Success Spotlights

Instructor Attends National DH Conference

Concorde Staff

Concorde Staff

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Updated January 12, 2017. The information contained in this blog is current and accurate as of this date.
dental hygiene

Forty are chosen from applicants nationwide to attend the American Dental Hygienist Association's (ADHA) "Unleashing Your Potential" conference, held every November in Chicago. The ADHA's Leadership Development Committee reviews thousands of applications carefully to determine which candidates will derive the greatest benefit from the opportunity to further develop their leadership skills.

Whitney Howerton, an instructor in the Dental Hygiene program at Concordes Memphis, Tenn. campus the last four years, was part of that exclusive group selected to participate in last year's "Unleashing Your Potential" weekend Nov. 25-27 in the Windy City. She mingled with fellow ADHA leaders and absorbed a great deal of information. Howerton also enjoyed one of the most vibrant cities in the country.

"It was a wonderful experience," said Howerton, who started teaching at Concorde as a part-time adjunct instructor before moving to full-time. "I met a lot of great leaders nationwide. What I learned I can definitely apply in my teaching."

 

Proving her leadership in Dental Hygiene

 

Howerton said, in her application to the ADHA, she had to answer questions about her leadership involvement and where she saw the profession of Dental Hygiene headed. She used her extensive leadership experience to answer those questions thoroughly.

She was president of the Tennessee Dental Hygiene Association from 2014-16 and currently serves as that organization's immediate past president. Howerton also serves as an educator liaison for the ADHA. She will lead a training workshop for the new Tennessee state board this April.

"We received leadership training for fiduciary responsibilities, conflict management, building a stronger professional community," Howerton said of the ADHA conference. "We learned important communication skills, such as how to be in tuned with a patient's needs when you first meet them.

"It was all about building a stronger community."

 

Becoming involved nationally with Dental Hygiene

 

Howerton said her next endeavor is to become involved in leadership at a national level.

She looks forward to continuing to train and educate students at Concorde in the meantime.

"I think Concorde has a great Dental Hygiene program," she said. "Even though it's fast-paced, you still receive everything you need."

"Dental Hygiene is very much a rewarding profession. You're engaging with patients and providing a service that not only provides them with good dental hygiene and health, but good overall health. It's all about building a good patient community and making a difference in peoples' lives."

 

Interested In How To Become a Dental Hygienist?

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