| | Dean's Message
Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. It is a national holiday set near MLK's birthday of January 15. King's message is as relevant today as it was during his lifetime. For the college it means it is essential for us to value and support a diverse range of voices, which will only make us stronger. We must respect each other in our words and our actions, and this is closely connected to better care for our patients, improved discovery research, and more effective outreach to our community. It means we have to address overt discrimination when we see it, and we must address structural barriers within our patient care, education, and workplace, particularly for colleagues, patients, and students from under-represented and/or low-income backgrounds. As we come together as one college, let us work together for the betterment of all. Cheers! ~Clark Stanford | | | Updates for January 13, 2022–January 19, 2022 | | | | Azeez Alade is a Ph.D. student in epidemiology who is mentored by Azeez Butali, professor of oral pathology, radiology, and medicine.
Alade's described his research as follows: "My research focuses on identifying the genetic and genomics causes of orofacial clefts, a gap in the upper lip and or roof of the mouth of newborn babies. I work with the African population, an ancestral population to modern humans, which has been underrepresented in genetic studies. My research leverages this population to provide new insight into the development of the face and the mechanism underlying orofacial cleft formation."
He was nominated not only for his excellence in research, but also for his mentorship and advocacy for underrepresented groups. A fellow Ph.D. student in epidemiology said of Alade: “In addition to his excellent track record in research, Azeez has also been involved in mentorship and advocacy, especially for underrepresented groups…this nomination is not only to acknowledge the excellent work he has done and is currently doing in mentorship, advocacy and research but also to inspire him and others to do more.”
| | | Human Rights Week CE Course: "In their words: The Importance of patient centered care" On Thursday, January 19 over the noon hour, the DEI Office at the college is hosting a panel for CE Credit on patient-centered care as part of Human Rights Week.
Patient centered care is “providing care that is respectful of, and responsive to, individual patient preferences, needs, and values, and ensuring that patient values guide all clinical decisions.” This program will host three panelists who will share their stories and recommendations for providing patient centered dental treatment. The panelists include Carlos Medina-Aponte, who immigrated to the United States in 1999 and has lived in Iowa City since 2000; Megan Meyer, the assistant director of Career Enhancement and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the UI Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center; and Omar Shaban, a resident in the UIHC Emergency Medicine program.
The course will be in Galagan C, and lunch will be available | | | | Human Rights Week: MLK, Jr. Documentary The DEI Office will host a viewing of a Martin Luther King, Jr. documentary, with video segments highlighting aspects from Dr. King's life, on Friday, January 20 from 12:00–1:00 pm in Galagan C. Lunch will be served. | | | Dentistry represents at the Music City Bowl The University of Iowa is collaborative! The College of Dentistry partnered with the Colleges of Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy to host an alumni reception in Nashville last month. Many University of Iowa College of Dentistry alumni and friends traveled from all over the US to attend the UI Health Sciences Reception before the 2022 Music City Bowl in Nashville. During the reception, these alumni and friends were able to hear updates from the four colleges, including from Dentistry Dean Clark Stanford. Then we cheered on the Hawkeyes to a shut-out victory over Kentucky (a first in Music City Bowl history)! | | | | After 43 years, Duane Smith ('79 DDS) and his wife Ann retired from practicing dentistry in Webster City. The couple played a vital role in providing dental care to all. The article in the Daily Freeman-Journal spoke about their work with low-income patients and those with Dental Wellness Plan insurance (Iowa's State Medicaid program for dental care). The article also discusses some of the challenges for clinics that accept the Dental Wellness Plan. | | | The College of Dentistry welcomes Kailey Baxter Kailey Baxter is a new Support Services Specialist in Clinic Administration and will be working in the call center. She previously worked in practice as a Registered Veterinary Technician. She was born and raised in central Illinois and moved to Iowa in 2013. She pursued a degree in Music Education at UNI before obtaining her license in vet med. In her free time Kailey is a figure skater, skier, and serves at her local church in Cedar Rapids. She also enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. She is very excited for this next chapter and being a part of the College of Dentistry team! | | | | Person-centered care is a way of thinking and providing care by taking into consideration the preferences, beliefs, and values of the person. Focusing on the elements of care, support and treatment by using health and social services as equal partners. Patients and their families are at the center of decisions. From the dental student curriculum to our graduate training programs and our clinics, person-centered care is at the heart of who we are. | | | Angi Wiggs' Review: "My son had 4 wisdom teeth removed, he was in and out in 40 minutes. Staff was great and answered all our questions without being rushed." | | | | McKernan SC, Sukalski JMC, Starman EE, Mayhle MM, Holland HA, Chi DL. Introducing dental students to dental public health: An analysis of US predoctoral course syllabi. J Dent Educ. 2023 Jan 4. doi: 10.1002/jdd.13163. PMID: 36597728.
Dental public health competencies in predoctoral dental education ensure that students have the skills to succeed in an increasingly complex professional environment. This study examined existing public health curricula in US dental education and their alignment with national recommendations from the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD) and guidance from the Healthy People Curriculum Task Force for health professions education programs. The authors contacted all US dental schools requesting syllabi for each schools' first course with dental public health content. From 34 syllabi, the authors found that frequently covered topics included principles of dental public health (79% of syllabi) and access to care (79%). "Health disparities" was the most common emergent theme, with 50% of courses including related content. There was little consistency in how courses approached each topic. For example, the topic "access to care" covered healthcare delivery systems, determinants of health, legislative reform, and advocacy. Dental public health was often taught alongside unrelated content. The articles argues that recommendations for dental public health competencies should be updated to include new educational priorities, align with current national recommendations, and more clearly align with Commission on Dental Accreditation Standard. | | | Rufus P. Beshears (1909) and Rosalie Reddick Miller (1958) were two of the first Black graduates of the College of Dentistry. Black history month at the College of Dentistry is an opportunity for us to look at our past, celebrate the accomplishments of our esteemed alumni, and drive us to become a more inclusive community for our students, alumni, staff, and faculty. | | Events
January 19, Human Rights Week CE Course: In their words: The importance of patient centered care" Panel Discussion, Galagan C, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
January 20, Human Rights Week Martin Luther King, Jr. Documentary Viewing, Galagan C, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
January 20, Dental Alumni Reception in conjunction with the Rocky Mountain Dental Convention, Maggiano’s Little Italy at Denver Pavillions, Denver, CO, 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m.
January 24, Seminars in Dental Research: David Johnsen, "The research side of critical thinking implementation for dental students from theory to practice," hosted by Eric Van Otterloo, Galagan B, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
January 31, Seminars in Dental Research: Afsar Naqvi, "Viruses in Periodontal Disease Pathogenesis," hosted by Juhi Uttamani, W220A/B, 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m.
February 24, Dental Alumni Reception in conjunction with the Chicago Mid-Winter Meeting, Blackstone Hotel, Chicago, IL, 5:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m.
May 5, Dental Alumni Reception in conjunction with IDA Annual Meeting, Cedar Rapids, IA, 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
September 15-16, Dentistry Alumni Reunion Weekend
Notes and Resources
Lend a helping hand. Due to family caregiving needs, Alanna Keating has exhausted her sick leave and vacation. If you would like to help Alanna by contributing vacation time, please go to the following website: CAT Leave, and click on “Catastrophic Leave Donation Form.”
M-R: 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; F: 7:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Dec 19-30: M-F: 7:30a.m.–2:00 p.m.
CLOSED Dec 26, 27, Jan 2
Jan 3-13: M-F: 7:30a.m.–3:00 p.m.
The banner Hawkeye Smile image shows Herky with Amanda Shoemaker, the director of alumni relations and continuing education. | | | |
