a dental practice, the clinic was established with oral care as only one part of its mission.

“There are so many barriers to care, including legal issues,” said Larson. She said the clinic always intended to help its clients overcome those barriers, extending well beyond simply meeting dental needs. “This approach can help the entire community experience better health.”

Public attorney D.J. Yokom gives legal advice to a patient at Northern Dental Access Center in Bemidji.

Connecting Dental Care to Legal Support

Using funds from the Foundation’s grant, the partnership provides resources for dental clinic patients to address legal and social issues that compromise their health, ability to follow a treatment plan and receive appropriate dental treatment. For example, patients who are involved with custody disputes might be more likely to skip an appointment because they are afraid to leave their children with another person – even for the duration of a short dentist appointment.

In this case, a lawyer can explain a person’s custody rights or establish a temporary court-ordered custody arrangement that allows the parent to make medical decisions.  This legal advice or representation allows the parent to feel comfortable with their choices and for the child to receive the care they need in a timely manner.

Since September 2015, attorney D.J. Yokom has worked two days per week in the clinic advising dental patients with legal needs. His clients – who typically request legal services through a quick screening application during check-in – face a variety of legal challenges.

Open Forum Discussions Foster Patients’ Trust

Additionally, the clinic offers “Know Your Rights” chat sessions, where anyone – including people who are not patients at the clinic – can participate in discussions with Yokom about broad areas of law – consumer rights, landlord-tenant regulations and public benefits for people who are re-enrolling in a public health plan.

The sessions are even more popular than the one-on-one consultations, and Larson believes this is because people are not required to identify themselves or disclose personal contact information.

“It’s common within support services for people to be skeptical,” Larson said. “Our patients have some legitimate trust concerns.” Because of low-income patients’ skepticism of the system, Larson said they use a variety of techniques to get the word out about the free legal services and to foster trust.

Through this work, they’ve found what is most crucial is simply going to patients and asking them what they need. A patient focus group regularly provides feedback to help shape programs and improve services.

Blue Cross Foundation Health Equity in Action Support

Together, Northern Access and Legal Services, with the help of granting partners like the Blue Cross Foundation, are dedicated to moving health forward through their work in the nonprofit sector. As one of 24 grants awarded across the state through Blue Cross’ “Healthy Communities: Health Equity in Action” program, the project furthers the understanding that health inequities can be overcome when systems’ barriers for low-income people are reduced.

“My job has been to put myself out of a job,” Larson said. “The more we can empower people to understand their rights, the more they will be able to empower themselves to be more healthy. If there was social justice, there’d be no need for social services.”

Take a peek at how Northern Dental Access Center Care is providing a dental home for those in need at northerndentalaccess.org.