Helene S Bednarsh, BS, RDH, MPH 

2023 HELENE S. BEDNARSH, BS, RDH, MPH Helene Bednarsh has retired as the Director of the Ryan White Dental Program, Boston Public Health Commission but remains as a consultant to them.. She was a consultant to the Evaluation Center for the HRSA/HAB SPNS Oral Health Initiative from 2006-2012. In 1974 she received a B.S. and a Certificate in Dental Hygiene from the University of Michigan and was awarded Outstanding Dental Hygiene Alumni in September 1998 and the 2007 Distinguished Service Award from the University of Michigan Dental School. Ms. Bednarsh received a Masters in Public Health from the University of Texas, Health Sciences Center at Houston. She is Vice President of HIVDENT. Over the past 49 years, Ms. Bednarsh has been involved in local, state and federal public health programs As a dental public health professional, In the mid- 70’s she was the first Community Development Specialist in the Indian Health Service. She was a consultant to Region I, USPHS for Head start programs from 1982 to 1990. Ms. Bednarsh is a member of the New England AIDS Education and Training Center faculty and serves as their Dental Director. Ms. Bednarsh has participated in local, regional, national and international programs on infection control and HIV/AIDS. She is a member of the American Public Health Association and served on the Oral Health Section Council, Governing Council and Action Board and received the John W. Knutson award for outstanding lifetime achievement in dental public health in 2019. She is a member the American Association of Public Health Dentistry and served on their membership committee. She is a lifetime member of OSAP, an editorial resource to them, served on the Board and program planning committee. She was a member of the ADA/DAAC special workgroup on the Management of Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens and Evaluation of Occupational Exposure to TB. She is a member of the ADA Wellness Committee/Peers Network for issues related to HIV/AIDS. Ms. Bednarsh was appointed to the Massachusetts Special Legislative Commission to study the Oral Health Status and Accessibility of Dental Care Services for Residents of the Commonwealth in August 1998 by the Governor. She represented persons living with HIV. She has numerous publications. She was a contributor to the CDC Dental Infection Control Guidelines 2003. She is a Vice President of HIVDENT in charge of Infection Control. Ms. Bednarsh was the recipient of the 2005 American Dental Hygienists Association Alfred C. Fones Award recognizing outstanding achievement and dedication to the profession of dental hygiene. And was selected as one of six Dental Hygienists you should know representing Public Health by Dimensions of Dental Hygiene in December 2010.  She is a graduate of the University of Michigan obtaining  BS and DH degrees and in 1998 was awarded outstanding dental hygiene alumni award and in 2009 selected by the Dental School to receive a lifetime achievement award.