Meet Lori A Healthcare Hygienist with Heart

Lori McNamara, RDH, BSDH, PHDH is a Healthcare Hygienist from Villa Park, Illinois. She is a proud member of National Network of Healthcare Hygienists (NNHH), and a public health dental hygienist and educator with 25 years experience in mobile and school based dentistry.

She joined NNHH to advance the profession of dental hygiene, and increase access to care by supporting oral health integration with medical providers. She is currently teaching community health as faculty of a dental hygiene program. She has experience with both portable and fixed van mobile dental equipment. She is active in the Illinois Dental Hygienists’ Association, involved in the ILHy-PAC Committee, Access to Care, and Legislative Committees. She is currently President-elect.  She has found her roles outside of private practice dentistry by networking and getting involved in IDHA.

Lori has experience working in schools and is glad her state has prioritized access to care for children. She wishes geriatric care would get the attention it deserves. She saw lack of dental care or concern for her brother-in-law in a hospital/rehab setting, then in a nursing home. Lori is a Public Health Dental Hygienist in Illinois, and worked hard last year with the IDHA legislative committee advocating for PHDHs in Illinois to be able to provide preventive care in skilled nursing facilities and prisons.

She dreams of working collaboratively in a Pediatrician’s office educating pregnant and new moms about proper dental care for themselves and their babies, but feels the current legislation needs an update as currently a nurse can administer fluoride varnish on babies and toddlers but PHDHs cannot legally apply without a collaboration with a dentist. 

Lori wants patients to know that Registered Dental Hygienists (RDH) are educated, licensed oral health professionals that help people achieve better overall health, not just better dental health.

To an RDH considering joining NNHH, Lori says, "Great networking has been happening for me in this group, helping me to better myself and increase my passion for access to care. This group is giving me support and ideas to help me achieve my goals. Many of my fellow members have tried, improved and achieved many of the things in access to care that I want to do. They are willing to mentor and help all of us achieve the same."

Lori loves networking. Connect with her at [email protected]