Serving smiles: A dental hygienist’s award-winning impact

Whitney Haley, a dental hygienist in the College of Dentistry’s Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Health Science, works at the UF satellite campus in Seminole and oversees the administration of the Special Day Foundation dental program, which helps bridge the gap in access to dental care for those with developmental disabilities. This spring, Haley received a University-Level Superior Accomplishment Award for Individual Employee Performance in the Health Care and Physical Sciences category.

Nominations for the current award cycle are due Oct. 24. Read on to learn more about Haley and her work at the University of Florida, and visit the UFHR website to submit a nomination today!

Describe your educational and professional background.

I received my dental hygiene education and my Bachelor of Applied Science in Dental Hygiene at St. Petersburg College in Pinellas County. Prior to working at UF, I worked for two years in private practice dentistry.

I’ve worked at UF for almost 11 years now. Wow, how time flies! Although I’ve held the same position since being hired, my career has evolved in so many positive ways. It’s hard to put into words just how much overseeing the Special Day Foundation has helped me develop, but to sum it all up, I would use the word…. exponential!

What are your current job responsibilities? 

Oversight of the foundation allows me to provide educational dental screenings off-site at group homes and adult day programs. I educate patients and caretakers in proper dental hygiene care at home, as well as help desensitize participants for their dental care at the clinic. I act as a resource to help fill the gap between a community in need and an educational program with capabilities. I have the opportunity to connect with other professionals in dentistry who also have a passion for helping those with developmental disabilities, and I try to incorporate such connections into the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency program for each class.

Behind the scenes I perform administrative duties like acting as liaison for two other programs at the Naples and Hialeah satellite clinics, organizing trainings, ordering supplied, publishing bi-annual newsletters, updating a Facebook page, creating educational content for patients and caretakers, researching relatable content to incorporate into the AEGD program, keeping records for informative reviews and reports, and organizing spreadsheets to ensure each patient is receiving the best care possible.

What do you like most about your job?

I love that I can be out and about in the community! I also love that this job continuously challenges me with a “what’s next” mindset. What can I improve next, to better communicate information and understanding of oral hygiene health, not only in this specific population but in the dental world as a whole?

How did you feel when you found out you won a Superior Accomplishment Award (SAA)?

I was honored to be recognized! What a humble award to receive among so many other employees and staff creating differences in their area of work. To have my hard work and dedication recognized in such a way by my colleagues and the university was very enriching. To God be all the glory!

Who inspires you the most? Do you have any role models or mentors?

Jesus inspires me the most. He is my role model in all aspects of my day-to-day decision-making. He was called to serve, not to be served. So that is what I try to model in my work.

What are your professional goals moving forward?

I would like to help the University of Florida College of Dentistry create a sensory-friendly area in the new dental building!

Do you have any hobbies, special interests or personal goals you are willing to share?

When not working you can find me praising Jesus, working out at my local CrossFit gym and traveling the world with my husband and daughter. A personal non-work-related goal is to backpack in Patagonia.

What advice would you give to others striving to make a meaningful impact at UF?

Oh gosh, do you boo boo! But do it with joy, a teachable confidence and an open mind to continuously perfect what you may think you’ve already perfected.

Nominations for the current award cycle are due Oct. 24. Visit the UFHR website to submit a nomination today!