On August 19, the world recognizes World Humanitarian Day. At the ODA we celebrate anyone who is actively working to positively impact the world. The ODA recognizes members who give back to their communities. The Community Service Recognition Award is presented to members who, through exceptional efforts, have made outstanding contributions to the well-being of their communities without the expectation of remuneration or reward. Let’s take a moment to recognize our most recent award recipients.
Dr. Robert Tracogna
During the first COVID-19 lockdown, Dr. Tracogna worked with volunteers at the Halton Peel Dental Association (HPDA) to ask all HPDA members to collect and donate personal protective equipment (PPE) to local hospitals. Dr. Tracogna used his office as a base of operations to collect and distribute the supplies. As a result of this initiative, frontline health workers and the patients in their care benefitted from this initiative during a time when PPE was in extremely high demand and most dental offices were closed to patients.
Dr. Dennis Krmec
Dr. Krmec has been the Chief of Division of Paediatric Dentisty, Department of Surgery at William Osler Health System since 2000. Since Dr. Krmec took on that role, William Osler has provided safe and specialized access to care to infants and school age children who couldn’t be treated safely on an out-patient basis. The majority of these patients were treated under the Healthy Smiles Ontario dental program.
Over the last five years, access to operating room time became severely restricted, which meant this service was, in effect, being eliminated. Dr. Krmec worked with legal experts, politicians, community leaders and others to maintain this important service for the community, ultimately succeeding in saving the service.
The ODA is proud to celebrate these members who are doing so much to give back.