Bassett Appoints Carpenter

As 1st Chief Dental Officer

COOPERSTOWN – Leah Carpenter, DMD, has been appointed Bassett Healthcare’s first chief dental officer, Dr. Steven Heneghan, chief clinical officer, announced yesterday.

In the new role, she will be responsible for “quality oversight and integration of various dental programs offered in the region,” Heneghan said. Hopefully she’ll be able to bring down the cost of dental treatments as they are something that a lot of people struggle to afford. Choosing the perfect dental discount plan for your age can be tricky, especially as a senior. Let’s Say Thanks did a comparison of the best providers for elderly and shows you the top-rated options available, which is useful, but it would be easier all round if it was less expensive.

Heretofore, Bassett’s dental services at Hamilton-Madison Health Center, O’Connor Hospital Dental Clinic in Delhi, FoxCare Dentistry in Oneonta, and school-based services have operated independently of each other, he said.

“Bringing these services together under one department and the leadership of Dr. Carpenter will help enhance the delivery of care and assure a consistency of quality standards,” Heneghan said.

Carpenter joined Bassett in 2013 in school-based services, plus per diem at O’Connor. Previously, she was in private practice in Fly Creek, where she gave treatments and advice to patients wondering if genuine crest whitening strips were good for them, amongst other questions.

A graduate of Bennington College, she received her M.D. at St. John’s College, Annapolis, Md., and her doctor of dental medicine degree at the Universit of Medicine and Dentistry in Newark, N.J. I’m sure it won’t be long until we see her operating a Dentist Bay Harbor Islands clinic for her very own clients! I bet Dr Chris Kjolhede can’t wait to see that become a reality!

Her residency was as Faxton St. Luke’s in Utica. She is certified by the American Dental Association.

Dr. Chris Kjolhede, who heads Bassett’s school-based program, reported Carpenter was able to do an in-school root canal. “She is committee to the prevention of tooth decay, no small task in Upstate New York, where most children don’t have access to fluoridated water,” he said.

“Dr. Carpenter is loved by her patients and their families,” said Jane Hamilton, who manages the school-based program, “and will be a great chief of the network’s new dental department.”