LAFAYETTE, Colo., Sept. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Dental Aid, Inc., a provider of affordable, high quality dental care and education to the low-income and uninsured residents of Colorado's Boulder and Broomfield counties, announces the retirement of its President and CEO, Dennis J. Lewis, after 17 years of service to the organization.
During his nearly 40 year career, Lewis has practiced all facets of general dentistry from the owner of a private practice to staff dentist, and from university professor to Director of General Dentistry overseeing the work of multiple clinics.
Throughout his career, he has worked to provide oral health care to the uninsured and underserved. Lewis is well known for the community partnerships he has created to increase access to dental health care and for his work to integrate medical and dental care. Among his many milestones in advancing care for the underserved are:
- Measuring the effects of pre-natal oral health education and treatment during pregnancy on the oral health outcomes of children at three years of age.
- Establishing relationships with Northern Colorado and Boulder County AIDS Projects to provide much-needed oral health care to people with HIV infection.
- Authoring protocols and procedures for a feasibility study of training bi-cultural and bi-lingual dental assistants.
- Establishing referral mechanisms for physicians to refer women during pregnancy for oral health exams and treatment.
- Establishing a relationship with Early Head Start to educate care providers in the early recognition and referral of white spot lesions and the prevention of early childhood caries.
At the appointment of the Governor of Colorado, he serves on the State Medical Assistance and Services Advisory Council representing dentistry. He also serves on the Delta Dental of Colorado Committee to increase provider participation in Colorado's Medicaid Program. He is the technical advisor and trainer for the Cavity Free at Three program.
"It's been a privilege to lead Dental Aid over the years," said Lewis. "I am grateful for the vast number of patients the organization has been able to care for over the years. I am also proud of the innovative programs committed employees have implemented to improve access to dental care for the underserved in our community."
"On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to thank Dennis for his leadership and many years of service supporting Dental Aid's mission. The impact he has had here, and on the underserved in our community has been tremendous," said Tanya Karnavy, DDS, Chairman of Dental Aid Board of Directors. "Dennis is a rare find of technical oral healthcare skills, public policy expertise and undeniable compassion for the underserved in our area."
Karnavy added, "On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are pleased to announce the selection of Dental Aid's new Executive Director, Ernest (Ernie) Duff.
Duff brings a wealth of experience to the position, including serving as the Executive Director of Denver's Howard Dental Center and the Rocky Mountain Survivors Center. Additionally, he was the Executive Director of the Life After Exoneration Program in Berkeley, CA. Duff has a Master's Degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Divinity.
"Dental Aid's board members all agreed that Ernie has what we are looking for in our new Executive Director; he fits in exceptionally well with this organization's unique purpose and mission," said Karnavy.
About Dental Aid
Dental Aid provides compassionate, affordable, high-quality dental care and education to low-income and uninsured residents of Colorado's Boulder and Broomfield counties. Its clinics are located in Boulder, Longmont and Louisville, CO.
The long-term clinical focus of Dental Aid follows a chronic disease management model directed at prevention, education, and treatment in the early stages of disease. In addition to direct clinical care, Dental Aid prioritizes education and outreach to high-risk patients including:
- Families and children of all ages
- Pregnant women
- People with chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and HIV/AIDS
- People with physical, mental or emotional disabilities
Dental Aid was one of the first stand-alone, nonprofit, complete-care dental clinics in the U.S. The organization was founded in 1974 as a referral organization and opened its first full-service clinic in 1980. Today, Dental Aid provides dental care to more than 8,000 children and adults annually. It provides services through three clinics (Boulder, Longmont and Louisville, CO) and a satellite clinic at the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless. Also, portable dental equipment is used to bring dental care to the homebound or those living in long-term care facilities. For more information, visit http://www.dentalaid.org.
SOURCE Dental Aid
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