Awards & recognition
Presidential Citation
TAmmy Filipiak, RDH, MS
This year at the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) Eighty-Seventh Annual Session in Las Vegas, President Lynn Ramer, LDH presented Tammy Filipiak, RDH, MS with a Presidential Citation in recognition of her clear vision and gracious leadership. Filipiak currently serves as Chair of the ADHA Council on Policy and Bylaws and has guided the Council’s work on projects such as the 2008 ADHA Policy Manual revision and the 2009 ADHA Bylaws revision. Tammy and Lynn pictured below.
Carol B. Benson Outstanding Service to Dental Hygiene Award 2009
Jodi Olmsted, RDH, Ph.D
Irene Newman Professional Achievement Award 2008
Jodi Olmsted, RDH, Ph.D
The Wisconsin Dental Hygienists’ Association
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has named Jodi L. Olmsted, RDH, Ph.D., of Ringle, Wis., as the recipient of the 2008 Irene Newman Professional Achievement Award. She was honored during the second plenary session at ADHA’s 85th Annual Session in Albuquerque, N.M., on June 21st.
Sponsored by P&G Professional Oral Health – Crest Oral-B, the award recognizes a current ADHA member who has been involved with ADHA for at least 15 years and who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in advancing the art and science of dental hygiene. The nominees were all active volunteers within their community or social service organization and were nominated by an active ADHA member.
Olmsted received her associate of applied science degree in dental hygiene from North Central Technical Institute of Wausau, Wis., followed by her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. She completed her Master’s degree in Vocational Education at University of Wisconsin-Stout where she also received her Educational Specialist degree in Industrial and Vocational Education. In 2006 Olmsted graduated from the University of Minnesota with her doctorate degree in Education-Department-Work, Community & Family Education.
Olmsted is currently employed as a Lecturer by the University of Wisconsin-Stout as well as a clinical dental hygienist by the Stockbridge-Munsee Chippewa Band of the Mohican Indians.
Crest / ADHA Award for Clinical Dental Hygienists 2007
Linda Bohacek, RDH, MA, CDHC
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has named Linda Bohacek, RDH, MA, CDHC, of Eau Claire, Wis., as a recipient of the 2007 Crest/ADHA Award for Clinical Dental Hygienists. She was honored during the opening ceremonies at ADHA’s 83rd annual session in Orlando, FL on June 22nd. ADHA, in conjunction with Procter & Gamble/Crest, presented this award in recognition of clinical dental hygienists who made a difference in the lives of their patients/clients through management, education, care services, the use of technology, or other innovative methods.
Linda is also the recipient of the 1990 Pfizer / ADHA Award for Excellence in Dental Hygiene. The award is sponsored by a grant from Pfizer Inc, and recognizes individual dental hygienists who have made “outstanding accomplishments that have significant impact on the practice and future of the dental hygiene profession.”
Bohacek received her Associate Degree in Dental Hygiene from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Ill. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Occupational Technology from the same university. Eventually she earned her Master of Arts degree in Higher and Adult Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College in New York, N.Y. In 2003, she received a community Dental Health Certificate from Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, Wis.
Bohacek has been a practicing dental hygienist for 36 years, including the last six years where she has served as the coordinator of the Eau Claire City-County Health Department school-based dental sealant program. In addition, she recently has served as the coordinator of the Head Start Early Childhood Oral Health Prevention Program. She is the Wisconsin Regional Oral Health Consultant for the Western Region of the state, and she has worked in in a variety of clinical environments including nursing homes, hospital dental clinics, private dental practices, veterinary practices, and public health settings. She has eight years of teaching experience, both in two-year and four-year dental hygiene programs.
She is currently practicing dental hygiene at Oakwood Hills Animal Hospital in Wisconsin.
Distinguished Service Award 2004
Rhonda Akeson, RDH, BS
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has named Rhonda K. Akeson, RDH, BS, of La Crosse, Wis., as a recipient of the 2004 ADHA Distinguished Service Award.
The award recognizes outstanding achievement and dedication to the profession of dental hygiene.
Akeson, a graduate of the University of Iowa in Iowa City, received her bachelor’s degree in 1974. She is employed at Three Rivers Dental, a branch of Scenic Bluffs Community Health Center, and is the coordinator for the volunteer sealant program that encompasses six La Crosse elementary schools and the Bangor Elementary School. She also serves as a mentor for dental hygiene students at Western Wisconsin Technical College in La Crosse.
After graduation Akeson actively pursued contact with other dental hygienists, which eventually led to the formation of a local component association; and upon relocating, she helped reactivate another. She served as president of both local components as well as president of the state constituent association. Through mentoring students, she converted a dental hygiene club into an official Student American Dental Hygienists’ Association group by helping write bylaws for approval by ADHA. She has traveled abroad to teach oral health education to children and has participated in countless oral health and general health education programs locally.
Akeson was honored during the opening ceremonies at ADHA’s 81st annual session in Dallas on June 23.
Crest / ADHA Award for Clinical Dental Hygienists 2004
Debbie Duerr, RDH
Debbie Duerr, RDH, of West Allis was named by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) as one of two recipients of the 2004 Crest / ADHA Award for Clinical Dental Hygienists.
Each winner received a $2,000 honorarium, as well as a commemorative award. In addition, the winners received expense-free trips to Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati, and ADHA headquarters in Chicago, as well as the association’s annual session.
