Morton Amsterdam Dean of the School of Dental Medicine Mark Wolff received the Woods System of Care Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes his contributions to delivering dental care to disabled individuals.
Wolff was honored for leading a partnership with Woods Services, a nonprofit organization in Pennsylvania that supports children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The partnership resulted in the opening of a modernized dental care center on the Woods campus to serve the area's community, according to the Dental School announcement.
The Penn Dental Medicine at Woods Mikey Faulkner Dental Care Center has five dental operatories, a quiet space for individuals who need a low-stimulation environment, a waiting area, and a conference room. The center, which was established in 2022, offers restorative dental care for members of the Woods Services community and the local disabled population. Postdoctoral students and faculty in the Dental School's one-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry program provide care at the center, according to the announcement.
“I’m humbled by the Woods award,” Wolff said in the announcement. “We are honored to have Penn Dental Medicine part of the Woods campus and support Woods in its comprehensive care and service to individuals with disabilities.”
Prior to his appointment as dean, Wolff served as Professor and Chair of Cariology and Comprehensive Care, as well as the Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations at the New York University College of Dentistry. Wolff was also honored with the DentaQuest Health Equity Hero Award last summer for his dedication to improving oral health care access for disabled individuals.
Wolff and the Dental School are currently involved in a lawsuit brought by a former administrator, who is claiming that he faced termination in retaliation for raising a sexual misconduct complaint. In the suit, first filed in December 2022, the Dental School's former assistant dean for intramural and extramural affairs alleged that he was pressured to leave his job after he complained of “sexually explicit and harassing conduct” toward his assistant by the chair of the school's periodontics department.
Proceedings in the lawsuit are ongoing, with the latest developments occurring as recently as January 2024.
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