NSU CDM Impressions Fall/Winter 2019

28 | COLLEGE OF DENTAL MEDICINE ALUMNI IMPRESSIONS Erinne Kennedy, D.M.D., M.P.H., M.M.Sc., class of 2015, was born and raised in the small town of Middleport, Ohio, where she watched her father and uncle practice dentistry and her mother work as a dental hygienist. Her parents encouraged her to explore multiple professions, but she was always drawn to health care. “In my heart, I love to serve people,” Kennedy said. “It’s what I feel I’ve been called to do.” While at NSU’s College of Dental Medicine (CDM), she engaged in numerous volunteer and leadership positions, includ- ing serving as American Student Dental Association vice president and lunch seminar chair, Student Professionalism and Ethics Associ- ation president and treasurer, and Student Government Association class president. She also served as a student member of the Human- ism and Diversity Committee, Student Research Club vice president, and Member Practice Management Club vice president, in addition to participating in NSU’s A Day for Children event. After graduating from the CDM, she completed a one-year dental general practice residency certificate at the Baltimore VA Medical Center in Maryland. “The VA is a great opportunity to serve people because many of the veterans receive their care for free,” she said. “It was helpful early in my career because I was able to do good dentistry.” Following her residency train- ing, Kennedy was accepted into the Harvard School of Dental Medi- cine, where she completed a resi- dency in dental public health and a Master of Medical Science in Den- tal Education—a degree she helped create. She was the first graduate of this program in May 2019 and continues at Harvard as a teacher and lecturer. She also is an associ- ate at Alliance Dental Center LLC in Quincy, Massachusetts, for the Massachusetts State Employees Fund, where her role is to create a preventive practice model. GROUP EFFORTS SPARK CHANGE “A driving factor in working for the social good is being a part of larger group efforts,” Kennedy said. “When we come together, we can create really good change, and good change is needed today. One of my passions is antibiotic stewardship in dentistry. I’m part of an American Dental Association (ADA) expert panel for creating guidelines for antibiotic use.” Kennedy said she wants the dentistry she practices to lead to long-term change. “Currently, my office is exploring a new reimburse- ment system, a way to measure health in patients, and ways to sustain oral health. The focus on creating and sustaining oral health is what’s going to change dentistry 10 years from now. I want to be a part of this new generation of dentistry,” she said. She also writes blogs for numerous media outlets, includ- ing Ignite DDS and DewLife. Her articles focus on policy change and intervention, tying in with her passion for social justice in dentistry. The response, she said, is “overwhelming.” As a guest on the ADA’s Beyond the Mouth podcast, she discusses what she learned about herself in dental school, including learning to listen and to ask for help. “I also learned about my best, and some of my less-than-great, leadership qualities and how to navigate that space,” she said. In turn, she helps students write curriculum vita, applications, and personal statements. “I have been blessed beyond measure with the mentors I have in my life,” she said. “If I can be a blessing to anybody, that’s who I want to be.” ALUMNI Impressions BY CAROL BRZOZOWSKI Creating Change in the Clinic and the Classroom Kindness Radical