2024 IPC Collaboration Part II: Dental

As Regional Director of Operations for Summit Dental Health, Brea Iverson has showcased exemplary leadership skills, overseeing dental practices and clinics with efficiency and effectiveness. Her ability to streamline operations, manage teams, and implement best practices has resulted in improved patient outcomes and increased practice growth. Brea is known for her strong work ethic and her ability to inspire and motivate her colleagues, fostering a collaborative and productive work environment. 

Sarah Stream is an Infection Preventionist and Dental Infection Control Specialist. She is currently a Dental Infection Control and Education Specialist for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Her recent efforts have been on promoting dental infection control and COVID-19 based prevention and mitigation with the Nebraska ICAP Dental Outreach Program. Sarah has been in dentistry since 2007 and is currently a Certified Dental Assistant (DANB) and is Certified in Dental Infection Prevention and Control® (CDIPC®). She has also completed the Fellowship program through the American Dental Assistants Association. She received her master’s degree in Public Health with a concentration in Emergency Planning in 2019, opening the doors to public health and dentistry. 

Karen Gregory is a nationally recognized speaker and trainer skilled in translating regulatory and compliance information into captivating educational programming for healthcare workers. She is Certified in Dental Infection Prevention and Control® (CDIPC®), serves as a subject matter expert in dental infection prevention and control, and specializes in packaging process and policy content for successful integration into practice. In fact, she recently was responsible for updating the unforgettable teaching tool, “If Saliva Were Red”, to national acclaim. She also was Editor-in-Chief of the online tool, “Best Practices for Infection Control in Dental Clinics During the COVID-19 Pandemic,” and is currently on the Editorial Review Board of the popular newsletter, Infection Control in Practice. Ms. Gregory served on the Board of Directors of the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) and has been awarded all three of the organization’s top leadership awards. She volunteers for the Charlotte North Carolina Missions of Mercy. Early in 2023, she launched her own consulting firm to “inspire frontline healthcare workers to include safety in every process”. 

From HIV to SARs-CoV, Jackie Dorst has guided dental teams to provide safe patient care. As a microbiologist, clinician, and consultant, Jackie relates science and research to practical clinical application. She has the unique talent to include fun and energy in the sterile topics of OSHA and CDC infection control. Jackie graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Microbiology and Clayton State University with a degree in Dental Hygiene. She has been a featured speaker at the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Association of Endodontists, the American Dental Association, and Wired for Success, in addition to state and regional professional meetings. She is a member of OSAP and APIC and is an OSHA-authorized trainer.

Margaret Gilman is the Manager of Infection Prevention at Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware.  She has twelve years’ experience in Infection Prevention and is a 2022 APIC Fellow.  She serves as President Elect for APIC Chapter 15, helped author publications, presented nationally, and is a section editor for the APIC text.

Margaret Hetrick is the Clinical Operations Director, Department of Surgery at Nemours Children’s Health, Delaware.  She has over 30 years’ experience in perioperative nursing.  Her focus for the past ten years has been on the integration between inpatient surgery and outpatient clinics, specifically integrating community dentistry into hospital settings.  

Erin Villanueva, MPH, CIC is an Infection Preventionist with Cleveland Clinic working with Dental, Internal Medicine, Orthopedics and Emergency Medicine Institutes. Previously, she was with the Cleveland Department of Public Health as Epidemiologist and Registered Sanitarian. She is a graduate of Capital University in Biochemistry and George Washington University with a Master’s in Public Health.  

Linda Burmeister, BA has 30 years in Dental Practice Management and Consultation experience both in private and group practices.  Her most recent adventure before coming to Cleveland has been with the Dental Department at Mercy Hospital in Canton.  She considers herself extremely fortunate to continue her future with Cleveland Clinic.  Her professional goal is to fully integrate Oral Health Care into the medical mainstream by collaborating with professionals, educating caregivers, and encouraging a broader footprint in the medical community. 

Nancy Dewhirst graduated from the University of Southern California, practiced dental hygiene for 20 years, is adjunct dental hygiene faculty at West Coast University, and is a member of Sigma Phi Alpha. She is consistently listed as one of the nation’s “Leaders in CE”, presents over 100 interactive workshops and seminars a year, is featured at major U.S. and Canadian Dental Conferences, and is a licensed California CE Provider. She is an ANSI/ADA Standards Program member, Editor-in-Chief of OSAP’s Infection Control In Practice, has published many articles in dental peer-reviewed journals, and has contributed to dental textbooks and ADA, OSAP, and State and University guidance documents. 

Linda Bouttaphom has been working in the Dental industry for a little over 19 years. Her experience has given her many opportunities to grow and evolve in her field. She started off as a dental assistant in private practice and expanded her experience into chairside nursing in oral surgery. Currently, she is a Clinical Manager that oversees all the operations in a large organization that sees approximately 43,000 patients annually. Linda is very passionate about delivering the highest quality of care to patients and improving practice processes. 

Rosa Flores has been involved in the infection prevention field for approximately 8 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry, an MD degree from Guadalajara Medical School, an MPH degree, and a CIC board certification. Currently, she works at Yale-New Haven Hospital in the Infection Prevention department covering approximately 300 ambulatory units to ensure these sites are following infection prevention guidelines overseeing low-level, high-level disinfection and sterilization of instruments and devices, safe needle practices, aseptic techniques for ambulatory procedures, and exposure investigations, among other responsibilities. 

Amanda Hill, BSDH, RDH, CDIPC, is an enthusiastic speaker, innovative consultant, and award-winning author.  A sought-after thought leader contributing invaluable and inspiring insights into the current trends in dentistry. Affectionately known as the Waterline Warrior, she brings over 25 years of clinical dental hygiene and education to dentistry. Recipient of OSAP’s Emerging Infection Control Leader award and an active participant with the advisory board for RDH magazine, Dentistry IQ, and OSAP’s Infection Control In Practice Editorial Review Board and membership committee, Amanda strives to make topics in dentistry accurate, accessible, and fun!