Delta Dental of Tennessee and its philanthropic arm, Smile180 Foundation, recently presented Interfaith Dental CEO Dr. Rhonda Switzer-Nadasdi with the Power of Smile Award.
The award recognizes individuals who have made significant positive contributions to the oral health of Tennessee residents, and Dr. Switzer-Nadasdi received the award in recognition of her decades of leadership at Interfaith Dental, a volunteer-led safety net clinic in Nashville, Tennessee, and her commitment to expanding access to care for the state’s most vulnerable populations.
Dr. Phil Wenk, CEO of Smile180 Foundation, presented Dr. Switzer-Nadasdi with the award during a conference for safety net dental clinic leaders hosted by Interfaith Dental titled “Rivers of Resilience: Leadership in the Tide of Change.”
“For nearly 30 years, Rhonda has never hesitated to step up and help, whether it was a patient in need of care, a young dentist seeking advice, or a nonprofit leader,” said Dr. Wenk. “Her compassion and determination have made a lasting difference in the lives of countless Tennesseans. We are honored to recognize her with the Power of Smile Award.”
Dr. Switzer-Nadasdi has dedicated her career to overseeing dental programs for underserved populations. After working at two international medical practices, she became Interfaith Dental’s first employee and CEO in 1995.
Under her leadership, Interfaith has grown from a two-chair practice in a church basement to a two-clinic, 26-chair, nearly 60-person practice providing more than $8 million in care annually to 3,600 uninsured and underinsured patients.
“I have spent my career guided by the belief that a healthy smile can change everything. I am honored to be recognized by a partner like Delta Dental who wholeheartedly shares this philosophy,” said Dr. Switzer-Nadasdi. “It really is a team effort to expand access to quality, affordable care.
I am honored to work with the amazing team at Interfaith, a great group of resilient, secure practice leaders, and so many others who make this work possible.”
Dr. Switzer-Nadasdi is actively involved in the nonprofit and oral health communities in Tennessee. She serves on the boards of the Tennessee Dental Association, the Center for Nonprofit Management, the Tennessee Charity Health Network, the Middle Tennessee Safety Net Alliance, and the Tennessee Center for Health Workforce and Development.
She serves as the Chair of the Tennessee Coalition of Oral Health Advocates and was recently inducted into the International Academy of Dentists, an honor bestowed upon only 3% of dentists worldwide.
In 2021, Dr. Switzer-Nadasdi was appointed by Governor Bill Lee to a task force to address oral health issues for all Tennessee residents. The task force ultimately recommended a five-year, $94 million pilot program, the Healthy Smiles Program, designed to improve access to oral health care for all Tennessee residents by increasing the number of dentists practicing in the state.
The program, now in its third year, has helped the UTHSC School of Dentistry and the Meharry School of Dentistry expand class sizes, increase access to dental care by opening a new dental clinic in Kingsport, and incentivize graduating dentists to practice in areas of need. Additionally, under her leadership, Interfaith Dental designed and managed a statewide oral health program for low-income seniors.
Dr. Switzer-Nadasidy is the fourth recipient of the Power of Smile Award, joining the late State Rep. Charles Sargent, former Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak, and former Tennessee Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Lisa Piercey.
Since its founding in 2015, Delta Dental’s Smile180 Foundation has donated more than $30.7 million to dental colleges, children’s hospitals, free and low-cost dental clinics, and other like-minded charities throughout Tennessee.
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