Dr. Anastasia Kelekis-Cholakis, the dean of the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry at the University of Manitoba, said it is always concerning to hear about people not accessing the dentist due to cost.

At the U of M, there are seven dental clinics which are used as teaching areas for students, but people can also receive care at a reduced price.

The care ranges from general dental work to orthodontics and even a sleep apnea clinic.

“All those clinics operate at about under 50 per cent of the Manitoba fee guide. So the treatment is not free, but it’s significantly discounted,” said Kelekis-Cholakis.

Read here

A key lesson of that journey, she says, is that health is multifaceted, with needs based on physiological, emotional and social factors.

Halas, who was raised in Winnipeg, is an assistant professor in the School of Dental Hygiene at the Dr. Gerald Niznick College of Dentistry, where her academic career started 22 years ago.

Her passion for primary health-care research took hold when, from 2006 to 2016, she was mentored by Dr. Alan Katz [M.Sc./95], working as a research associate in family medicine at the Max Rady College of Medicine. Spurred on by that experience, she completed her PhD in 2016 through UM’s individualized interdisciplinary program.

“I wanted to look not just at health or oral health, but to consider the whole person and the social world immediately outside of the person,” she says. “I thought listening to patients’ experiences and feedback could be pivotal for optimizing the way forward.”

Halas holds adjunct appointments in family medicine and community health sciences. In 2019, she was appointed the inaugural Rady Chair in Interprofessional Collaborative Practice.

Her current research focuses on how different health-care professionals collaborate in providing primary health care. Collaboration, she says, is not the easiest thing to study.

“Collaboration could be a consultation between two health-care providers, or a provider referring a patient to another professional, or people with a range of roles supporting a patient when they leave the hospital.  It’s complex.”

In one of her studies, Halas is looking at individuals experiencing homelessness who are hospitalized at St. Boniface Hospital with heart conditions. When they are discharged, where do they go? How can they settle back into the community in a vulnerable state?

“This is something physicians and social workers have struggled with. So how about something in between? Not a medical unit, but something that helps facilitate the process,” says Halas.

Her team is working with community advisors, including the Salvation Army, to create a hub for accessing peer support and community assistance after being discharged.

Halas is also studying how COVID-19 has changed the way patients access care. She is examining how health-care providers and patients have experienced virtual care, in order to get a sense of how virtual visits might be sustained.

“I was interested in learning about the shifting roles of health professionals during the pandemic. However, that was quite a challenge,” she says.

“Virtual visits are one piece of the health-care system’s capacity. To better examine workforce capacity, we need a data infrastructure with information on the health workforce regarding scope of work, training, and how health teams work together. This has been a long-standing issue in Canada, even predating the pandemic.” 

In all her research, Halas says she wants to focus on the individual patient.

“All the things we do as health-care providers and researchers affect individuals. How does that translate to meaningful and integrated patient care?”

While in Churchill, she saw young children from remote communities who had such severe tooth decay, they required dental surgery under general anesthesia. She was deeply struck by the need for oral health services in the North.

“You can’t experience that and not have it change you,” Switzer-Nadasdi says.

The rotation opened her eyes to opportunities in dentistry beyond private practice. That initial exposure to an underserved population in Canada’s North has led her to the American South, where she is now CEO of Interfaith Dental.

The charitable organization in Tennessee provides more than $6 million in care each year for those experiencing poverty. As “coach and cheerleader” of Interfaith Dental, Switzer-Nadasdi oversees a staff of 50 people and 200 volunteer professionals.

The organization cares for more than 3,000 patients each year at its two clinics, located in Nashville and Murfreesboro. There is such a high demand for dental care in the region that the clinics have a waiting list of more than 1,000 people.

“Thousands and thousands of people have had their lives transformed because of the dental care we’ve provided,” Switzer-Nadasdi says. “But also, thousands and thousands of people are now aware of the fact that oral health is health, and it’s essential.”

Interfaith Dental also advocates for social change, working for neighbourhood improvements such as more accessible grocery stores and less fast food, and for Medicaid reform.

