Current Oral Health Champions

Meet the current Oral Health Champions who are collaborating with the One Hundred Million Mouths Campaign

Alabama | Stephen Mitchell, DMD, MS

Stephen MitchellStephen Mitchell, DMD, MS, is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry, UAB School of Dentistry and Department of Pediatrics’ Division of Developmental Pediatrics, UAB School of Medicine. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and fellow in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. He is a 1995 graduate of UAB School of Dentistry and then completed in 2000 a four-year dual training program in Pediatric Dentistry and Cariology Research. In 2001, he received a Master of Science for his work in oral bacterial transmission in children with severe early childhood caries. He joined the faculty in 2000 and was the Director of Predoctoral Pediatric Dentistry until 2018. He was principal investigator for a HRSA funded predoctoral training grant from 2017 to 2022 that allowed dental students to engage with rural and community based dental clinics. In 2016, he became director of the UAB Civitan Sparks Dental Clinic, the only clinic in Alabama dedicated to the oral health of the intellectually and developmentally disabled population. He is passionate about helping this population overcome the barriers they face accessing quality dental care.

Alaska | Elisa Rosier, MD, FAAP

Elisa RosierElisa Rosier, MD, FAAP is a general pediatrician in frontier Alaska in her private practice of Pacific Pediatrics, LLC.  She received her medical doctorate at Wayne State University School of Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Michigan.  She is a diplomate of the American Board of Pediatrics and a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics.  She is executive founder of the nonprofit, Alaska Rural Health and Education. She believes strongly in the power of education by healthcare professionals during routine healthcare visits in the prevention of cavities.  One summer, she rode her bike across America.  She currently enjoys exploring Alaska with her family. 

Arizona | Eve B. Hoover, DMSc, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA

Eve HooverEve B. Hoover DMSc, MS, PA-C, DFAAPA is an associate professor at Midwestern University PA Program. She completed her PA degree at Saint Louis University (2000), an Advanced Physician Assistant Masters in Education and Leadership at AT Still University and a Doctorate of Medical Science in PA education from University of Lynchburg. She has practiced primarily in rural Family Medicine, developing a passion for preventative medicine and education. Given the gaps in oral healthcare access, she became acutely aware that primary care providers must be knowledgeable regarding the risk factors, presentation, management, and referral guidelines for acute and chronic oral health conditions. Since transitioning into academia in 2016, Dr. Hoover has enjoyed multiple oral health curricular initiatives, such as experiential collaborations and IRB approved research studies (Multidisciplinary Self-directed Learning for Oral Manifestations), with Dental and Pharmacy colleagues empowering future healthcare providers with expansive oral health knowledge. These activities were also aimed at expanding health education student appreciation regarding the benefits of interprofessional practice and, in the process, empower patients with knowledge and heightened oral health awareness as well. Eve recently published PANCE/PANRE Challenge: Quick Q&A Review, a 1000 question resource organized by organ system and NCCPA task areas, which includes a review of oral health topics that will provide additional learning opportunities for PA students and practicing PAs. Dr. Hoover is honored to have been selected as Arizona’s 2022 Oral Health Champion with the goal of promoting oral health best practice and increasing awareness of the primary care provider’s essential role in this process.

Delaware | Karla Testa, MD, FACP, FAAP

Headshot of Karla Testa, MD, FACP, FAAPDr. Karla Testa earned her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine in 2008 and completed her Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency at Christiana Care and A.I. duPont Hospital for Children in 2012, serving as the co-chief resident of her program. Dr. Testa currently practices primary care at Westside Family Healthcare, a federally qualified health center in Delaware, which combines her interest in working with underserved patients, health disparities, and public health. As a member of the clinical leadership team at Westside, she is the director of Special Populations and Pediatrics, and focuses her efforts on the pediatric, HIV, and Hepatitis C populations. She is also part of the Christiana Care Med-Peds faculty, and precepts with both the CCHS Med-Peds and Family Medicine residency programs. She has also worked to incorporate oral health integration into primary care by developing a workflow for fluoride varnish at child wellness visits. Dr. Testa is excited about being a Delaware Oral Health State Champion for the One Hundred Million Mouths Program and part of CIPCOH. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her three energetic children, biking, hiking and enjoying the beach.

