Topics at a glance: FBI honors Dr. Delattre for 'Exceptional Public Service' in forensic dentistry … Summer Medical, Dental Education Program introduces students to health professions … Real-life elder abuse scenario challenges student teams … Summer schedule for UTDB eFlash! announced  … Correction

FBI honors Dr. Delattre for volunteer work in forensic dentistry

In honor of her volunteer work in forensic dentistry, FBI Criminal Justice Information Services Division Assistant Director Thomas E. Bush III presents a medallion and certificate to Veronique F. Delattre, D.D.S., at a recent awards ceremony in Clarksburg, W.Va.

Veronique F. Delattre, D.D.S., has been awarded a 2008 FBI Assistant Director's Award for Exceptional Public Service in recognition of her exemplary performance in conjunction with the National Dental Image Repository (NDIR).

At The University of Texas Dental Branch, Delattre is director of quality assurance and risk management and associate professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials. FBI Assistant Director Thomas E. Bush III of the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division presented Delattre with a medallion and certificate at a recent awards ceremony at the FBI's CJIS Division headquarters in Clarksburg, W.Va.

Delattre is a charter member of the National Dental Image Repository Review Panel and is one of 22 active members of the NDIR. Since 1996 she has performed dental autopsies on numerous unidentified individuals throughout the state, coded missing persons' and unidentified persons' dental records, digitized dental information and submitted records to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) on behalf of several Texas agencies.

The dental image repository was established by the FBI's CJIS Division in 2006 as a Web-accessible site for law enforcement agencies to house missing and unidentified persons' dental images and information in conjunction with the crime information center's database. The repository serves as a permanent database of dental records, radiographs and images to supplement information entered into the crime information center's database. This online database makes it easier for agencies that have potential NCIC matches to their missing/unidentified persons to access the information.

NDIR Review Panel members are forensic dental professionals throughout the U.S. who have received specialized training and annual updates from the FBI in the NCIC and NDIR systems and who volunteer their time and expertise to review the dental coding of NCIC missing and unidentified persons' records. The volunteers review and make comments regarding coding accuracy to correct inaccurate records in the system prior to posting the supplemental dental images in the NDIR on Law Enforcement Online.

Additionally, these individuals have championed the use of the crime information center's dental coding system in their home states through liaison with the law enforcement community and medical examiner agencies.

Summer 2008 Summer Medical and Dental Education Program students and faculty pose for an official group photo in front of the UT Medical School Building Wednesday morning. Photo by Brian Schnupp.

Summer Medical, Dental Education Program
introduces students to health professions

Eighty new faces are being seen around the Dental Branch and the UT Medical School, thanks to the Summer Medical and Dental Education Program (SMDEP) under way now through July 3.

The academic enhancement program is for undergraduate college students from minority groups, rural areas and economically disadvantaged backgrounds who are interested in medicine, dentistry or other health professions. Sixty pre-med and 20 pre-dental students are participating this year, said Paula O'Neill, Ed.D., associate dean for academic research and professional development at the Dental Branch.

For six weeks, the SMDEP students will live in dormitories at Rice University, eat with a Hermann Hospital meal ticket and travel by foot or train to classes in the Texas Medical Center. They will attend programs on a variety of science topics, as well as classes on financial management, study skills and the art of communication. Field trips to NASA, several Houston museums, and an Astros game are planned, along with a variety of on-campus social activities.

Participating faculty members from the Dental Branch include Douglas Simmons, D.D.S.; Sudarat Kiat-amnuay, D.D.S.; Veronique Delattre, D.D.S.; Charles Streckfus, D.D.S. and Joe Ontiveros, D.D.S.

Except for travel costs, the program is free to the students, who will receive stipends every other week during their stay. The Robert Woods Johnson Foundation funded the program for four years with a $1.2 million grant, currently in its third year.

Phil Pierpont, D.D.S., associate dean for student and alumni affairs at the Dental Branch, said the students "come from all over, but about 40 percent are from Texas." Many are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds or underserved populations, and a primary goal of the SMDEP is for these students to be successful in their professional careers, whether in medicine, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy or another field.

