S moke S ignals
JUNE 15, 2017
9
Oregon Dental Association head, OHSU dean visit Grand Ronde
By Dean Rhodes
Smoke Signals editor
The dean of Oregon Health & Sci-
ence University’s Dentistry School
and the executive director of the
Oregon Dental Association visited
the Grand Ronde Tribe on Wednes-
day, June 7, starting their tour of
the state’s nine federally recog-
nized Tribes to discuss improving
access to high-quality dental health
care in Oregon Indian Country.
Dr. Phillip Marucha, OHSU’s
Dental School dean, and Conor
McNulty, Dental Association head,
were accompanied by Tribal lobby-
ist Justin Martin and Dental Asso-
ciation lobbyist George Okulitch.
They met with Health Services
Executive Director Kelly Rowe,
Dental Director Eric Webster and
Hygienist Sheila Blacketer to learn
more about the dental care options
provided by the Grand Ronde Tribe
and to discuss legislation currently
before the Oregon Legislature that
could help lure dentists to rural
Oregon locations.
“Good dental health is funda-
mental to the well-being of our
communities, and we hope to work
together with Grand Ronde lead-
ers on policies and programs that
improve oral health care in Indi-
an Country,” McNulty said. “We
know that Oregon has a unique
relationship with its federally rec-
ognized Tribes, and we would like
to continue that tradition through
solid communication, education
and respect for Tribal sovereignty.”
The Senate bill currently being
Photo by Michelle Alaimo
From left, Conor McNulty, executive director of the Oregon Dental
Association, Dr. Phillip Marucha, Oregon Health & Science University’s School
of Dentistry dean, George Okulitch, Dental Association lobbyist, and Justin
Martin, Tribal lobbyist, listen as Tribal Hygienist Shelia Blacketer talks about
the Tribe’s Dental Clinic programs during a meeting at the Grand Ronde
Health & Wellness Center on Wednesday, June 7.
considered in the Oregon Legis-
lature would establish an Indian
Health Scholarship Program for
Tribal youth pursuing careers as
dentists and committing to work at
a Tribal service site after gradua-
tion from dental school. If adopted,
the program would start in the
2018-19 academic year and would
be limited to students attending Or-
egon Health & Science University.
Martin said that considering the
current budgetary challenges in
Salem, it might be best to get the
program approved this session and
then return for funding in the next
legislative session.
“Getting that program up and
running would be a wonderful bene-
fit to Indian Country,” Martin said.
After being briefed about the ef-
fective Grand Ronde Tribal dental
offerings from Webster and Black-
eter, Marucha discussed the uni-
versity’s policy of requiring seniors
to perform six weeks of community
service.
“Since I have been at the school,
we have made it a priority that
students who are graduating
should be a resource for the whole
state,” Marucha said. “Not just
the I-5 corridor; that means the
whole state. We are growing our
community service programs. We
started from some students doing
some community service … Last
year, students did four to five
weeks of community service and
this year the current seniors will
do six weeks.”
Marucha said the community
service helps graduating seniors
become more culturally competent
to work in rural areas of Oregon.
“Nominally, we have enough den-
tists in Portland,” Marucha said.
“We need to make sure that we
cover the other underserved areas
of the state. … It is a priority for us
to get students culturally compe-
tent and also to live in those areas.”
Marucha said OHSU has sites
in Coos Bay and Chiloquin where
students live and perform commu-
nity service.
“What I am particularly excited
about is working with the Tribes
around the state to get more of
our students out there to provide
service and also getting more (stu-
dents) to choose to work there,”
Marucha said.
Dental students performing com-
munity service are at a semi-auton-
omous level, Marucha said, so that
they can perform restorations, root
canals and regular examinations.
“It makes no sense for us to send
a student out who cannot extend
what you do,” he said.
McNulty said the Oregon Dental
Association is visiting Tribes to
avoid problems that have occurred
in other states when reaching out
to Indian Country.
“Our leadership wants to be pro-
active, wants to reach out and learn
more about each individual Tribe’s
needs,” he said. 
Pedal power
The Tribe’s Social Services Department sponsored a
Bike Rodeo at the Tribal gym on Saturday, June 10.
Natural Resources Department employees Kelly Dirk-
sen and Zack Haas worked in the gym foyer, examining
bicycles, diagnosing problems and attempting to make
repairs. Inside the gym, Social Services employees and
volunteers handed out Ride Safe packets and staffed
Helmet Decorating and Helmet Sizing stations. Out-
side, Grand Ronde Tribal Police Department Chief
Jake McKnight, Lt. Tim Hernandez and Officer Tyler
Brown escorted young bike riders through an obstacle
course that included a make-believe railroad crossing
while Evidence Clerk Egypt Leno kept a log of partic-
ipants. McKnight ensured that the bicyclists stopped,
looked both ways and then proceeded. At the end of
the two-hour Bike Rodeo, Social Services raffled off
six bicycles that were won by Markuss Lewis, Desirae
Hernandez, Angel Patterson, Benjamin Powley Jr.,
Tashina Bluehorse and Elvin Butler Sr. 
Devon Wright,
9, examines
the numerous
stickers
available to
youths at
the Helmet
Decorating
Station at the
Social Services'
Bike Rodeo.
Six-year-old Khloei Shelton listens to instructions
from Grand Ronde Tribal Police Chief Jake McKnight
as she rode through the obstacle course set up
outside the Tribal gym during the Social Services' Bike
Rodeo held on Saturday, June 10.
Photos by Dean Rhodes
Portland Office Tribal
Services Representative
Lisa Archuleta helps fit a
helmet on 7-year-old Toby
Garcia of Salem during the
Bike Rodeo held inside the
Tribal gym on Saturday, June
10. Tribal employees Darla
Patterson and Kim Contreras
also helped at the Helmet
Fitting Station during the
two-hour event. Garcia was
in Grand Ronde visiting his
grandfather, who took him
to the rodeo.