Switzer-Nadasdi is originally from Portage la Prairie, Man. After graduating from UM, she completed a residency at a Veteran Affairs hospital in Louisville, Ky., then returned to Churchill and practised as a dentist for two years.

She then spent a year in Bermuda working in public health with children who experienced disparity in oral health. Her boyfriend, a musician living in Nashville, proposed to her and she moved to Music City.

There, she contacted UM alumnus Dr. Arthur Anderson [M.Sc./91], who was practising in the Nashville area. He told her about a dental charity that had just been launched.

In 1995, she became Interfaith Dental’s first employee. The clinic began as a two-chair operation in a church basement.

Expanding from those humble beginnings to an organization with 26 operatories is something to be celebrated, but growth is not a good thing in this line of work, Switzer-Nadasdi says.

“It’s sad that it had to grow to help meet demand,” she says. “I’d love to see that we wouldn’t be needed anymore.”

To help with the growth, Switzer-Nadasdi has brought in students and residents to train in the clinics. She hopes the experience doesn’t just enhance their skills but opens their eyes.

“I did what the U of M did for me,” she says.

“I bring students and residents in and they see what the need is, so hopefully they’ll consider public health, or they’ll serve at their local dental charity or community health centre when they go into private practice.”

PROPS TO THE PROFS

Applied Biological Safety, by Dr. Steven Theriault! The course was taught super well and the material was incredibly interesting! I poured my blood, sweat and tears into a research paper (that got 100 per cent) – still a proud moment for this Science grad. 

This alumni question prompted me to go back and re-read my paper (on Yersinia pestis – the cause for the pneumonic/septicemic/bubonic plague). I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of that awesome course, and how engaged I was as a student. Kudos to Dr. Theriault for knowing how to teach.
~ Sana M. [BSc/10]

Calculus taught by Donald Trim in the old engineering building room 219. Amazing teacher.
~ Eric S. [BSc(EE)/89]

Legal History with Cliff Edwards O.C. Q.C. Never forget him!
~ Julian V. [LLB/09]

Social Issues in Business with Professor Reg Litz. Amazing professor, amazing person.
~ Kelly K. [BComm(Hons)/99]

My favourite course was Economics with Jesse Vorst. I found him to be a really inspiring and a captivating lecturer … it is one of those courses I have remembered over time.
~Roxana M. [BComm(Hons)/84]

I took Dr. Sarah Elvins’ “History of U.S. Since 1939” from 2005-2006. Not only were the lecture topics incredibly and consistently engaging, but Dr. Elvins had a media-rich pedagogy that was extremely hard to pull off in the pre-YouTube, early Google days. Her teaching style was enjoyably humorous, and she fostered rich class discussions. Dr. Elvins would then supplement lectures with movie clips, songs, etc. and I do appreciate now that she had to gather all of these media elements physically, likely at a cost. Thank you Dr. Elvins for a wonderful History course that I still think about (eg. Malvina Reynolds’ Little Boxes song)!
~ Nicole Gareau-Wilson [BA/06, Bed/08, MEd/18]

Ross Henderson, Business Policy. He knew how to teach if you were willing to learn.
~ Jerome Knysh [BSc(IE)/84, ExEd/87, MBA/90]

Family Financial Health with Karen Duncan. Best class, hands down best prof! She inspired me to delve deeper in my readings and provided a supportive learning environment that also challenged me to be an independent thinker.
~ Melissa GS. [BHECOL/17]

Dental Science with Israel Kleinberg.  Was he one fired up dental researcher and educator .
~ Frank G. [DMD/70]

STIMULATING SEMINARS

Introductory Psychology taught by Dr. V. Kamaya. It was a class that was late in the day, smaller because of the hour, and there seemed to be students from a variety of faculties – I was in Commerce. While the official coursework was quick to learn, the whole class participated and the questions we asked went deeper than any of us seemed to have expected.
~ Patrick S. [BComm(Hons)/84]

Introduction to Sociology with Daniel Albas was fantastic and eye opening for me. I would say that was the most memorable course I’ve ever taken.
~ Amirali Y. [BSc/17]

The best class I had was International Trade from Professor Barry Coyle. The course is very theoretical, but simplifies and explains the concept of comparative advantage and the role of international trade in global economy. It offers a scientific response to the current protectionism. Nearly all students who take Barry’s course firmly believe that he has the course roadmap in his mind and whenever in the class, he just pulls the information out of his head like Professor Dumbledore with his Pensive!
~ Yuan Z.  [MSc/16]

My most memorable class was called Meeting the Needs in the Near Environment. This was a mandatory first year general human ecology class and our textbook was written by prominent home economist Eleanor Vaines. I wrote a paper that received a mark of 100 per cent – it was the only time I ever received that mark and I still have that paper and the textbook.

