18th Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, 2003-2007; U.S. Senator from Tennessee, 1995-2007; Heart-Lung Transplant Surgeon

During his 20 years in medicine, Dr. Bill Frist performed over 150 heart and lung transplants, and founded the Vanderbilt Transplant Center, now one of the premier transplant facilities in the U.S. As a U.S. Senator, he emerged as one of the leading voices on health issues in America today and is consistently recognized among the most influential leaders in American healthcare. He fought hard to strengthen Medicare, provide seniors with better access to prescription drugs, and make health care more affordable and available to every American.  
Presentation (PDF, 6.2 MB) | Podcast (MP3, 67 MB)  |  Partial Whitepaper (Frist only)

Professor, Dentistry and Health Policy and Management, Columbia University Medical Center; Founder and Chair, Children’s Dental Health Project

For 21 years, Dr. Edelstein practiced pediatric dentistry and taught pediatric dentistry and oral health policy at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. He then shifted his career to commit to advancing health policy. Dr. Edelstein served as a 1996-7 Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellow in the office of U.S. Senate minority leader Tom Daschle; worked with the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services on oral health initiatives; chaired the U.S. Surgeon General's Workshop on Children and Oral Health; and authored the child section of the U.S. Surgeon General's report on oral health. In 1997, Dr. Edelstein founded the Children's Dental Health Project with the help of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Dental Education Association.  
Presentation (PDF, 1.0 MB) | (Podcast (MP3, 60.5 MB)  |  Partial Whitepaper (Edelstein only)

Director, Pew Children’s Dental Campaign, Pew Center on the States, The Pew Charitable Trusts

Shelly Gehshan is a children’s advocate and health policy expert who has nearly 20 years of experience working for state policy makers on issues affecting low-income women, children, and families.

From 2005 to 2008, Ms. Gehshan served as a senior program director at the National Academy for State Health Policy in Washington, D.C., a nonpartisan organization of state health policy makers.  She developed NASHP’s work on oral health and directed projects on health care reform, Medicaid, behavioral health, and juvenile justice.
 Presentation (PDF, 950 KB) | Podcast MP3, 57 MB)  |  Partial Whitepaper (Gehshan only)

Professor, Chair, Department of Pediatric Dentistry, University of Washington; Director of Dentistry at Seattle Children’s Hospital

Dr. Berg is a board certified pediatric dentist, and is a Trustee of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. He previously held positions as Vice President of Clinical Affairs at Philips Oral Healthcare; Head of the Scientific Department for ESPE Dental AG; and Director of the Postgraduate/Residency Program in Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Texas, Houston, where he conducted numerous clinical trials evaluating restorative materials. Dr. Berg has authored a multitude of manuscripts, abstracts and book chapters on a variety of subjects, including restorative materials for children and biomaterials. His current research includes early childhood oral health and the development of dental caries prevention programs using risk assessment models.
 Presentation (PDF, 1.7 MB) | Podcast (MP3, 55 MB)  |  Partial Whitepaper (Berg only)

Professor, Univ. of Colorado Denver School of Dental Medicine; Dental Director, Total Longterm Care of Colorado; Past Chair of the Gerontology and Geriatrics Education Section, American Dental Education Association

One of the leading geriatric dentists in the nation, Dr. Berkey is an internationally renowned dental academic and leader in teaching, research, and patient care related to geriatric and special care dentistry. As a Professor at the Denver School of Dental Medicine, he serves as chair of the department of applied dentistry and director of the Advanced General Education in Dentistry program.

