Kimberly J. Fabre

Biography

During dental school, residency, and as part-time faculty at the University of Minnesota, my passion for patients with communication disorders resulted in multiple new programs to serve our metropolitan hearing impaired population. A substantial American Fund for Dental Health grant provided the means to develop and distribute nationally, patient and provider education materials to enhance access and quality of care for hearing impaired patients. Navy dentistry stimulated new passions for healthcare management strategies to improve efficiency and effectiveness of human resources. Projects included computerizing medical history data collection; calibration of dental examination process; integrating medical/dental in-processing; renovation of inefficient clinical facilities; development of training modules to promote use of underutilized preventive therapies by clinical staff; and training of Medical Corpsmen in "Emergency Dental Treatment in the Field." 15 years of private practice in the Bradenton area opened up new vistas of inquiry and subsequent passion in Body-Mind-Spirit medicine. My dental practice was dedicated in ceremony as a "Place of Healing" and offered an integrative and preventive approach to oral medicine. My sub-specialty areas included TMJ disorders, phobic patients, head and neck radiation patients, and Cariology...the prevention and treatment of dental caries as an infectious disease. Nutrition and care of the immune system were integral to our overall patient education program. Head and neck Reiki treatments, subtle aromatherapy, and meditative music were highly effective in promoting patient comfort, satisfaction, and homecare compliance.

Research Interest

My current passion is participating in LECOM's incredible PBL program and other innovative educational processes...quite a contrast to my former experience teaching Oral Pathology in a traditional format. Observing students as they delve for pertinent information, integrate it, then apply it to practical situations...seeing their eyes light up with discovery and mastery...is the highest honor for an educational facilitator.