Dr. Dushanka Kleinman, a 1973 DDS graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry, Chief Dental Officer of the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), Deputy Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Rear Admiral, USPHS Commissioned Corps, will receive the University’s highest honor, the University of Illinois Alumni Achievement Award, on May 8 at the College’s commencement.
Established in 1957, the Alumni Achievement Award is the highest bestowed by the Alumni Association on behalf of the University. It is presented to an alumna or alumnus who has attained outstanding success and national or international distinction in his or her profession, and whose accomplishments bring honor to the University.
“Dr. Kleinman is a great leader at the national level, and has been extremely influential in health and oral health issues over the last several years,” said Dr. Caswell Evans, Associate Dean for Prevention and Public Health Sciences at the College.
As chief dental officer of the USPHS, Dr. Kleinman is the top dental official in the U.S. In this role, she provides leadership for and coordination of USPHS dental programs and professional affairs for the federal Office of the Surgeon General and for the federal Department of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Kleinman’s story is that of the American Dream come to life. Born in Yugoslavia in 1948, the former Dushanka Vesselinovitch lived there and, later, in Canada, until 1959. Yet, she has risen to one of the top public health posts in the federal government through hard work and accomplishment.
Her academic brilliance would have allowed her to pursue a lucrative career in private medicine or research, yet instead she selflessly has pursued a career in public service.
“Currently she is coordinating the NIH ‘roadmap’ for medical research program, which is aimed at accelerating science across all disciplines and more rapidly transferring findings into practice,” Dr. Evans noted. “This was a massive planning process, and her being selected for that is an honor that speaks for itself.”
She is a Diplomate and Past-President of the American Board of Dental Public Health, and has been President of the American Association of Women Dentists and the American Association of Public Health Dentistry.
She and her husband, Joel E. Kleinman, have two daughters and live in Washington, DC.
Dr. Kleinman considers serving the underserved one of her major challenges. “It’s estimated that 40 to 45 million people in the United States don’t have medical insurance, but 100 million or more are without dental insurance,” she explained. “And even though we have shown the effectiveness of community water fluoridation, there are 100 million people still living in places that don’t have this benefit. We clearly have major challenges concerning covering children and access to care for individuals who are underserved.”
She has seen progress, particularly since the Surgeon General’s report Oral Health in America was published in 2000. “Agencies started working together, such as the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services, linking programs focused on children and different Medicaid reimbursement approaches,” Dr. Kleinman explained. “Dental Medicaid summits were held with support from the National Governors Association as well as the Federal government and state oral health coalitions, and plans were established.”