Vermont's Outstanding Dental Hygienist of the Year

Dear President Peterson:

I had to look to the Encarta Dictionary for help in writing this letter.  Specifically, I wanted to be very clear when describing the words “leader” and “outstanding.”  Both of these words describe Terri Weinsten and it is my pleasure to nominate her as the 2007 VDHA Outstanding Dental Hygienist of the Year.

The Encarta Dictionary defines a leader as this: "Somebody who guides or directs others by showing them the way."  When asked about becoming a member of the VDHA Executive Board, Terri declines because she does not want to be the "face" of VDHA.  Nevertheless, Terri Weinstein leads by example.  Allow me to share with you some of those ways.

Terri has been an exemplary Tooth Tutor for many years in Twinfield and Cabot schools.  With an emphasis on nutrition and increased water consumption, her creative thinking has greatly enhanced her program.  She has helped dozens of children find a dental home, many in her own practice, the ml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Plainfield Health Center.  When her 3-year grant ended, Terri was one of the few dental hygienists who applied for and was awarded a new grant.  Hers was from NE Delta Dental, a remarkable achievement as this was the first one that that organization has awarded for personnel, not supplies and educational materials.

Terri has organized the dental exhibit at the Barre Rotary Home Show & Health Fair for a number of years.  I have witnessed the devotion that her patients have in her as we work at the Fair.  As a leader, she works tirelessly and without complaint.  She is organized, determined, strong, creative, sociable and knowledgeable about the services available in our area.  In short, she is a wonderful representation of our profession in an event that draws over 1000 people annually.

This brings me to the heart of this award.  “Outstanding” simply means “conspicuously excellent: clearly of very high quality.”  Tooth Tutor; Career fairs; School-based events; Health fairs; Grant writing; Private practice; Being both informed and informative; Family.  This wife, mother and friend has until this point remained relatively unrecognized.  I think it is time to publicly recognize Terri Weinstein for ALL that she has done for our profession and for the dental community.  The Outstanding Dental Hygienist of the Year award clearly embraces all of her strengths and accomplishments.