ADHA Announces Recipient of 2008 Discus Dental/ADHA Distinguished Service Award – Sandra Tesch, RDH, MS

Chicago, July 2, 2008—The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) has named Sandra Tesch, RDH, MS, of Austin, Texas, as a recipient of the 2008 Discus Dental/ADHA Distinguished Service Award. She was honored during the Saturday plenary session at ADHA’s 85th Annual Session in Albuquerque, N.M., on June 21st.

The award is presented to ADHA members who have provided exemplary service to ADHA, its constituents, and its components. Each winner has a minimum of 10 years of ADHA active membership and association leadership, has advanced the art and science of dental hygiene through service to the association, and was nominated by their constituent.

Tesch received her associate of applied science in Dental Hygiene from Broome Community College in Binghamton, N.Y. She followed with a Bachelor of Scince in Health Education from the University of New York at Cortland in 1983, and her Master of Scoence in Health Professions from Southwest Texas State University of San Marcos, Texas (now Texas State University) in 1988.

An ADHA member since 1990, Tesch served in various roles with the Austin District Dental Hygienists Society component, culminating in her term as president from 1997-1999. On the constituent level, she served as president of the Texas Dental Hygienists’ Association from 2005-2006, previously having served as president elect, vice president, and on a variety of councils in which served as chair or co-chair. Currently, she is a member of ADHA’s Council on Public Health as well as an ADHA delegate. Tesch has served as a presenter at ADHA’s Annual Session and served as a liaison in Washington, D.C. for ADHA lobby days.

Tesch is an oral health program specialist for the Texas Department of State Health Services. Among many others, her duties include coordinating grants for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and coordinating dental sealant programs for the state.

ADHA is the largest national organization representing the professional interests of more than 150,000 dental hygienists across the country. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. For more information about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit ADHA at http://www.adha.org.

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