For the Philips Heart to Hands 2025 RDH Award, I nominate Nicole Gonzales. Nicole Gonzales has been practicing dental hygiene for 15 years now. She has worked in private offices and public health clinics, as well as teaching in a dental hygiene program. She has developed a program that integrates a dental hygienist in a primary care medical clinic, where the dental hygienist provides education, preventive therapies and referrals. She now coordinates a program we have in our hospital that provides those same services to children and those individuals with development disabilities. Nicole is working on adding more units within our hospital to expand the program.
She tirelessly ensures that all children receive preventive care, but importantly she gets them in for comprehensive dental care. She focuses on additional initiatives the provide education, promotion, products and direct access to dental hygienists for all students, parents and teachers. She is an incredible team member, whose passion motivates others to care for those in need. She is an influential leader in dental hygiene and has been active in leadership roles with the state and local dental hygiene associations. Nicole Gonzales is an outstanding dental hygienist who strives to obtain care and education for those most in need!
Submitted by: Christine Nathe, RDH, MS