3-4 Minute Read
On June 2, 2026, the Connecticut Oral Health Initiative (COHI) gathered in West Hartford to mark 25 years of advocacy on behalf of oral health access in Connecticut. What started in 2000-2001 as an outgrowth of a state dental association committee has grown into one of the country’s longest-standing oral health coalitions, and its history offers a clear picture of what sustained consumer advocacy can accomplish over a quarter century.
COHI incorporated in 2002 and earned 501(c)(3) status the following year, giving Connecticut’s oral health advocates a formal home for the work already underway. That work has never really stopped. Over the past 25 years, COHI has helped settle a class-action lawsuit that improved dental access for children on HUSKY, secured the state’s Oral Health Access Bill, established Connecticut’s Office of Oral Public Health, and helped enact community water fluoridation protections. More recently, the coalition helped extend dental coverage for young adults up to age 26, secured the first adult Medicaid dental rate increase since 2008, and, in 2025 alone, backed a new Connecticut Veterans Dental Program, a rebasing schedule for Medicaid reimbursement rates, and expanded continuing education requirements for dentists treating patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
That list spans lawsuits, legislation, licensing rules, and workforce policy, but it adds up to one story: a coalition that keeps showing up, year after year, on behalf of the people who need it most. It is also a story that will look familiar to coalitions across the ANOHC network, most of which have their own version of the same pattern, a hard-won win that built credibility and relationships for the future.
COHI’s anniversary gathering honored the past while looking to the future. Award-winning journalist Mary Otto, author of Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America, was the featured guest speaker, alongside COHI co-founder and Board Member Emeritus Dr. Howard Mark and invited guest Governor Ned Lamont. The evening recognized the recipient of COHI’s Howard I. Mark Award, presented annually to a leader who has made an outstanding difference in advancing oral health equity in Connecticut.
Twenty-five years is long enough to see the same fight recur under a new name, Medicaid reimbursement rates, workforce shortages, coverage gaps, and long enough to actually move the needle on each of them. COHI’s anniversary is a chance to take stock of that progress, and a reminder of why coalitions like it are worth investing in for the next 25 years.
FAQ
What is the Connecticut Oral Health Initiative (COHI)?
COHI is Connecticut’s statewide oral health advocacy non-profit that operates the coalition and is a member of ANOHC. Founded in 2002, it advocates for policies that expand access to dental care, with a focus on underserved populations across the state.
What is COHI celebrating?
COHI celebrated its 25th anniversary with a gathering on June 2, 2026 at the Pond House Café in West Hartford, honoring 25 years of advocacy for oral health equity in Connecticut.
What is the Howard I. Mark Award?
It’s an annual award presented by COHI to a leader in oral health access in Connecticut who shares the passion of co-founder Dr. Howard Mark for ensuring everyone can attain good oral health, regardless of income or wealth. This year’s award was given to Lisa Perry, Executive Director of the CT Foundation for Dental Outreach, who operates Connecticut Mission of Mercy Free Dental Clinics, and is also a member of the coalition.
How does COHI’s work connect to ANOHC’s broader network?
As one of ANOHC’s member coalitions, COHI’s wins, from Medicaid rate increases to veterans’ dental benefits, reflect the same advocacy playbook coalitions use nationwide: sustained, local relationships that turn into lasting policy change.
Learn more about COHI’s 25th Anniversary Gathering at ctoralhealth.org/cohi-25th-anniversary.