Georgia | E. Rachel Fink, MPA, PA-C

Rachel FinkRachel Fink earned her MPA from Augusta University in 2012. She joined faculty in the Physician Assistant Program at Augusta University in 2018. Within the program she is the director for several clinical medicine sections which include Diagnostic Methods and Pathology, Point of Care Ultrasound, Otolaryngology, Nephrology/ Urology, and Pediatrics. She currently works under a Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry Clinician Educator Career Development HRSA grant. She is responsible for all oral health education within the program and since coming on faculty has worked to incorporate oral health throughout the PA student didactic curriculum with the development of new course lectures and interprofessional educational activities. She is also responsible for HIV and other vulnerable population education. She assists with oral health community outreach within the Augusta Georgia area. She currently works clinically with Augusta Urology Associates. Mrs. Fink is excited to expand her work in oral health education as the Georgia Oral Health State Champion for the One Hundred Million Mouths Campaign.

Idaho | Monica Colleen Stephenson

M. Colleen StephensonM. Colleen Stephenson, RDH-ER, MS, is a registered dental hygienist and clinical associate professor in Idaho State University’s Department of Dental Hygiene, where she serves as the Community Outreach Coordinator and teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Community Health and Special Needs Populations, Community and Global Health, and Prevention and Management of Medical Emergencies. As a dental hygienist and dental hygiene educator, she is extremely passionate about promoting the importance of oral health and believes oral health integration is essential for the provision of patient-centered care. She has served in numerous professional leadership positions and is currently chair-elect of the Idaho Oral Health Alliance (IOHA) and chair of the Provider Education subcommittee, part of the Healthy Me is Cavity-Free Collaborative under the IOHA, helping to lead efforts to increase oral health knowledge among all healthcare providers.  She has served on multiple interdisciplinary committees planning and coordinating inter-professional partnerships and experiences as a way to provide optimal patient care with innovative, integrated delivery systems that promote prevention and prioritize needs. 

Iowa | J. Michael Metts, DO, FAAP, FACOP                                      

Headshot of J. Michael MettsA graduate of Des Moines University and the University of Missouri Child Health Residency Program, Dr. J. Michael Metts has been a pediatric physician at MercyOne Des Moines since 1999. Dr. Metts has served as the founding member and medical director of the Pediatric Hospitalist program at MercyOne Children’s Hospital. He served as associate professor and chairman of the Department of Pediatric Medicine and Specialty Medicine from 2002-2015 at Des Moines University. He currently practices as a primary care pediatrician in Pleasant Hill, Iowa, and is a site leader and serves on the Pediatric Governance Committee for the hospital. He is active in the medical community as a member of Cavity Free Iowa, a collaboration with the Iowa Department of Public Health, focused on improving the oral health of children 0-36 months of age in Iowa while developing relationships to improve medical-dental integration. Dr. Metts is an oral health state champion for the One Hundred Million mouths Project, working to improve the oral health curriculum at health profession universities and primary care residency programs in the state of Iowa.

Kansas | Kathy Hunt, RDH, ECPII

Kathy HuntAs a registered dental hygienist for over 40 years, Kathy Hunt, RDH, ECPII, is passionate about the role that oral health plays in good overall health. In her roles with the Kansas Head Start Association and Oral Health Kansas, her state’s oral health advocacy organization, she has developed curriculum for a variety of life events including pregnancy, early childhood, and aging. She has also partnered with the University of Kansas to develop a hands-on workshop for adults with disabilities. Hunt is active with the Community Health Worker Coalition of Kansas and has integrated oral health into their core curriculum as well as designed an online oral health module for their professional development. Hunt also serves as the national lead for the Dental Hygienist Liaison Project, a program of the Office of Head Start that supports Head Start programs in each state around the topic of oral health. She frequently speaks to a wide variety of professional and non-professional audiences about the importance of having good oral health in achieving overall health and well-being. She is thrilled to be a State Champion for the 100 Million Mouths Campaign and building relationships with the medical schools in Kansas.

