ADHA announces 2014 award recipients

The American Dental Hygienists' Association (ADHA) announced its 2014 award winners at the organization's recent meeting in Las Vegas.

The awards were given to those who epitomize commitment and professionalism in the field of dental hygiene and who are dedicated to improving the public's oral and overall health, according to the ADHA.

• The Esther Wilkins Future Leader Award (sponsored by Hu-Friedy) is awarded to a dental hygienist demonstrating leadership within five years of graduating from a dental hygiene program. Winner: Jennifer Frame, RDH, of Bremerton, WA.

• The Irene Newman Award (sponsored by Colgate) is awarded for outstanding advancement of the art and science of dental hygiene. Winner: Michele Rase, CDA, RDH, of Rochester, NY.

• The Alfred C. Fones Award (sponsored by WaterPik) is awarded for lasting contributions to the dental hygiene profession over the last 25 years. Winner: Cynthia Amyot, RDH, MSDH, EdD, of Overland Park, KS.

• The ADHA Award for Excellence in Dental Hygiene (sponsored by Johnson & Johnson) is awarded to individuals who personify what those in the dental hygiene profession strive to exemplify to their patients, communities, and the world through a career dedicated to improving oral and overall health. Winners: Jill Rethman, RDH, of Kaneohe, HI, and Joyce Flieger, RDH, MPH, of Tucson, AZ.

• The Colgate/ADHA Community Outreach Award honors components that have implemented significant community outreach programs that focus on preventive oral health care. Winner: Southern Illinois Dental Hygienists' Society No. 12.

• The Student Member Community Service Award (sponsored by Colgate) recognizes a student member chapter that has demonstrated outstanding community service activities. Winner: Cypress College in Cypress, CA.

• The Crest Oral-B/ADHA Award for Clinical Dental Hygienists acknowledges the contributions that dental hygienists make in their patients' lives, particularly when it comes to the impact of patient education and the critical role oral health plays in total health. Winner: Lisa Bell, RDH, MPH, of Madison, WI.

• The Crest Oral-B/ADHA Educator of the Year is awarded to an educator who demonstrates excellence in teaching, mentoring, and helping students achieve their goals. Winner: Gail Aamodt, EPDH, of Hillsboro, OR.

• The ADHA Sigma Phi Alpha Journalism Award (sponsored by Johnson & Johnson) recognizes two students, one at the baccalaureate level and one at the master's level, who have written a review or original research paper that contributes to dental hygiene's overall body of knowledge and meets the rigorous quality standards of the ADHA's Journal of Dental Hygiene. Winners: Master's/Doctoral Category: Christine Rogers, RDH, of Catskill, NY; Baccalaureate Category: Kelli Frnka, RDH, of Bellaire, TX.

• The Hu-Friedy/ADHA Master Clinician is awarded for the demonstration of expertise in bringing clinical practice and patient education together. Winner: Janet Jordan, RDH, of Saylorsburg, PA.

• The Dentsply/ADHA Graduate Student Clinicians Program encourages and promotes graduate dental hygiene students to participate in and conduct dental hygiene research, and present their findings in a poster competition. First place: Kristin Dillow from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. Second place: Lucinda Fleckner from the University of California, San Francisco. Third place: Bethany Bewley from Idaho State University in Pocatello, ID.