After completing my human ecology degree I worked for 10 years, completed an education degree and became a home ec teacher. A decade after that I enrolled in the UBC home economics and everyday living cohort where I had to write a reflective paper about me and my chosen professional path. The first thing I thought of was the book by Vaines. Throughout my master’s program I reflected many times on that book, what Professor Shannon taught in that class, and the paper I aced. That class gave me purpose and direction in 1987 and again in 2011. I was never the so-called perfect academic student but I knew what I wanted to do with my life and I have been thankful for the home economics professors who believed in my abilities and my path.
~ AnnaLee Parnetta [BHECOL/93]

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Alumni Answers is our way of building community with our alumni by sharing memories, ideas, and opinions with one another. Every month, we pose a new question with an opportunity to learn, laugh, and ponder together.

Next month, we’re asking: What meaningful relationships did you make at the U of M? To send in your answer, click here, or email alumni_answers@umanitoba.ca

To recognize this transformative gift, the University of Manitoba will rename the college after an alumnus who has changed the field of modern dentistry and is now investing in the students, faculty and public clinic that serve our great city and province.

The gift will enhance clinical training space, fund special initiatives that enrich our community’s health and wellbeing, and create reliable endowed funding for the College.

What: Announcing the largest gift ever to the College of Dentistry, and its new name
When: Tuesday, May 29, 2018, 11:30 a.m.
Where: Brodie Atrium, 727 McDermot Ave. Bannatyne Campus

More than 100 guests – adults with disabilities and their care providers – socialized with 150 student volunteers from the College of Dentistry and School of Dental Hygiene at the event on Saturday, April 14.

The party in the Brodie Centre Atrium on the Bannatyne campus featured a pizza lunch and activities such as karaoke, games, crafts, manicures and visiting with therapy dogs.

“I love being around people,” said Bill, an exuberant guest. “I liked blowing bubbles and bowling.”

Another guest, Bobbi, summed up the party’s appeal: “Making friends.”

The annual get-together is organized by the Winnipeg chapter of Oral Health, Total Health, a national non-profit organization. The chapter is led by students from the College of Dentistry in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences.

A glamorous Tooth Fairy and oral-hygiene puppets were on hand to encourage brushing and flossing. Every guest received an oral-care gift bag.    

The party is both fun and educational, said Yasmin Elzayat, a second-year dentistry student and one of the event’s organizers.

“The special-needs population is underserved in terms of their oral health,” Elzayat said. “Sharing Smiles Day helps the students become more familiar and more comfortable interacting with people with special needs, and vice versa.

“We can become better health-care providers by making sure we’re inclusive of everybody in our practice.”   

Dr. Julie Pfeffer, an assistant professor in the College of Dentistry who treats adults with special needs at Health Sciences Centre, called on the future dentists and hygienists to welcome all kinds of patients.

“When you graduate, I want you to open your hearts to treating patients who are different from you,” Pfeffer said.

Dr. Cory Sul, a U of M alumnus and president of the Manitoba Dental Association, said the MDA’s position is that all dental practices should be prepared to accommodate people with special needs.

“Every Manitoban should be able to find a dental home,” he said at the event. “People with special needs should be able to see every dentist here in Manitoba.”

Duyen Tran, a third-year dental hygiene student, said Sharing Smiles Day builds trust between the students and guests.

“I get a sense of community; of being able to connect,” Tran said. “We learn about things like this in the classroom, but being in person is completely different. It’s a lot more fulfilling.”

