Katharine Martinez earned her master’s degree in public health from New Mexico State University and undergraduate degree in dental hygiene from the University of New Mexico. Katharine is widely recognized for her role as an oral health educator in a hospital setting. Katharine has created a role that incorporates an oral health professional to be a part of the multidisciplinary team that has led to improving patient treatment outcomes and decreasing hospital acquired infections.
Katharine has worked in pediatric and general dental clinics providing dental hygiene for patients of all ages and background. She has done consulting with home health agencies specifically on developing oral health training for patients with developmental disabilities, their caregivers, and nurses. Katharine has aided and consulted with oncology clinics on oral health advice to serve patients undergoing cancer treatment. Katharine has worked in collaboration with public health agencies in Oregon to develop and implement access to dental care programs for the uninsured. She has written published articles involving her role on medical/dental collaboration, oral care during oncology treatment and expanding patients’ oral health knowledge using the health belief model.
Katharine has presented at various conferences on the integration of oral health providers in the medical setting. She has helped mentor other hospital’s on how to facilitate incorporating oral health to improve treatment outcomes and decrease infections.
Katharine is also an active member of the American Dental Hygienist Association; she sits as the lead coordinator for the chronic disease integration committee for the AZ Oral Health Coalition. Katharine is also active as a thought leader for Teeth Cloud.