Champions
for Children
At the
Whole Child Champion Award
luncheon, held on August
20, the Childhood &
Family Learning Foundation
recognized faculty members
in the LSUSD Program in
Dental Hygiene. Deidre
Brewer, RDH, MEd, clinical
associate professor, and
Caroline Mason, RDH, MEd,
hygiene program director,
received the award for
contributions in support
of the Whole Child, Whole
School, Whole Community
program, recently adopted
by the 2015 state
legislature. The luncheon
celebrated the
foundation's efforts to
ensure that all children
are free of health
barriers to learning.
The Early Childhood &
Family Learning Foundation
is a New Orleans-based,
not-for-profit
organization working to
improve opportunities for
the city's children to
succeed in school and
life. The foundation, lead
by Phyllis Landrieu,
president and CEO,
promotes the Coordinated
Care for the Whole
Children Program in Treme
and Central City schools
and day care centers. To
identify students with
health factors that
prevent learning, a
professional health team
assesses children for
vision, dental problems,
hearing, blood pressure,
obesity, immunizations,
and other indicators. The
team then establishes a
treatment plan that is
monitored for completion.
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(l-r)
Dental Hygiene
faculty members
Elaine Schwartz,
Karen Oertling,
Deidre Brewer, and
Claudia Rivera |
Partnering
with the LSUHSC School of
Nursing, dental hygiene
students screened over
1,300 area schoolchildren
during the 2014-15 school
year. In addition,
pediatric dentistry
residents screened
children for decay and
sealant placements. Senior
dental hygiene students
returned to the schools
with Ms. Brewer and
Claudia Rivera, RDH, MDH,
to place sealants and
provide toothbrush
prophylaxis and fluoride
varnish as needed. The
hygiene students and
faculty members placed
approximately 975 sealants
in over 350 children.
Elaine Schwartz, RDH,
clinical assistant
professor, and Karen
Oertling, RDH, MPH,
clinical assistant
professor, were
responsible for creating
and facilitating the
partnership with the
nursing students.
At the recognition
luncheon, Louisiana Health
Secretary Kathy Kleibert
and Education
Superintendent John White
were among numerous
community and state-wide
leaders honored as Whole
Child Champions.
Dental
Hygiene Joins White Coat
Ceremony
A new
tradition began this year
when second-year dental
hygiene students
participated with
second-year dental
students in the White Coat
Ceremony. During this
event, which symbolizes
the transition from
classroom student to
clinician, students pledge
to exhibit personal and
professional integrity as
they work with patients.
This year's ceremony, held
on October 2, was the
first time that dental
hygiene students
officially marked the
transition along with
dental students.
Dr. Trey
Carlton, LSUSD '98,
president of the Alumni
Association, gave the
keynote address. "The
highest courage is daring
to be yourself in the face
of adversity," he said.
"Choosing right over
wrong, ethics over
convenience, and truth
over popularity...these
are the choices that
measure you in all aspects
of your life."
Students received their
white coats from Drs. John
Gallo, Abdallah Awada, and
Nicholas Miniotis and Ms.
Carrie Mason, Heather
Allen, and Tricia Barker.
Class presidents, Matthew
Henson, dental, and
Alexandra Burns, dental
hygiene, led the
recitation of the
professional oath.
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(l-r)
Corey Romero, D2
vice-president;
Matt Henson, D2
president;
Dean Gremillion;
Dr. Trey Carlton;
Alexandra Burns,
DH2 president;
Carolyn Nguyen,
DH2 vice-president |
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