“Everybody is having so much fun,” said first-year dental student Nicole Bailey. “I think the whole idea is if we can see the ability in disability, we won’t shy away from accepting these types of patients. People with special needs need care, just like any of us.”

A portion of the new donation will help more Manitobans get the oral health care they need, while enhancing dentistry student training. The remainder will establish the Scotiabank Scholarship in Data Analytics in the Asper School of Business.

The Scotiabank Clinical Education Fund in Dentistry will support treatment for patients at the College of Dentistry’s Patient Care Clinic. Though the U of M clinic charges 50 per cent less than private clinics, many are still unable to afford care. Scotiabank has addressed this challenge by establishing this new endowment. With the support from Scotiabank, patients who can’t afford dental treatment at the Clinic will have improved access to care. Scotiabank’s endowed gift will provide a secure source of ongoing support for the Patient Care Clinic that will benefit patients and students now and for years to come.

“At Scotiabank we believe that investing in young people is the pathway to community prosperity,” says Martin MacCool, Scotiabank’s District Vice President of Winnipeg. “As an organization we are committed to helping young people reach their infinite potential and recognize that our donation to U of M will not only support the students focused on analytics and dentistry, but will also provide significant benefits to the community.”

The College of Dentistry in the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences offers one of the best clinical training programs in North America, requiring students to perform more procedures than any other dental school in Canada. Its main teaching clinic is one of the largest in Western Canada and Scotiabank’s support will enhance students’ clinical training as they are exposed to a greater breadth of oral health cases from members of the public seeking their help.

“Scotiabank’s visionary gift is truly transformational, as it addresses the largest issue in today’s dental education environment,” says Anthony Iacopino, Dean of the College of Dentistry. “Traditional dental school clinic business models are failing due to the high costs of modern technologies and materials as well as the increasing proportion of underserved populations that require oral health services. This particular partnership is unique in North America as it ensures comprehensive training for our students while, at the same time, enabling the College of Dentistry to achieve important community service and outreach goals.”

The Scotiabank Scholarship in Data Analytics will recognize and support exceptional students with an interest in data analytics studying in the Asper School of Business. This support will attract and reward the sharpest students, who will graduate with the skills they need to work as database administrators, developers, analysts, and scientists. Joshua Wiebe, the first recipient of the scholarship, says he has always been passionate about Data Analytics, and that Scotiabank’s support helps him have greater flexibility when planning for the future. “It gives me more time to spend on my studies instead of working to pay the bills,” he explained “and provides the freedom to continue pursuing further education sooner.”

The Front and Centre campaign has been structured on five institutional priorities: Indigenous Achievement, Graduate Student Support, Research Excellence, Outstanding Student Experience, and Places and Spaces. These priorities respond to our province’s most pressing needs and allow us to be reactive to some our most urgent issues, like ensuring equal access to dental care for Manitobans, and providing exceptional experiences to our students.

Individuals interested in becoming patients at the College of Dentistry’s Patient Care Clinic can contact the College at 204-789-3505 to learn more and express their interest in the program. The College will be in contact to arrange screening appointments, which are scheduled weekly.

The University of Manitoba’s STRR features students from each faculty presenting awards of recognition to two extraordinary teachers — one from their K-12 experience and another from their time at the university. They acknowledge teachers who have had a significant, and even life-changing, impact for them. Students and their selected teachers attend together; this year’s event took place in the Killarney Room at University Centre on May 8.

The annual event is hosted by the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, which collaborates with faculty, instructors, graduate students and others to provide leadership, expertise and support in fulfilling the teaching and learning mission of the University of Manitoba.

Akhanamoya began by thanking her Nigerian teacher, who “didn’t just teach literature, but lived literature,” for “rearranging my path through a love of literature.” She also recognized associate professor of English, film, and Theatre, Warren Cariou.

Cariou told her he would teach her what he knew about writing and poetry. He helped her to secure an internship at a local literary magazine and encouraged her to apply for a writing workshop scholarship.

“I — only I — was surprised when I was accepted,” said Akhanamoya. “You always felt it was deserving. You encouraged my art when I thought it was unworthy of attention. And most of all, you made me flourish. Thank you.”

