LETTER
NYU Langone Dental Medicine
The largest community health center-based
postdoctoral residency program in the world.
Our Mission: To develop and grow national oral health programs that set global standards for technologically
advanced, culturally competent, patient-centered dental education; to deliver exceptional oral health care
to the world’s neediest citizens and its most underserved communities; and to accomplish these goals while
grounded in service and collaboration.
LEADERSHIP
Contents
Hurricane
4-7
4
12
10-11
12-13
14
15
16-19
8-9
17
21
Health Center SPOTLIGHT:
Salud Family Health Center, CO
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT:
Jennifer Alexander, DDS
FACULTY Development
OPTIMAP UPDATE
Dental School Health
20-25
Havoc:
NYU Langone Dental Residents
Share Memories of Maria
Graduation
AWARDS, HONORS,
& ACCOMPLISHMENTS
26-27
28-29
30
31-42
43
43
PRESENTATIONS & PUBLICATIONS
RESEARCH
PROGRAM NEWS
Eduardo D. Rodriguez, MD, DDS
Helen L. Kimmel Professor of Reconstructive
Plastic Surgery; Chair, Hansjörg Wyss
Department of Plastic Surgery
Neal A. Demby, DMD, MPH, D-ABSCD
Senior Advisor for Graduate Dental Education
Margaret Mason, DMD, MA
Vice President, Senior Administrator
Martin Lieberman, DDS, MA
Vice President, Graduate Dental Education
Anna D’Emilio, DDS, MA
Vice President & Program Director
Advanced Education in General Dentistry
(AEGD)
Charles D. Azzaretti, DDS
Program Director, Dental Anesthesiology
Jay Balzer, DMD, MPH
Program Director, Dental Public Health
Babak Bina, DMD
Program Director, General Practice Residency
(GPR)
Robert Goldberger, DDS
Program Director, Endodontics
Laurance Jerrold, DDS, JD, ABO
Program Director & Chair, Orthodontics
Daniel Kane, DMD, MA
Program Director, Pediatric Dentistry
MEETINGS & EVENTS Nathalie Mohadjeri-Franck, DMD, MA
Senior Director, Quality and Patient Care
GIVING Mary E. Northridge, PhD, MPH
Director of Dental Research
UPCOMING EVENTS Philip Rinaudo, DDS, MSD
Director, Graduate Dental Education
Rajesh Adhia, DMD, MPH, MA
Senior Associate Director, Pediatric Dentistry
Learn More
Shreekrishna Akilesh, DMD, MPH
Senior Associate Director, Pediatric Dentistry
For more information about the doctors
and programs featured in this issue
please visit www.lmcdental.org or call +1 646.801.0039
NYU Langone Dental Medicine is a division under Hansjörg Wyss
Department of Plastic Surgery - NYU School of Medicine
NYU Langone Dental Medicine Postdoctoral Residency Program’s
magazine, The Bridge , is published by the Marketing Office for alumni,
professionals and friends of the division.
Front cover: Dr. John Albano, NYU Langone Dental Medicine attending
reviewing a patient chart with AEGD resident, Dr. Jordan Blair.
2
Gary E. Kalkut, MD, MPH
Senior Vice President for Network Integration
Associate Chief Clinical Officer
NYU Langone DENTAL MEDICINE Postdoctoral Residency Program
David Okuji, DDS, MBA, MS
Senior Associate Director, Extramural &
Special Projects
Linda Kotmel, DDS
AEGD Senior Associate Director
Northeast Zone
Calix Ramos-Rodriguez, DMD
AEGD Senior Associate Director
Western Zone
David Stillwell, DDS
AEGD Senior Associate Director
Southeastern Zone
Dear Colleagues
and Friends:
As a young medical student at
Boston University in the 1980s, I
had the privilege of working with
mentors who infused my education
with a deep appreciation for academic
collaboration, community health and
patient-centered compassionate care.
I am committed to treating all patients
with dignity and respect without regard
to socioeconomic level, age, gender
identity, ethnicity or medical condition.
These principles have defined my
career as a practitioner in infectious
diseases, a medical educator, the
Chief Medical Officer at Montefiore
Medical Center, and now as the
Senior Vice-President for Network
Integration at NYU Langone Health.
I am tremendously excited by the
opportunity to lead the Department of
Dental Medicine at NYU Langone.
At the time NYU Langone Health
merged with Lutheran Medical
Center, I was particularly intrigued by
Lutheran Dental Medicine’s remarkable
residency program. It embodies
my lifelong commitment to healthy
communities, educational excellence
and equitable access to affordable
care — all made possible because
of Dr. Neal A. Demby’s vision and
diligence that began more than four
decades ago. Dr. Demby, a pioneer
in dental education, has devoted
his entire career to improving oral
health in vulnerable populations while
simultaneously training postdoctoral
dentists to become outstanding
practitioners. NYU Langone Dental
Gary Kalkut,
MD, MPH
Medicine is now the proud sponsor
of seven postdoctoral residency
programs that trains over 400 dental
residents annually in community health
centers, university practices, and
other ambulatory sites in underserved
communities. The program is offered
in 30 states and the Caribbean. In the
2017/2018 academic year, residents
treated 800,441 vulnerable patients,
an increase of 18.7% from the
previous year. Kudos to Dr. Demby,
Dr. Lieberman and our nationwide team
of dedicated professionals.
What’s next? I say, “the
possibilities are endless!”
Out of the gate, with Dr. Demby as
a senior trusted advisor, we will build
on the rich legacy of graduate dental
education at NYU Langone Brooklyn
through greater integration with NYU
Langone Health (NYULH). The NYU
Langone Health system includes a
tuition-free medical school that is
ranked #3 nationally and a US News
and World Report honor roll hospital.
In September 2019, NYULH will
merge with NYU Winthrop Hospital
in Mineola, NY. We will launch a
second medical school, NYU Long
Island School of Medicine, centered at
that location — a medical school that
is focused on training primary care
physicians. By leveraging these new
initiatives along with an abundance of
NYULH assets, the dental residency
program will have greater opportunities
to:
• Expand training venues nationally,
and develop curricula that embrace
state-of-the-art procedures and
technologies;
• Invest in research by building
collaborations with NYULH and the
University, both world-renowned and
highly ranked institutions;
• Develop operational improvements
that enhance the resident experience
at Brooklyn FQHC sites including
implementation of the Epic EMR
dental module, Wisdom;
• Promote cross-discipline programs
between dental and medical services
across the clinical enterprise;
• Capitalize on the excellent reputation
of NYULH for resident and training
site recruitment;
• Train faculty to become leaders
and role models in graduate dental
education.
Together, we can achieve greater
success in eradicating disparities
in oral health care. There are many
opportunities in front of us; together
we can build on the broad tradition of
this department to reach new heights.
Sincerely,
Gary Kalkut, MD, MPH
Senior Vice President for Network Integration
Associate Chief Clinical Officer
Issue 9 Journal 1 November 2018
3