Kentucky | Wanda Gonsalves, MD

Wanda GonsalvesDr. Wanda Gonsalves retired from Academic Medicine after twenty-five years where she held multiple positions as clinical faculty at two universities including the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) as Associate Dean for Resident Inclusion and Diversity Education, and at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine as Vice-Chair in the Department of Family and Community Medicine. While at both medical schools, she helped students to reorganize a student-run free clinic, The UK Salvation Army Student-Run Free Clinic or begin a student-run free clinic, (The MUSC CARES clinic). From 8/2019 to 7/2020, Dr. Gonsalves held the position of Professor and Interim Dean College of Natural, Applied, and Health Sciences at Kentucky State University (KSU). Since September 2020, she is the Founding Director of the Kentucky State Undergraduate Pre-Medical Academy aka KUMA. KUMA aims to increase the number of minority students who pursue careers in medicine, dentistry, or physician assistant programs. Her mission is to mitigate shortages of well-trained minority students applying to health professional schools in order to improve health care disparities. At present, at least 5 students are preparing to apply to medical school. Twelve students are currently in the KUMA program. Dr. Gonsalves’ scholarly interests and publications include service-learning, interprofessional education, health disparities, and oral health for primary care clinicians. She has lectured on oral health topics nationally and locally. She is one of the co-authors of the award-winning Smiles for Life: A National Oral Health Curriculum. Dr. Gonsalves has served on numerous boards including the Nicholas Pisacano Foundation, the Journal of the Academy of Physician Assistants, and the National Commission of Certification of Physician Assistants and Foundation.
 

Louisiana | Mikki Bouquet, MD

Mikki BouquetDr. Mikki Smith Bouquet, MD, was born and raised in Baton Rouge and spent the entirety of her educational career in Louisiana. She earned both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science from Louisiana State University A&M and her medical doctorate from LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. She attended her pediatric residency at Our Lady of the Lake (OLOL) in Baton Rouge where she served as Pediatric Chief Resident in her final year. She now is an attending physician at the Pediatric Academic Clinic which is the OLOL pediatric residency outpatient clinic in which she did her training. Some of her passions include newborn care, fluoride education, medical student & resident teaching, and community outreach. Dr. Bouquet is a board-certified physician and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP). In addition to her educational background, Dr. Bouquet is involved with several medical organizations and communities such as the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Medical Association (AMA), the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the LA Medical Society, and the Louisiana Families for Vaccines (LFV). 

Maine | Jeff Stone, DO

Jeff StoneJeff Stone, DO has been practicing as a primary care pediatrician in his hometown of Waterville, Maine for 30 years. He is passionate about oral health and has been involved with the First Tooth program since its inception and is also a consultant to Maine Children’s Oral Health Network. In addition, he is an AAP Chapter Oral health Advocate (COHA) for Maine. Dr. Stone received his medical degree from the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his pediatric residency from Geisinger Medical Center in Pennsylvania.
 

Mississippi | Debra Munsell, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA

Debra MunsellDebra S. Munsell, DHSc, PA-C, DFAAPA, is an associate professor at the Mississippi State University PA Program. She completed her PA at the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston (1981), a master’s degree in otolaryngology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (2000), and a doctorate in Health Care Science at Nova Southeastern University (2009).  She practiced as a PA for many years in head and neck surgical oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. During her tenure, she developed a deep interest in the diagnosis and treatment of head and neck and oral cavity neoplasms.  It was through this experience that she identified the need for training primary care providers in the identification, treatment, and follow-up of patients with oral cavity issues.  Transitioning to full-time academia, Dr. Munsell has been the founding PA Program Director for both the Louisiana State University Health Science Center- New Orleans and the Mississippi State University PA Programs, where her interests remain focused on developing oral health curriculum for primary care providers. Dr. Munsell is honored to be named the 2023 Mississippi Oral Health Champion. In this role she looks forward to sharing evidence-based oral health practices with all primary care providers in the state. 

