Working

by Ernest Tripp

For the past nine years, Sandra Tesch has worked for the Texas Department of Health in Austin. She serves as marketing/outreach specialist, a job she describes as a nontraditional dental hygiene position. In this capacity, Tesch is responsible for providing consultative and technical assistance in the planning, development, and implementation of health communications publications and promotional services. "I'm a very outcome-oriented person," Tesch says, "I like the fact that my current job allows me to plan projects from the bottom up and see them through to completion."

Tesch's job with the Texas Department of Health has involved her in a wide range of tasks, from providing health education for state, public, and private educational systems to planning and developing presentations for dental professionals, nurses, and others in health-related fields. "What I like about being a registered dental hygienist is helping others," Tesch says.

Yet it's her work in public health that she says is the most satisfying. "I find working with underserved populations within the community even more rewarding," she says. "Through the use of the knowledge and skills I've obtained, I can empower people to practice good oral home care and reap the benefits of being totally healthy."

Tesch points out that, by working for the health department, she is not only utilizing the communication skills she learned while getting her dental hygiene degree but also incorporating the planning and organizational skills she obtained while completing her degrees in health education. Tesch says that these sets of skills marry several of her interests and abilities. "My present job allows me the flexibility and freedom to be creative and innovate," she says, "plus [it offers] the diversity of working with other state programs."

Tesch has received several community awards, including Outstanding Grassroots Dental Hygienist from the Texas Dental Hygienists' Association and Outstanding Health Educational Materials from the Texas Public Health Association. She says that her interest in serving the community started when she began volunteering her services through the Austin District Dental Hygiene Society. Even with a bustling schedule, Tesch continues to donate her services, and she has served the Texas Dental Hygiene Association as a vice-president, council chair, trustee, and state delegate to ADHA. Tesch says she feels fortunate. "I've been able to advance my career, plus expand my interest in management. I really enjoy what I do.