Previous Winners | Heart to Hands Awards

2022 WINNERS

Carrie Wucinich

Carrie Wucinich, RDH
“Helping children in more
ways than one”

Anaika Forbes

Anaika Forbes, MSDH, BSDH, RDH
She is known for her roles as a hygienist, educator, and advocate for marginalized communities.

Julie Malone

Julie Malone, RDH
Julie does much more than clinical care. She calls herself a “department of one”

Amber Lombardi

Amber Lombardi, IPDH, is an independent practice dental hygienist in Maine, with a passion for public health.

Ryan Rutar

Ryan Rutar, MA, BS, BA, RDH, practices clinical hygiene and has put his master’s degree in management to good use as the practice’s dental hygiene manager.

Cynthia Burr

Cynthia Burr, BS, RDH,
CPHDH, QOM, might be seen
as a champion of the
“everyday hygienist.”

2019 WINNERS

Valia Sammarco

Valia Sammarco, BSDH, RDH has a passion for prevention. Even though others in her family chose a nursing or educational career, Valia selected another path.

Faizan Kabani

Faizan Kabani, PhD, MHA, MBA, BSDH, FAADH, had a personally transformative experience when treating a child with special needs.

Screen Shot 2020-12-06 at 7.06.19 PM.png

Sonya Dunbar

Sonya Dunbar, BSDH, RDH, has a passion for working with aging adults. Sonya, also known as the Geriatric Tooth Fairy, has been a registered dental hygienist for 27 years.

Alicia Murria

Alicia Murria, RDH, founded Hygienists for Humanity, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is “to connect underserved communities and individuals experiencing homelessness

with quality oral hygiene

products and services.”

Ann Spolarich

Ann Spolarich, RDH, PhD, FSCDH, is changing lives, overcoming challenges, restoring oral health, and providing support in every way possible. She exemplifies the passionate heart of a dental hygiene clinician with the determination of a change agent wanting to make a positive difference in people’s lives.

Whitney DiFoggio

Whitney DiFoggio, RDH, BS,

has embraced, navigated,

and succeeded in reaching thousands of people who might otherwise have never pursued communication with a dental professional, let alone making

the leap to a live, in-office

dental visit.

Rachel Bellon-Roxas

Rachel Bellon-Roxas, RDH, a 13-year veteran of dental hygiene, volunteers her time to spread the word of good oral hygiene to people outside of Toronto, Ontario.
Besides hospitals, Bellon-Roxas visits...

Dara McConnell

Dara McConnell, RDH, who graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Technology in 2016, practices in a family and cosmetic dentistry setting in Maryland. The focus of her video submission to the Heart to Hands award...

Mandi Bauer

Mandi Bauer, RDH, earned her dental hygiene degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. While a senior in high school, Bauer started traveling annually to Uganda. She has visited the African country six times...

Amanda Madronic

Amanda Madronic, RDH, describes her involvement in community outreach effort in the Ottawa area called Heart of the Matter. The service initiative was conducted by her dental hygiene school, and she was moved by the effort to increase access to care in her community.

Mary Jensen

Mary Jensen, RDH, MS, currently treats elderly patients, and she has been a member of the HyLife Oral Health Alliance for the past two years, providing care at eight local assisted living or memory care communities.

Jaci Klepadlo

Jaci Klepadlo, RDH, said, “What I enjoy about interacting with patients is building a bond that takes a nervous patient who hasn’t been to the dental office in 20 years to a regular patient who is actually excited to come to the dentist multiple times a year and greet you with a smile and a story.

2022 WINNERS

Carrie Wucinich, RDH
“Helping children in more
ways than one”

Anaika Forbes, MSDH, BSDH, RDH
She is known for her roles as a hygienist, educator, and advocate for marginalized communities.

Julie Malone, RDH
Julie does much more than clinical care. She calls herself a “department of one”

2021 WINNERS

Amber Lombardi, IPDH, is an independent practice dental hygienist in Maine, with a passion for public health.

Ryan Rutar, MA, BS, BA, RDH, practices clinical hygiene and has put his master’s degree in management to good use as the practice’s dental hygiene manager.

Cynthia Burr, BS, RDH,
CPHDH, QOM, might be seen
as a champion of the
“everyday hygienist.”

2020 WINNERS

2019 WINNERS

2018 WINNERS

Rachel Bellon-Roxas, RDH, a 13-year veteran of dental hygiene, volunteers her time to spread the word of good oral hygiene to people outside of Toronto, Ontario.
Besides hospitals, Bellon-Roxas visits...

Dara McConnell, RDH, who graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Technology in 2016, practices in a family and cosmetic dentistry setting in Maryland. The focus of her video submission to the Heart to Hands award...

Mandi Bauer, RDH, earned her dental hygiene degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. While a senior in high school, Bauer started traveling annually to Uganda. She has visited the African country six times...

2017 WINNERS

Amanda Madronic, RDH, describes her involvement in community outreach effort in the Ottawa area called Heart of the Matter. The service initiative was conducted by her dental hygiene school, and she was moved by the effort to increase access to care in her community.

Mary Jensen, RDH, MS, currently treats elderly patients, and she has been a member of the HyLife Oral Health Alliance for the past two years, providing care at eight local assisted living or memory care communities.

2022 WINNERS

Carrie Wucinich, RDH “Helping children in more ways than one”

Anaika Forbes, MSDH, BSDH, RDH She is known for her roles as a hygienist, educator, and advocate for marginalized communities.

Julie Malone, RDH Julie does much more than clinical care. She calls herself a “department of one”

2021 WINNERS

Amber Lombardi, IPDH, is an independent practice dental hygienist in Maine, with a passion for public health.

Ryan Rutar, MA, BS, BA, RDH, practices clinical hygiene and has put his master’s degree in management to good use as the practice’s dental hygiene manager.

Cynthia Burr, BS, RDH, CPHDH, QOM, might be seen as a champion of the “everyday hygienist.”

2020 WINNERS

2019 WINNERS

2018 WINNERS

Rachel Bellon-Roxas, RDH, a 13-year veteran of dental hygiene, volunteers her time to spread the word of good oral hygiene to people outside of Toronto, Ontario. Besides hospitals, Bellon-Roxas visits...

Dara McConnell, RDH, who graduated from the Pennsylvania College of Technology in 2016, practices in a family and cosmetic dentistry setting in Maryland. The focus of her video submission to the Heart to Hands award...

Mandi Bauer, RDH, earned her dental hygiene degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. While a senior in high school, Bauer started traveling annually to Uganda. She has visited the African country six times...

2017 WINNERS

Amanda Madronic, RDH, describes her involvement in community outreach effort in the Ottawa area called Heart of the Matter. The service initiative was conducted by her dental hygiene school, and she was moved by the effort to increase access to care in her community.

Mary Jensen, RDH, MS, currently treats elderly patients, and she has been a member of the HyLife Oral Health Alliance for the past two years, providing care at eight local assisted living or memory care communities.

Carrie Wucinich, RDH
“Helping children in more
ways than one”

Anaika Forbes, MSDH, BSDH, RDH
She is known for her roles as a hygienist, educator, and advocate for marginalized communities.

Julie Malone, RDH
Julie does much more than clinical care. She calls herself a “department of one”

Cynthia Burr, BS, RDH,
CPHDH, QOM, might be seen
as a champion of the
“everyday hygienist.”

Rachel Bellon-Roxas, RDH, a 13-year veteran of dental hygiene, volunteers her time to spread the word of good oral hygiene to people outside of Toronto, Ontario.
Besides hospitals, Bellon-Roxas visits...