Missouri | Melanie Simmer-Beck, PhD, RDH 

Headshot of Melanie Simmer-BeckMelanie Simmer-Beck, PhD, RDH, is the Dental Public Health and Behavioral Science Department Chair at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Dentistry. She has been teaching dental and dental hygiene students continuously since 2004. She holds joint appointments in the departments of Dental Public Health and Behavioral Science and Oral and Craniofacial Sciences. Dr. Simmer-Beck uses her interdisciplinary background in oral and craniofacial sciences, public affairs and administration, and dental hygiene to teach courses in Ethics and Professionalism and Evidence-Based Decision Making, in addition to directing the dental pipeline program, STAHR Scholars Dentistry. Her research focuses on implementation science, program evaluation, access to oral health care, oral health disparities, and oral health workforce models and policy. She has been the recipient of federal funds to move forward her research agenda. Dr. Simmer-Beck’s research has been presented at national and international professional meetings and published in peer-reviewed journals. She is currently serving as treasurer for the Oral Health Kansas Board of Directors. Dr. Simmer-Beck is excited to serve as the state champion from Missouri for the “One Hundred Million Mouths Project.”
 

New Jersey | Sherry Greenberg, PhD, RN, GNP-BC, FGSA, FAANP, FAAN

Sherry GreenbergSherry Greenberg, PhD, RN, GNP-BC, FGSA, FAANP, FAAN is Professor and Hess Endowed Chair in Nursing Education at Monmouth University, Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies. She is a nurse practitioner faculty member on the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative to scale and spread Age-Friendly 4Ms care: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. Dr. Greenberg is past president of the Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association and is a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing, American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Gerontological Society of America, National Academies of Practice, and New York Academy of Medicine, as well as distinguished educator in Gerontological Nursing through the National Hartford Center of Gerontological Nursing Excellence. Dr. Greenberg has managed a project that educated older adults and home health aides about the importance of oral health and the impact on systemic health. As an Oral Health Education Champion, she looks forward to engaging with and influencing others to integrate oral health in curricula while promoting diversity, inclusivity, and health equity to foster positive health outcomes for populations served. 

New Mexico | Christine Cogil, DNP, MPS, RN, FNP-BC

Christine CogilChristine Cogil, DNP, MPS, RN, FNP-BC, is a clinician educator – associate professor and the Interim Assistant Dean of Graduate Professional Programs at The University of New Mexico (UNM) College of Nursing. She also has a dual appointment with the UNM Department of Dental Medicine. Her practice as a nurse and family nurse practitioner has been dedicated to rural, underserved and border populations. Cogil joined the College of Nursing faculty in 2010, where she continued to focus on rural School-Based Health Clinics and Federally Qualified Health Centers. Her teaching has been primarily involved in the preparation of advanced practice registered nurses.

Cogil's doctoral research and clinical practice have focused on the integration of oral health into primary care. In addition, she has incorporated oral health assessment and management into the advanced practice nursing curriculum at UNM. She has been involved in two HRSA grants to train students and providers in the assessment and management of oral health issues that can be managed in primary care. She has presented her work on the integration of oral health at local, regional and national conferences.

Ohio | Cynthia Booth Lord, MHS, PA-C

Cynthia Booth LordA PA educator for 28 years, Cindy Booth Lord, MHS, PA-C, has spent most of her time as a PA program director. She helped develop the Quinnipiac University PA program in 1994 and in 2015, she went on to become the founding director of the Case Western Reserve University PA Program. A passionate advocate for oral health integration in education and practice, Cindy is an active PA “oral health champion." She has helped develop numerous community-based oral health experiences including a collaboration with Case Western Reserve University dental medicine to enhance the relationship and the bi-directional referral process between physician assistant students and dental residents. A co-investigator on a Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine NIH/NIDCR research grant, Cindy was a member of an interprofessional team of medical providers and researchers working to improve access to dental care for low-income children.

