22 June 2023

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OSAP announces 2023 leadership award recipients

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The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP), announced on June 12 the recipients of the annual OSAP Leadership Awards. OSAP is a community of clinicians, group practices, educators, researchers, consultants, trainers, compliance directors, policymakers and industry representatives who advocate for the safe and infection-free delivery of oral health care.

Michelle Lee, executive director of OSAP, said in a news release that the awards recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to the field of dental infection prevention and safety. 

In addition, OSAP also awards special recognition to volunteers who have exceeded all expectations to make a difference for the organization.

25th Annual Dr. James J. Crawford Award: Andy Whitehead

This award, named in honor of one of the founders of dental infection control, recognizes lifetime achievement in the field. Awardees have made major contributions in science, education or public policy related to OSAP’s core competencies of infection control and patient and provider safety. 

This year’s recipient, Andy Whitehead, has been involved in the dental industry for more than 50 years. He’s held executive positions in dental distribution and manufacturing organizations focusing on dental infection prevention and control and safety. He is one of five founding OSAP members and a tireless advocate for young dental infection preventionists.

Whitehead has served on the OSAP Association and Foundation boards, the OSAP-DANB-DALE Foundation Infection Control Certificate/Certification Steering Commission, the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation Board, and the American Dental Assistants Association Foundation Board. His fundraising capabilities were critical in developing the OSAP-DALE Foundation Dental Infection Prevention and Control Certificate Program, the CDIPC certification and the DISIPC certification — the first of its kind.

Whitehead has raised over $3 million as an auctioneer for OSAP, DTA, ADHA, ADAA and Oral Health America, earning him the informal title of “The Dental Industry Auctioneer.” 

He was the 2009 Dr. Milton E. Schaefer Superior Service Award recipient and is a U.S. Army veteran who served from 1967-1970 during the Vietnam War. Whitehead believes in OSAP’s vision and mission and works tirelessly to tell the organization’s story so that more in dentistry can access this critical education.

21st Annual Dr. Milton Schaefer Award: Dr. Erinne Kennedy, DMD, MPH, MMSc

This award is named after one of the founding members of OSAP. It celebrates superior service to the organization, recognizing either continuous contributions over time or singular accomplishments. The nominee’s efforts have resulted in tangible benefits to the continuing advancement of OSAP’s mission to be the leading provider of infection prevention and control education, training and credentialing that supports safe dental visits.

Dr. Erinne Kennedy graduated from Nova Southeastern College of Dental Medicine in 2015. She completed a one-year general practice residency at a VA Hospital in 2016, a dental public health residency in 2018, and a master’s degree in medical science at Harvard School of Dental Medicine in 2019.

She currently serves as the assistant dean for curriculum and integrated learning in the College of Dental Medicine at Kansas City University. In 2022, she helped OSAP secure CDC grant funding to disseminate antibiotic stewardship resources to dental personnel and led OSAP’s first-ever Antibiotic Stewardship Summit.

9th Annual Emerging Infection Control Leader Award: India Chance, RDH, BS, CDIPC

The goal of the Emerging Leader Award is to help develop and promote the next generation of stars in the field of dental infection prevention and safety by identifying outstanding new infection control advocates. 

India Chance is a registered dental hygienist, independent compliance consultant and an authorized OSHA trainer who provides continuing education courses for dental health care providers to improve their knowledge of infection prevention and safety in the workplace environment. Nationally, she has trained hundreds of dental practice owners and teams on compliance program creation and implementation.

Chance describes her mission as equipping dental health care providers with current and credible information so they can deliver the safest dental visit possible. She has worked on several committees for various CDC dental industry projects, has been featured on national podcasts, is an invited guest speaker to dental conferences, and is a former health care subject matter expert writer for the USA Today Educators Blog.

Chance has also earned a certification in Dental Infection Prevention and Control (CDIPC).

20th Annual Bette & Paul Schwartz Award for Volunteerism: Michele Lash, RDH, BA

This award is named in honor of a couple who personify the spirit of volunteerism for the organization, Bette and Paul Schwartz. The dynamic duo, for many years, selflessly contributed their time and resources to manage all the volunteer activities associated with OSAP’s annual conference. The award is given to identify and thank an outstanding volunteer, a nearly impossible selection, given the generous support of the OSAP community.

Michele Lash, RDH, BA, is a manager in clinical research and scientific support for Dentsply Sirona with more than 20 years of experience in the dental hygiene profession. Over the last several years, with Dentsply Sirona, she has developed scientific evidence-based clinical education curriculum and resources for dental health care professionals, key opinion leaders and internal team training.

Keeping abreast of scientific literature and clinical trends allows her to provide insights for new product development. Her current focus is ultrasonic debridement, aerosol management and best practices in infection control and prevention. She is a current member of ADHA, IFDH, AAOSH and OSAP. She serves on committees for OSAP, attained the OSAP-DALE Foundation Dental Infection Prevention and Control Certificate, and was a subject matter expert in the remaking of the 2023 If Saliva Were Red Video and facilitator’s guide.

Chair Citation Awards

David Kierce, 2022 – 2023 OSAP chair of the board, presented special citations to individuals who have enriched the organization by contributing a unique blend of talents, skills, hard work and unwavering commitment to the advancement of dental safety.

Elaine Bailey, PhD; Marie Fluent, DDS, CDIPC and Dr. Kennedy were recognized for their work on OSAP’s first-ever Antibiotic Stewardship Summit.

OSAP also awarded Kathy Eklund, RDH, MHP and Karen Gregory, RN, CDIPC, for their work as co-chairs of the Boot Camp planning committee as well as Matthew R. Ellis, MPH, CIC, CDIPC, and Lash for their work as co-chairs of the Annual Conference planning committee.

Dr. James A. Cottone Award for Excellence in Investigative Research: Thiago Antônio Raulino do Nascimento, PhD

This award is named for one of the founders of OSAP who exemplified the best in infection control and safety research. This year’s award goes to Thiago Antônio Raulino do Nascimento, PhD, for a poster presentation, “International Guidelines in Dental Settings Before COVID-19: Were We Prepared?”

Co-authors of the poster include Liliana Junqueira de Paiva Donatelli, BS, MBA, MPH, CDIPC; Janmille Valdivino da Silva, PhD and Gerliene Maria Silva Araújo, MSc. 

Dr. Raulio graduated in dentistry, specializing in sanitary surveillance, and has a doctoral degree in health sciences. In his career in the public service, he works as a dentist at a technical school and as a health policeman at the health department in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Enthusiastic about biosafety in health services, he studies the subject and is interested in research that deals with regulatory frameworks at an international level.

About OSAP

The Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) is the only dental membership association solely focused on infection prevention and patient safety education. Our members include individual clinicians, group practices, educators, researchers, consultants, trainers, compliance directors, policymakers, and industry representatives who advocate for safe and infection-free delivery of oral healthcare.

OSAP focuses on strategies to improve compliance with safe practices and on building a strong network of recognized infection control experts. OSAP offers an extensive online collection of resources, publications, FAQs, checklists, and toolkits that help dental professionals deliver the Safest Dental Visit possible for their patients. Plus, online and live courses help advance the level of knowledge and skill for every member of the dental team.