Working

by Ernest Tripp

"It’s interesting that you called today," says Beth Finnson, RDH, MPH, at the start of her interview for this column,"because today is September 11, and the U.S. Surgeon General’s Office asked that we wear our uniforms as a show of government support and respect. Normally, I would be in clinical scrubs." The uniform to which Finnson refers is that of Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service, an agency of the federal government, for whom she serves as a commissioned officer. The pride she takes in this role and in her job at Indian Health Services in Salem, Oregon is obvious.

Finnson is periodontal disease prevention officer at the Chemawa Health Center, where her job, she says, involves routine clinical dental hygiene, program management, and community dental health projects. "Working with a Native American population is unique. I particularly enjoy working with the‘elders’—those mature members of the tribe(s) who are considered leaders in the community. I love hearing their stories. Their personal histories are often fascinating," she says.

One reason for Finnson’s respect for these elders may stem from the fact that she returned to finish her undergraduate degree in dental hygiene when she was 40. "I had been a dental assistant for many years," she explains, "then I stayed at home with my children. When I got divorced, I decided I needed a new career to support myself and my family, so I went back to college."

Now at age 52, Finnson also has attained a master’s degree in public health from the University of North Carolina. "Working for the U.S. Public Health Service can be very rewarding and very challenging, at times," Finnson says. "There are not enough personnel or resources in our program. We are often the only source of healthcare of any kind for this population. We see many people with severe oral health needs.

"This work was not something I was looking to do, or that I even knew anything about," Finnson explains. "I worked as a dental hygiene student in the Indian Health Service and employees there suggested I apply." She first joined the service as a junior grade Lt. and has been promoted two times since then.

quot;We are always looking for people who want to join the service," Finnson says enthusiastically, the pride in her commission and in her job evident in her voice. "We can use a lot more dental hygiene professionals and health care professionals from many disciplines."

One doesn’t have to ask to know that wearing her uniform on a day of solemn remembrance is not just a formality for Finnson, but a part of who she is. It’s a symbol of the work she enjoys and an emblem of pride. "I would not trade this job for any other," she says, "I love this work and helping the Native American community. Nowadays, I don’t just clean teeth five days a week. I can use my dental hygiene education in a lot of different ways. For me, that’s very fulfilling."