LMC Dental Program Updates—
Expanding and Growing
2013/2014 academic year saw new program launch
and new CODA guidelines
Dental Public Health—LMC Dental’s
newest program launched in August, 2014
LMC Dental added Dental
Public Health (DPH) to its roster
of specialty programs for the
2014-2015 academic year. The
program’s new Director, Jay
Balzer, DMD, MPH emphasizes that
LMC Dental’s community-based
training differentiates our program
from others by encouraging DPH
residents to pursue public health
projects and other activities that
provide a real benefit to the host
health center and to their patients—
and give the resident real-world
experience. The program received
ADA-CODA accreditation approval
in August 2014. Seven residents
began training on October 1st in
this 12-month (24-month half-time
optional) program. Residents have
on-site supervision provided by
the Dental Director of each site. In
addition, they are paired with an offsite Resident Advisor who is a DPH
specialist and academic mentor.
October, 2014 DPH residents
and community health center
placements
• Tania Arthur, DDS, MPH (National
University of Colombia) – Tucson,
Arizona
• Dan Fujii, DDS, MPH (University of
Iowa) – Waianae, Hawaii
• Shurouk Zakia Azzo, DDS, MPH
(Damascus University) – Baltimore,
Maryland
• Douglas Pollack, DDS, MPH (NYU
College of Dentistry) – Brooklyn,
New York
• Stefanie Russell, DDS, MPH
(University of Maryland) –
Brooklyn, New York
• Amal Seifelnasr, DDS, MPH (Cairo
University) – Providence, Rhode
Island
• Sandeep Kadimpati, DDS, MPH
(NTR University of Health Sciences)
– Yakima, Washington
Dr. Jay Balzer
Program Director, Dental Public Health
• Dr. Balzer received his dental degree from
the University of Connecticut (1973), a
Masters in Public Health degree from
the University of Michigan (1974), and
completed a residency in Dental Public
Health at the University of Florida in
1987. Before joining LMC Dental in 2013,
most of his professional career was as a
Commissioned Officer in the federal U.S.
Public Health Service fulfilling assignments
in various locations, such as Hopi and
Chippewa Indian Reservations in Arizona
and Wisconsin, a Community Health
Center in Hartford, Connecticut, the
State Health Department in Little Rock,
Arkansas, and the USPHS Regional Office
in Denver, Colorado. After retirement
from federal service, Dr. Balzer worked as
Executive Director of a non-profit dental
clinic in California and as a consultant to
the Association of State and Territorial
Dental Directors.
Dental Anesthesiology—extends to a
3-year program in July, 2015
The Committee on Dental
Accreditation (CODA) changed
Dental Anesthesiology (DA) from a
2-year to a 3-year program effective
July 1, 2015. The extra year of study
will enable residents to spend more
quality time fulfilling the various
CODA requirements for DA in both
the clinical setting and conducting
research.
Dr. Charles D. Azzaretti
Program Director, Dental Anesthesiology
Lutheran Medical Center Dental Medicine
PostDoctoral DENTAL RESIDENCY PROGRAMS ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014
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