The award program, co-sponsored by ADHA and Procter & Gamble, the makers of Crest® toothpaste, honors clinical dental hygienists who make distinctive differences in the lives of their patients.
Duerr, a resident of West Allis for 15 years and a graduate of Milwaukee Area Technical College, now works at the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin to provide both preventive care and dental hygiene education to patients living with the HIV virus. She is also an active member of the community and has volunteered as a den mother and Girl Scout leader for her children over the past nine years.
Recognition
Tammy Filipiak, RDH, BS, is the director of dental hygiene at Midwest Dental-a company that operates 40 comprehensive family-practice dental offices throughout Wisconsin, with a couple in Minnesota and Illinois. For the past two years, Filipiak has worked with Midwest Dental's dentists to develop, through training and communication, their dental hygiene teams. "It's about quality assurance. It's always focused on providing the patient with the best level of care," said Filipiak.
Effectively communicating with patients/clients is one of the most important tools of a dental hygienist, said Filipiak. "It's about learning to communicate," she said. "You don't learn that in hygiene school. You learn the concept of practicing dental hygiene in dental hygiene school. I think you refine your skills by learning from the people around you."
After observing dental hygienists treating patients/clients, Filipiak can recommend better ways for them to communicate. For example, Filipiak often helps dental hygienists explain the importance of fluoride to adult patients/clients. "The thought is that, since they don't have insurance, they're not going to want to have it done," said Filipiak. The truth is, given the right explanation, many adults would opt for the preventive treatment.
One of Filipiak's main focuses has been implementing Midwest Dental's periodontal protocol. According to Filipiak, presenting background information to patients/clients is an important role of a dental hygienist because it allows patients to make educated decisions that directly affect their health.
"I have been in the office helping refine how to deliver [the periodontal protocol] to the patient; how to get the patient to understand that this is what we need to do." Sometimes this means explaining the rationale for modifying the treatment plan as treatment proceeds.
Although most of Filipiak's time is spent watching dental hygienists interact with patients/clients, on occasion she reverses the roles and provides the treatment directly. "A lot of my clinical experiences today come in when I have a doctor say, 'I know my hygienist needs help with this.' Then I will go in and sit down and treat patients and have them watch me," said Filipiak.
When not out in the field observing and training the dental hygienists, Filipiak works with Midwest Dental's senior management team to analyze and review the dental hygiene teams at the various offices.
Keeping up on the latest research and trends in the oral health care field is another important element of Filipiak's job. By furthering her own knowledge, Filipiak is able to make educated recommendations about Midwest Dental protocols to the company's Doctor's Advisory Board as well as the Auxiliary Board, consisting of dental hygienists, dental assistants and appointment setters.
Unlike most first-year students, Filipiak started college with an idea of what she wanted to do for her career. "I knew I wanted to do something in health care," said Filipiak, who considered a career in radiology but quickly changed her mind, opting instead for a career that would allow her more patient interaction.
Filipiak's positive dental experiences as a child combined with her desire to work with people led her to pursue a career in dental hygiene. "They really seemed to like what they did and they always looked like they were having fun," said Filipiak, remembering her childhood dentist and dental hygienist.
After receiving her associate degree in dental hygiene from Northcentral Technical College (NTC) in Wausau, WI Filipiak went to work in a dental office just a few miles away. In 1999, having worked as a clinical dental hygienist for more than 10 years, she decided she was ready to go back to school. Shortly after, she enrolled at Upper Iowa University to complete her bachelor's degree. Although Filipiak planned to stay in the dental hygiene field, she chose to finish her degree in business.
"I chose to finish my degree in business because I always thought if I want to do something else in dentistry that [dental hygiene and business] would be a good combination."
While taking business classes at Upper Iowa University, Filipiak also taught dental hygiene courses-dental materials and radiography lab-at NTC. After graduation, while still working in clinical practice, Filipiak took on the position of hygiene educator with OraPharma, Inc., where one of her accounts happened to be Midwest Dental. After meeting with Midwest Dental's CEO Jeffrey Moos, DDS, to review what she had observed, Filipiak was offered the position she holds today.
"It was scary because it was change, but it's been very, very rewarding," said Filipiak, who had been working for the same dentist for the previous 16 years.
"As a clinical hygienist, I got rewards from my patients. But I knew if there was a way for me to get other people to feel that reward that I got, I wanted to be involved in that," said Filipiak. "And that is really so much of what I get to do now. My rewards now come in seeing the light bulb go on for somebody else."
The field of dental hygiene has been exceedingly rewarding for Filipiak, who says that "her passion for the profession" has kept her excited about doing the work she does.
"As an individual clinician I could impact 1,000 patients a year. If I can impact 90 hygienists, then we have that many more patients who are receiving a better level of care," explained Filipiak.
"There is so much opportunity for me in my current role," she added. "I have a great gig."
Filipiak has been a member of the American Dental Hygienists' Association for nearly two decades and is the past president of the Wisconsin Dental Hygienists' Association. She currently serves on ADHA's Clinical Practice Guidelines Task Force.
If interested in learning more about Filipiak's role at Midwest Dental, as well as serving as a state president and an ADHA task force member, please contact her by phone at (715) 848-7196 or by email at tfilipiak@midwest-dental.com.
Jodi Olmsted, left
Tammy Filipiak, above
Linda Bohacek
Rhonda Akeson
Tammy Filipiak
