Network Health CEO Coreen Dicus‑Johnson says she is doing the most important work of her life. Her legacy will be built when society stops treating the mouth separately from the rest of the body, not just for healthcare delivery but for insurance purposes.
So, she says, “I put a stake in the ground.”
That stake fell this summer when Dicus‑Johnson launched “From Teeth to Toes,” a statewide public health initiative that aims to garner support and raise awareness for oral medicine’s critical place in holistic health. She launched the initiative at Lambeau Field with a team of high‑profile allies, including Network Health Chief Medical Officer Mushir Hassan, a board certified internist; Children’s Health Alliance of Wisconsin Executive Director Matt Crespin; and Super Bowl champion Donald Driver, who will serve as statewide ambassador (“I’ve always wanted to use that $10 million smile for something,” Dicus‑Johnson says).
And perhaps the most important partner of all: her daughter Miranda Peter, owner and general dentist at High Point Dentistry, whose personal experiences spurred Dicus‑Johnson to action.
Peter shared with her mother that, as a dentist, she is on the front lines of identifying issues like oral cancer, sleep apnea, pediatric airway obstructions, diabetes and cardiac problems. Dentists have a distinct view into the mouth, where so much of human health is centered. And you can’t have any kind of surgery if there’s an infection in your mouth.
And yet, Dicus‑Johnson says, dental insurance is “like a coupon. You have a certain max — a couple grand — and only certain things are paid. You have to wait for your benefits to reload.”
Network Health is in a position to change that, she says, and has already begun reforming its plans to begin fully covering treatment of any oral inflammation, disease or infection.
“We cover it the same way we would cover disease in any part of the body,” Dicus‑Johnson says. “That’s already in process at Network Health.”
Dicus‑Johnson envisions several phases of the project, and amending Network Health’s coverage is an early but important step. The next iteration will be to start up a dental program, she says. Implementing interoperability and data exchange is maybe Teeth to Toes 2.5.
But, she admits, there was an early step she may have missed: education.
That’s why she’s focused today on explaining to people why this project matters, addressing both children and adults, creating the public health campaign with Driver and incorporating lighthearted humor and fun. It also means talking about oral health at every single cocktail party she attends and walking the talk as Network Health’s CEO.
As a nonprofit, Dicus‑Johnson says, Network Health is better equipped than other agencies to take a leadership position on the issue.
“At a time when healthcare costs and access [are] so expensive, some people might want to say, ‘Why are you doing this? Isn’t it just going to be more costly?’” Dicus‑Johnson says. “This is the long game of population health. This is an investment in health, and this will make a difference. Because our members stay with us so long, I can make this investment. I don’t need to see an ROI in the next quarter or next year. By making [our members] healthier, it’s going to help from a premium perspective.”
“I know it’s a big bet,” she says. “But I’m from Vegas and I’ll make a big bet on this.”
Peter has played a key role in the initiative, not just as a source of inspiration but in recruiting a high‑powered advisory board of dentists.
“Working with Miranda has just been unbelievable, because I get to see my child in a totally different light,” Dicus‑Johnson says. “I will tell you, the first time we were in a meeting and she called me Coreen was a little weird.”
And while not everyone is yet fully receptive to her message, Dicus‑Johnson says she has gotten many seats at many important tables, including an invitation to the prestigious Santa Fe Group, which shares her vision.
“I don’t see this as a competitive thing. I see this as a cooperation, collaborative thing. I want everybody to get excited about it,” Dicus‑Johnson says. “I’m going to be reaching out to everybody I can from a partnership perspective … corporate partnerships, medical specialists, medical partnerships, healthcare systems, hospitals, policymakers.”
Dicus‑Johnson says she looks forward to the day, maybe when she’s in her 90s, when we look back and say, “Remember how we used to get that coupon [and] that’s how we treated the mouth?”
It’s the kind of change that will be the most important work of her life, she says.
“It’s my passion. It’s my purpose. The fact that my daughter is in this space and me being a part of it is just — well, it’s just a mic drop.”
Oral health in focus:
- According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Health, 6 in 10 third graders have some form of cavity, treated or untreated.
- Wisconsin’s 2025 State Health Assessment found that a lack of whole‑person, prevention‑focused care is one of the top health barriers reported by residents.
- Nationwide, more than 34 million hours of school are lost each year due to unplanned dental care for preventable oral disease, according to the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Take the Healthy Habits pledge
Visit FromTeethToToes.com to learn more about Network Health’s new initiative and to take the pledge to brush for two minutes every time you brush, floss at least once a day and see your dental provider and doctor as recommended.
