Why She Was Nominated:

For her devotion to serving West Virginia’s underserved. Ten years ago, during her residency, a professor recommended her to lead the development of an oral-health program for Cabin Creek Health Systems, a Federally Qualified Health Center; since then, it has expanded to two (soon to be three) locations. Dr. Homburg, who puts in more than 30 hours of hands-on comprehensive patient care per week in addition to her administrative responsibilities, also proudly serves as a dental officer with the rank of Major in the West Virginia Air National Guard.

Why She Became a Dentist:

“West Virginia consistently ranks in the top three states for incidence of childhood caries and adult tooth loss. I entered dental school wanting to make a difference in those statistics.”

Exciting New Trend:

“We recently began using silver diamine fluoride in our offices. Its ability to arrest decay has been instrumental in buying time for patients who need extensive restorative work but have limited financial resources or transportation. This means the ability to save more teeth, reducing extractions and maintaining functionality and bone levels.”

Inspiration:

Her father, who recently passed from pancreatic cancer. He was a dedicated public servant, she says, who taught her to give back to her community.