What the teachers could not know, she added, is that “they did not just change my academic path; they saved my life.”

Educators going beyond the curriculum: ‘fundamental lessons’

Dental hygiene student Jasmine Bonenfant at the Students’ Teacher Recognition Reception.

Dental hygiene student Jasmine Bonenfant told the audience, “Today we’re honouring educators — those who go beyond the curriculum , and allow us to explore it, question it and engage with it.”

Paying tribute to her junior high English teacher, she said, “She taught me that living in a bubble of your own opinions closes you off from the people and the world around you. Having a teacher that made me realize so young the importance of open- and fair-mindedness, respect and understanding helped me develop into the person I am today.”

She next thanked U of M dental hygiene clinic coordinator Lorraine Glassford, calling her one of the most empathetic and fair people she’d ever met — “the one who doesn’t give up on anyone,” and someone who gave her “the boost I needed to cross the finish line.”

Rady Faculty of Health Sciences student in the College of Dentistry, Ryan Howard, also thanked his English teacher. At Kelvin High School, George Atkins introduced the class to Beowulf, instilling in Howard a love of literature and helping him to “imagine a a world outside of my own,” he said.

Dentistry student Ryan Howard with teachers at the Students’ Teacher Recognition Reception.

Starting in his first year of dental school, he continued, the experience and knowledge of Noriko Boorberg, assistant professor of restorative dentistry, taught him “fundamental lessons in striving for perfection and not sacrificing quality in a profession where fractions of millimetres really do matter.”

Her teaching style is “articulate and interactive, and tailored to the needs of individual students,” he said. He was inspired by her “boundless energy, cheerful enthusiasm, as well as her dedication and care for her individual students.

“Her lessons and her set of values have had a strong impact on me that I will carry forward into my career for years to come.”

This message was echoed throughout the event by almost all of the students in thanking their teachers, instructors and professors.

Annual event a highlight

Mark Torchia, executive director of the Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning, says that the annual event is a highlight. “It’s always wonderful to hear students recognize the teachers who inspired them and mentored them. As we say in the U of M’s strategic plan, one of our priorities is to inspire minds through innovative and quality teaching,” he says.

“This event is a touching reminder of the teaching and learning at the core of the University’s mission.”

WHAT: Schroth provides dental services for underserved populations. He shows extraordinary commitment to the oral health of Indigenous people, newly landed immigrant and the working poor. Schroth applies his expertise and experience to all of his outreach efforts, whether serving on a committee or improving the oral health of someone in need in Winnipeg’s downtown neighbourhoods.

HIS INSPIRATION: As a student, Schroth took part in public health programs to treat the teeth of disadvantaged kids and teenagers.

IN HIS OWN WORDS: “I quickly realized that there were many children who had considerable unmet dental needs and that untreated disease was impacting their health and well-being,” Schroth says. “These field placements were instrumental in my choosing to work exclusively in dental public health programs when I graduated.”

FUNDERS: The Manitoba Institute of Child Health, Manitoba Health, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Manitoba Dental Association, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the University of Manitoba College of Dentistry

LEARN MORE

• Robert Schroth
• Video
• Healthy Smile, Happy Child Project

WHERE: The clinic is located within Deer Lodge Centre, a long-term care and rehabilitation facility that provides in-patient, out-patient and outreach programs to the community (next door to the PRIME program).

HOW IT WORKS: Two dental hygienists provide free oral screenings, education and health promotion to older adults. A variety of reasons—including transportation challenges—keeps the seniors from visiting a dental clinic. For some, it has been years since they’ve sought the dental care they need. PRIME staff also assist in arranging for follow-up dental care.

WHY IT MATTERS: “To many, the oral health of older adults is not seen as being very important. This is unequivocally incorrect,” says Pamela Dahl, director of the Centre for Community Oral Health. “With the latest research we know what an important role the health of the mouth plays in their overall health … We have so many bright smiles on clinic days! The clients are so happy to have someone assess them and take the time to answer their questions.”

FUNDERS: Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, members of the International College of Dentists, and through fees for service

LEARN MORE

• Centre for Community Oral Health