FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For additional information, contact:
Michelle Lee, CPC
Executive Director
(404) 944-4824
[email protected] 

August 1, 2024 (ATLANTA) — The Association for Dental Safety (ADS), formerly known as the Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention (OSAP), announces the members of the 2024 – 2025 ADS Association Board of Directors.

“We are excited to have Dr. Ramneek Rai as our new Association Board Chair for 2024 – 2025. A longtime supporter of ADS, with a wealth of education and clinical knowledge, Dr. Rai will help position ADS’s reach and influence in the years ahead,” says Michelle Lee, Executive Director.

Ramneek Rai, DDS, is the Director of Health and Safety and Health Sciences Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Dental Sciences at UCSF School of Dentistry. She is an alumna of UCSF School of Dentistry where she earned her DDS Degree in 2009. Dr. Rai has been active in private practice and academia after finishing her Advanced Education in General Dentistry at UT Dental Branch, Houston, in 2010. It’s her passion to continue advancing health and safety practices and improving standard of care in terms of infection prevention and control in dental health care settings.

Dr. Rai has served as the Director of Health and Safety at UCSF School of Dentistry since 2018 where she has successfully led the school through the last Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) site visit and ensured safe operations at UCSF Dental Center through the COVID-19 pandemic. She has been instrumental in the implementation of various evidence-based measures safeguarding the frontline dental workers and patients during the pandemic. In her day-to-day role, she manages a successful Infection Prevention Program at the 17 dental clinics that fall under UCSF Dental Center, many of which student learners receive their clinical education.

Julie Lynch, MS, BSN, RN, was elected as Vice-Chair. Ms. Lynch is a Registered Nurse and the Director of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare (AAAHC) Institute for Quality Improvement. Her role is to develop the AAAHC quality improvement research strategy, analyze and report accreditation performance results against national clinical practice guidelines and evidence-based health care literature, and provide easily implementable and practitioner-focused tools that increase patient and employee safety to facilitate organizational compliance with AAAHC Standards.

After spending the first 22 years of her career in acute care nursing and leadership roles, Julie found a passion for oral health care. For several years, she served as the Director of Clinical Development for a national group of oral health partnerships supporting quality management and improvement endeavors through accreditation, professional development, provider credentialing verification and regulatory compliance. Julie received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Concordia University Wisconsin and her Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois.

Kelli C. Mack, DDS, will serve as Treasurer. Col Kelli C. Mack currently serves as the Dental Research and Consultation Service (DRCS) Assistant Director, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Patient Safety at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Mack advises Air Force Medical Readiness Agency (AFMRA) on current issues relevant to dental infection prevention & control and patient safety, acts as a liaison between DoD and DHA consultants, dental specialties including but not limited to infectious disease (ID), epidemiology, operating room nursing, instrument processing, bioenvironmental engineering (BEE), public health (PH) and MTF Infection Preventionists. Col Mack opens and maintains lines of communication with Federal regulatory and advisory agencies, including OSHA, FDA, EPA, Association for Dental Safety (ADS), the CDC, and other recognized authorities in the fields of dental IPC and patient safety. As the Air Force Dental Consultant for Dental Infection Control and Patient Safety, she develops and publishes approved guidelines and training for the USAF Dental Infection Prevention & Control and Patient Safety Programs. In this role, Col Mack assists USAF dental clinics in developing effective programs by disseminating information via periodic IPC and Patient Safety updates and by direct, written, and web-based communication. Col Mack is also responsible for aiding in resolving operational issues to include assistance in conducting patient safety event investigations.

Col Mack received a direct commission in the U.S. Air Force Dental Corps following graduation from Howard University College of Dentistry, Washington, DC. She completed a fellowship in Patient Safety and Infection Prevention and Control at Veterans Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh, PA. Col Mack was the first Consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General for Dental Infection Control and Patient Safety in 2014. Prior to her current position, she was a General Dentist and MDG IPC Consultant at Travis ABF in California.

Joyce A. Moore, BSDH, RDH, CRCST, CDIPC^®, DISIPC^®, was elected as Secretary. Ms. Moore is a consultant and speaker focused on infection prevention and healthcare compliance. She began her career as a Registered Dental Hygienist before becoming an adjunct Dental Hygiene faculty member at Bristol Community College. She’s authored journal articles, collaborated with the CDC on their Foundations: Building the Safety Dental Visit program and with 3M and the Midmark Corporation as an educational consultant. Currently, she serves as a member on AAMI and ADA Standards working groups.

Joyce is a Certified Registered Central Service Technician, holding a certification through the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA). She was the 2019 recipient of the ADS Emerging Infection Control Leader award and has earned the Dental Infection Prevention and Control Certificate™, the Certified in Dental Infection Prevention and Control^® (CDIPC^®) certification, and the Dental Industry Specialist in Infection Prevention and Control^® (DISIPC^®) certification.

ADS's newly elected board member is Janie Shen.

Janie Shen is the Vice President of Marketing for the North American division of Medicom, a leading manufacturer and distributor, of quality infection prevention and control solutions including a wide assortment of personal protective equipment (PPE). With over 25 years of extensive experience in the medical device, dental, and infection prevention industries, she has a proven track record in strategic marketing, business development, product management, and commercialization strategies that have contributed to the growth and global brand recognition of companies including Straumann, Dentsply Sirona, and Crosstex (now HuFriedyGroup). Janie is committed to realizing Medicom’s vision of ensuring healthier lives and a safer world for all through awareness, education, and advocacy on infection prevention best practices.

Returning Association Directors include Immediate Past Chair Steven Geiermann, DDS, FACD, FICD; Zecki Dossal; Matthew R. Ellis, MPH, CIC, CDIPC^®, REHS/RS; Kimberly Grensavitch, MJ, BA, RDH; Aaron Pfarrer; Michael Williamson, JD, CHC, CCEP; Raleigh Wright, DDS, and Steve Wright, MBA.

About The Association for Dental Safety (ADS)
Founded in 1984, the Association for Dental Safety (ADS), formerly known as OSAP, is the only dental membership association for oral health care professionals that focuses exclusively on dental infection prevention and patient and provider safety. ADS helps operationalize dental infection control and safety laws, regulations, guidelines, standards, and best practices to ensure every dental visit is a safe visit. We support our members and the oral health care community by offering evidence-based education, an extensive collection of online resources, and by collaborating with individuals, agencies, and organizations to assure the safe and infection-free delivery of oral healthcare to all. Our membership community is comprised of individual clinicians, group practices, educators, researchers, consultants, trainers, compliance directors, policymakers, and industry representatives who advocate for the safe and infection-free delivery of oral healthcare. For additional information, visit MyADS.org.

###