January 2026

I was approached to represent the Pennsylvania Dental Hygienists' Association (PDHA) in March of 2000, and we have been together ever since. I have been a dental patient since I was a small child, but have learned so much during my time with PDHA about oral health and its importance for everyone.

I cheered when PCOH was first established and it seemed a natural relationship to develop as an advocate for PDHA. I have worked with PCOH since its inception and celebrate the amazing things it has accomplished over the years. Helen Hawkey was the Government Relations Chair of PDHA when I first met her and remember being sad I was losing her at PDHA when she moved over to PCOH. I am very proud of the growth of advocacy and influence PCOH has brought to the Commonwealth and the general public on oral health issues. You should be proud!

Navigating relationships with other dental stakeholders and organizations has been a challenge when we didn’t always agree on the role or scope of practice of dental hygienists. Trying to convince whoever is involved in budgetary decisions that we need to devote more state and federal resources to access to oral health care is another challenge. It is frequently a “pay me now or pay me later” proposition when people don’t have access to preventive and restorative care to preserve their teeth, which becomes a much more expensive endeavor down the road. I remember Dr. Dave Kelley, Medical Director of the Office of Medical Assistance Programs at the Department of Human Services, talking about the importance of getting kids into care early, because we saved so much down the road if we got them when they were younger. I have volunteered at several Mission of Mercy events which left a stunning impression of how many people would show up needing care and be served during a two-day event.

Access to care has been my mantra over the years for all my health and human services clients. I am acutely aware of the major gaps in access to oral health care. If I had to pick one thing for PA, it would be the restoration of the adult dental benefit for recipients in the Medical Assistance Program. But it is hard to pick just one thing – I also wish PDHA had more members. We need to grow our bench. So many registered dental hygienists (RDHs) reap the benefit of PDHA’s work, but haven’t become members. We need to do a better job of welcoming them in to carry on this important work.

Working on issues I care about—lots of health care issues, domestic violence, mental health, services to people with disabilities. The personal commitment of PDHA’s all-volunteer leaders and members to improve the profession, expand our scope of practice, advocate for access to care, and provide quality preventive oral health care to their patients is inspiring. It ain’t easy! Along the way I have learned a lot, made a lot of friends, and take a measure of personal satisfaction in the things that my work has helped bring to fruition. One of the biggies was the passage of legislation to create the public health dental hygiene practitioner (PHDHP) and then slogging through our tortuous regulatory process to see the first license awarded.

Gardening, reading, traveling, and spending time with friends and loved ones. I am always learning.