30th Anniversary (1980-2010)

Started in one room, with two residents, one dentist and one part time-dental assistant, the Dr. James M. Rozanski Dental Residency Program at Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare (FSLH) has come a long way in 30 years.

Today the program is housed in its own building on Burrstone Road and is staffed by 15 professionals. More than 30 local dentists volunteer their time monthly to train five residents that come through its doors each year.

“The commitment of the director, Dr. James Rozanski, the proficiency and patient-centered auxiliary staff, and the dedicated volunteer teaching of our private practice dentists in the community is what has made this program flourish and impresses me most,” says Dr. Daniel Kopp, chief medical officer for Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare.

With 102 dentists having completed the Residency Program, many have chosen to stay local like Justin Reaves, DDS.

“I had excellent surgical experience and gained confidence,” said Reaves, a 2006 graduate. Today, he practices in Clinton and New York Mills, and along with his father, Glen, joined the team of attending dentists in 2008.

The attending dentists volunteer on average one-half day a month  Residents are also given the opportunity to visit attendings’ private dental practice to receive hands-on experience in techniques not available through the teaching program. The patients who are seen in the Dental Health Center are economically or medically challenged, filling a dental care need for the community. Over the last 30 years, the program has had more than 229,000 dental visits.

“Without this program, a significant percentage of our community would not be able to access state-of-the-art dental care,” said Kopp.

For attending dentist Robert E. Schulman, DDS, the learning has gone in both directions. Working with the residents since 1983, he credits them with some of the modern practice knowledge he has today.

“Working each month with the residents allows me to see the new methods and technology that are being used and that, in turn, benefits my patients – it’s a give and take,” said Schulman who adds that he gains great satisfaction in seeing their transformation. “The difference in how they start to how they finish the program, is tremendous. They leave with great clinical technique and confidence.”

Thanks, he says, to the work of Dr.Rozanski.

Frank Iuorno, DDS, couldn’t agree more. Recently, he wrote a tribute to Dr. Rozanski stating that taking on the new program 30 years ago was a very daring adventure.

“He has established a very successful center and residency program, which has been well oiled with his labor,” Iuorno wrote.

Rozanski said he had good reason to take this challenge on - a passion for dentistry, teaching, learning and working with his colleagues.

“Jim is incredibly dedicated and very thorough,” said attending dentist Thomas E. Hebert, DDS. “He certainly runs a state-of-the-art show. I don’t know of anyone that works as hard and with as much passion as he does for those residents.”

In the last 30 years it’s clear that much has been accomplished, but there is much more to come, Rozanski said.

“I want to see the program continue to develop and continue as a leader of dental education taking full advantage of new technologies and expanding our services to include an Urgent Dental Care Center,” he said.

And looking at the track record of the Dental Residency Program, there’s no doubt Dr. Rozanski will continue to meet and surpass his goals.

For more information about the James Rozanski Dental Residency Program, please call (315) 624-6227.