Denobi Award Winner Spotlight: Children’s Volunteer Health Network

The Children’s Volunteer Health Network Team

Christina Peterson, RDH, serves as the Director of Dental Operations for Children’s Volunteer Health Network (CVHN). She brings a passion for dental healthcare and an unwavering commitment to serving underserved communities. With a decade of experience as a dental hygienist, Christina joined CVHN in 2019, eager to make a tangible difference in the lives of children in need. Christina leads the four-person Mobile Clinic Dental team in an organization with a total staff of seven.

CVHN was founded in 2005 to bridge the gap in access to dental care for children in need and this mission has been marked by innovation and advocacy. Inspired at the National Mobile & Teledentistry Conference (NMTC) conference in 2023, CVHN’s lead dental hygienist Rose Alvarez, RDH played a pivotal role in the development and implementation of a groundbreaking program aimed at improving children's oral health outcomes. CVHN quickly launched the Early Intervention Rotation Program utilizing Povidone Iodine (PVP-I) and fluoride varnish for the Fall 2023-2024 school year.

This focus on continuous education has helped ensure that CVHN remains at the forefront of dental healthcare advancements.

Another example of this success is the early adoption of the utilization of Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) in 2019, an innovation that has helped the team treat approximately 90% of the decayed teeth in the children they serve.

CVHN is dedicated to providing dental care to 1,600 children annually through two state-of-the-art mobile dental clinics and portable dental equipment. They offer comprehensive preventative dental services to students with ages ranging from early preschool through fifth grades in VPK and elementary schools spanning two counties. Additionally, they collaborate with other local non-profits committed to children's welfare. Since 2005, CVHN has contributed $8.3 million in donated care, serving 18,000 children, and performing 160,000 procedures!

Moving forward, CVHN is committed to growing the reach of its dental programs to increase equitable access to dental care for all children. CVHN envisions a future where each child has the opportunity to receive high-quality dental care, free from barriers and disparities. A passion for this work fuels their determination to advocate for legislative changes and drive innovative programs that make a meaningful difference in the community just as the founding Director of Dental Operations, Denise Lisciotti, RDH, led from the beginning.

To learn more about the Children’s Volunteer Health Network and its mission, please contact CVHN’s Executive Director, Megan Trent megan@cvhnkids.org.