Dr. Berkey has also maintained a part-time clinical practice in geriatric dentistry, staying closely connected with patient needs. He's authored over 40 publications, eight book chapters, and is a frequently invited guest lecturer. His many prestigious awards include the U.S. Public Health Service Scholarship, a Pew National Dental Leadership award, a Fulbright Scholar finalist award, and the ADA’s Geriatric Health Care Award.  Presentation (PDF, 9.2 MB) | Podcast (MP3, 43 MB)  |  Partial Whitepaper (Berkey only)

CEO, HealthDrive

Dr. Errante brings over 25 years of experience in dentistry and entrepreneurship to his leadership role at HealthDrive, which delivers multi-specialty care to the fragile elderly in long term care facilities. He is a nationally recognized executive in the dental industry and has built, operated and sold leading dental benefit businesses and large dental group practices. After five years of clinical practice in dentistry, Dr. Errante acquired a dental insurance company in Arizona that was about to be dissolved, and built it into the largest dental benefits company in the state. At the same time, he began building what was to become the largest group dental practice in Arizona. He later helped form and build American Dental Partners, Inc. (ADPI), which in 1998 had an IPO and made more than 50 acquisitions during the next five years. Dr. Errante was integral in expanding ADPI to include adjacent businesses including a Dental Third-Party Administrator, a Group Purchasing Organization and a Dental Benefits Company, growing ADPI into one of the largest Dental Practice Management firms in the country.  
Presentation (PDF, 444 KB) | Podcast (MP3, 59 MB)  |  Partial Whitepaper (Errante only)

Co-Founder and CEO of Apple Tree Dental, Minnesota; Past President, Special Care Dentistry Assn; Immediate Past President, American Society for Geriatric Dentistry; Clinical Assistant Professor, Univ. of Minnesota, School of Dentistry

Apple Tree Dental, a non-profit organization founded in 1985, helps bring dental care services to underserved populations including those who can’t pay, as well as the sick, disabled, and elderly. Apple Tree has now treated over 60,000 people, including about 30,000 nursing facility and assisted living residents.

Dr. Helgeson also collaborates nationally on projects to improve dental care delivery and policies, and is a widely recognized guest lecturer on innovations in eldercare and special care dentistry. As a U.S. Public Health Service dentist, he helped establish the Water Tower Clinic for special needs patients, and in 2005 received the U.S. Public Health Service 15 Year Outstanding Service Award.
 Presentation (PDF, 1.9 MB) | Podcast (MP3, 61 MB)  | Partial Whitepaper (Helgeson only)

Director of Dental Healthcare Analysis, VA Office of Dentistry

A practicing dentist for over 20 years, Dr. O’Toole has also dedicated many years working with the VA Office of Dentistry in Washington, D.C. to help improve oral health for thousands of veterans in need. In addition to managing medical and dental care deployment for about 8,000 patients each year, Dr. O’Toole has been at the forefront of the VA’s efforts to evolve their electronic health record system. For nearly a decade he has focused on advancing the technology, serving as head of software development, where his team identifies needs and creates solutions that help providers deliver more effective care. Additionally, the electronic health records enable the VA to effectively track data on patients and treatment protocols to measure outcomes and provider performance in order to drive system-wide improvements.  
Presentation (PDF, 3.5 MB) | Podcast (MP3, 52 MB)  | Partial Whitepaper (O'Toole only)

Professor of Oral Biology and Pathology, Associate Dean for Strategic Planning and External Affairs, Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine; Medical Staff Stony Brook University Medical Center

Dr. Ryan is actively involved in teaching, practice, and research at the School of Dental Medicine and held the position of Director of Clinical Research.  She serves on several scientific, dental and medical advisory boards. Dr. Ryan was a Fellow of the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) Program for Women at Drexel University College of Medicine and was 2010 recipient of the Victress Health Award presented to her is Berlin, Germany. Dr. Ryan’s research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, private foundations, and industrial sources and she holds several U.S. patents based on her work at Stony Brook University. She is a nationally and internationally known speaker and author and has published over 75 original scholarly works. Dr. Ryan lectures frequently and has appeared on TV and radio to discuss newly emerging therapeutics, the connections between oral and overall health, and the need for early detection of periodontal disease and oral cancer.  
Presentation (PDF, 2.4 MB) | Podcast (MP3, 64 MB)  | Partial Whitepaper (Ryan only)