Cindy has served on numerous oral health advisory boards including the National Interprofessional Initiative on Oral Health (NIIOH), the national PA Oral Health Advisory Group, the nccPA Health Foundation Oral Health Advisory Committee and the Connecticut Coalition on Oral Health. While serving on the board of the nccPA Health Foundation, she was a co-developer of the foundation’s oral health video shorts, which were recognized at the APHA film festival in 2017. Cindy was also a participant and contributor to the HRSA Oral Health Competencies (2014). Currently, Cindy serves on the board of directors for Oral Health Ohio.

South Dakota | Michelle Schemelpfenig, DO, MPH, FAAP

Michelle SchimelpfenigMichelle Schimelpfenig, DO, MPH, FAAP is a graduate of ATSU Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her pediatric residency at USD Sanford Pediatric Residency program in 2014. She currently practices outpatient pediatrics with Sanford Health in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. She is an associate professor within the Department of Pediatrics Sanford School of Medicine and serves as an associate dean for the Sioux Falls campus at the University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine. She is passionate about medical education and incorporating oral health into undergraduate and graduate medical curricula.

Tennessee | Taylor Wright, MD

Headshot of Taylor WrightTaylor Wright, MD, is a family physician and an assistant professor of Family Medicine at The University of Tennessee Medical Center in Knoxville, where he began practicing in 2016 after completing residency training in family medicine. He graduated medical school in 2013 from The University of Tennessee in Memphis. After two years as an academic physician, Dr. Wright had the opportunity to complete a faculty development fellowship through The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. During that fellowship year, he participated in a multi-state QI collaborative project to increase the rates of fluoride varnish application in family medicine residency clinics, which sparked his interest in oral health as a part of primary care. Dr. Wright is excited to expand this educational initiative beyond his own teaching practice, and to other training sites in Tennessee.

Vermont | Kathy Mariani, MD

Katherine MarianiDr. Katherine Mariani, MD is a family medicine Specialist in Milton, VT and has over 29 years of experience in the medical field. She graduated from the University of Miami School of Medicine in 1994. She is affiliated with the University of Vermont Medical Center and is an associate professor with the University of Vermont Medical School. She also works with Vermont Area Health Education Centers (AHEC).

 

 

West Virginia | Elizabeth Puette, RDH, MSDH, CTTS

Elizabeth PuetteElizabeth Southern Puette, RDH, MSDH, CTTS, is an assistant professor who teaches both clinical and didactic courses in West Virginia University School of Dentistry, Department of Dental Hygiene. Puette received her BS and MS degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.  She is a member of the WV Mountains of Hope Cancer Coalition and is Chair-elect of the Mountains of Hope Early Detection Subcommittee.  She is involved in multiple initiatives to increase oral health advocacy in medical settings and in high caries risk patient populations such as oncology patients.  She is passionate about reducing the burden of oral and oropharyngeal cancers in WV, which includes educating the community and healthcare professionals on the relationship between HPV and cancer.   Her previous work history includes serving as a registered dental hygienist in private practice, Mon County Health Department Dentistry and public health volunteer opportunities, and a dental hygiene educator. In her free time Puette enjoys traveling with her son and family, spending winter doing all activities snow related and summers on the water. Puette is honored to be a WV State Champion for the 100 Million Mouths Campaign and is looking forward to further contributing to the work that has been done to increase oral health advocacy among primary care providers in WV. 

Wyoming | Gregory McCue, MD, FAAFP

Gregory McCueGregory McCue MD FAAFP was raised in Cody, Wyoming. After high school he worked for the US Forest Service on a trail crew, later working as a flight instructor and co-pilot on DC-3s and Lockheed Constellations. He attended the University of Wyoming and Creighton University receiving his MD in 1979. After completing his residency in family medicine in 1982, he returned to Cody to raise a family and practice family medicine. Dr. McCue continued to provide both inpatient and outpatient medical care until 2013, when he joined the hospitalist program at Cody Regional Health. He retired in 2021. He was introduced to the importance of dental hygiene at an early age by his father who was a dentist in Cody for many years. Throughout his career that lesson was reiterated time and again, particularly in the elderly and assisted living population with which he worked. Dr. McCue’s outside interests include aviation, camping, fishing, skiing, and biking.