Dr. Steven Lepowsky of the UConn School of Dental Medicine has played an integral part in making the dental school one of the most well-respected in the country.  Lepowsky has taken on many roles during the nearly 20 years he’s been at the school and has now been promoted to senior associate dean for education and patient care, where he assumes responsibilities for both academic affairs and clinical affairs.

“In most cases, at other universities, what Dr. Lepowsky is responsible for is a two-person job,” says Dean Monty MacNeil of the dental school. “It is a tremendous amount of work and requires someone who can manage the complex situations that come with the job – someone who can see the big picture while also keeping track of the details. We found this person in Dr. Lepowsky.”

These responsibilities include maintaining professional relationships with the 17 community health sites throughout the state – such as Hill Health in New Haven and CHC Inc. in New Britain – that the dental school is partnered with.  These partnerships modify the curriculum to allow students and residents to learn in a hands-on manner while also supporting over 30,000 patient visits annually at these sites.

“By growing the University’s community-based programs, Dr. Lepowsky has been instrumental in changing the nature of our school and the way we teach,” says MacNeil. “He has been the mastermind behind keeping our school on the forefronts of modern education while also helping serve the less fortunate across the state that need our help the most. This benefits both the school and the community.”

Lepowsky was also influential in planning the recently launched Connecticut Clinical Education and Practice Team (CONNcept) in the West Hartford office. CONNcept is a pilot model that incorporates fourth-year dental students, general dentistry residents, and a faculty practice leader who treat patients and learn together as a team. Lepowsky’s efforts were recently focused on the design and renovation of the facility, the recruitment of the CONNcept practice leader and other faculty, the selection of the students and residents who would be involved on the team, and the hiring of support staff necessary for the implementation of the model.

Lepowsky has also played a critical role in the dental school maintaining exceptionally high educational standards; earning positive accreditation status; significantly expanding the residency training programs with the assistance of federal grant funding; and encouraging self-learning and the clinical assessment of what is being taught.

But Lepowsky refuses to take complete credit for his accomplishments. “I think it is critical to keep things in perspective,” he says. “Achievements are not made singularly, but result from groups of very talented and committed people working together. I have been very fortunate throughout my career at the UConn Health Center to work with outstanding faculty, staff, students, and residents.”

With an eye looking ever toward the future, Lepowsky will be focusing his efforts on a variety of tasks in the coming years:

• Incorporating evidence-based science and decision making in both the curriculum and clinical domains
• Ensuring full compliance with new accreditation standards
• Implementing a new information management system and electronic dental record
• Planning and designing new dental patient care center as part of Bioscience Connecticut
• Expanding the size of the dental student class to help meet the demand for more dental practitioners

Despite his full schedule of responsibilities, Lepowsky continues to train residents at John Dempsey Hospital while treating patients with significant acquired or developmental disabilities.

“UConn has provided me with tremendous opportunities to have an impact on the education of students and residents and the care of thousands of patients,” he says. “Few things can make you feel better than when a graduate of one of our own programs comes back to visit, several years after leaving the University, and tells you that you made a difference in their professional life.”

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