"When you run a program like this, you can't be selfish. You have to think about the big picture, and that is the ultimate success of the participants," Pierpont said. "The gain, for us, is the hope that through this experience, these students may be attracted to our university."

The students applied for the program online at www.smdep.org and were able choose from 12 possible SMDEP sites across the country. To qualify, applicants had to meet specific criteria, including academic excellence. Even so, they will have mentors and tutors during the SMDEP experience, teaming up with UT student volunteers. Student mentors/tutors from the Dental Branch include Senaido Garza, Dorothy Phan and Victoria Ramirez. O'Neill said the program originally only focused on pre-med students, but the American Dental Educators Association lobbied successfully to get dentistry included.

"The Cures" were winners in the 2008 Interdisciplinary Student Team Competition in Elder Abuse and Neglect. Front row from left are Roy Hendley (UH College of Pharmacy), Chinelo Alero Oblanyor (UT School of Nursing), Patricia Mitchell (UT Dental Branch), Nguyet Toliao (UT Dental Branch), Melodi Reyes (TWU School of Occupational Therapy), Patricia Hayes (UT Medical School), Shannon McManama (UT Medical School) and Katelyn Mullen (UH Graduate College of Social Work). Pictured back row from left are Minah Attia (UT Medical School), Catherine Doughty (UT School of Health Information Sciences), Shawn Rodgers (UT Dental Branch), Tri Nguyen (UH College of Pharmacy), David Waller (UH Graduate College of Social Work), Megan Waldrop (TWU) and Elizabeth Wiehle (UH Law Center).

Real-life elder abuse scenario challenges student teams

"The patient is a 78-year-old woman who was forcibly removed from her home by Adult Protective Services yesterday for living in squalor. She admits to hypothyroidism and cigarette smoking. She takes hydrocodone and levothyroxine. She states that she saw her physician about three weeks ago. She lives with a former employee of her deceased husband who buys her groceries and prepares her meals."

Given this scenario, students from dentistry, dental hygiene, health information sciences, law, medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy and social work joined forces to decide what should be done to help this elderly patient.

The students gathered for the 2008 Interdisciplinary Student Team Competition in Elder Abuse and Neglect held in April. Representatives from the UT Dental Branch included dental students Andrew Fossum, Alicia Tsai, Shawn Rodgers and dental hygiene students Jana Mannen, Phuong Tran, Patricia Mitchell and Nguyet Toliao. In commemoration of their participation, the students received medallions to wear at graduation.

"One of the goals of this competition is for the students to learn about elder abuse, neglect and exploitation," said Sharon K. Ostwald, Ph.D., R.N., professor at The University of Texas School of Nursing and holder of the Isla Carroll Turner Chair in Gerontological Nursing. "Another goal is for the students to learn more about working with an interdisciplinary team. We really hope that students will see the value of each other's contributions and learn to consult other disciplines in their real practice."

Two Dental Branch faculty members participated in the planning for the Interdisciplinary Competition. June Sadowsky, D.D.S., assistant professor in Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials, and Donna Warren-Morris, R.D.H., associate professor in Periodontics, helped develop the primary case study, as well as others the students worked on in preparation for the competition.

Although the real-life case was short on dental details, Warren-Morris said the UTDB students asked questions about how well the patient's dentures fit and about her history of taking bisphosphonates, which can cause problems with the jaw.

The Houston Geriatric Education Center (HGEC) and the UT Health Science Center at Houston sponsored the interdisciplinary team competition with a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

To prepare for the competition, each student watched and read material on elder abuse and participated in online case studies. The students also participated in an Adult Protective Service ride along and a Texas Elder Abuse and Mistreatment home visit to teach them how to care for elderly patients. Each team worked together to create a comprehensive intervention plan by meeting face-to-face and online.

At the end of the competition, the expert panel answered further questions about the real-life case and revealed the real interventions used and the outcome. Although "The Cure" won the competition, both teams gained a more in-depth understanding of elder care and experience working with interdisciplinary teams.

The National Center on Elder Abuse estimates that as many as 2 million Americans age 65 or older have been injured, exploited or otherwise mistreated by someone they depended on for care or protection. Ostwald said the HGEC and UTHSC sponsor this event as a way to increase awareness and educate future professionals on elder abuse, including physical, psychological, financial abuse and neglect.