Meet Distinguished Dental Hygiene Alumna Lesley Tuomi
Lesley Tuomi, RDH, BSDH ‘09, is the 2020 Dental Hygiene Alumni Award recipient from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry.
The Distinguished Dental Hygiene Alumni Award is an honor given annually to outstanding alumni in recognition of exceptional achievement. Candidates must be a graduate of any program of the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and are judged based on their participation, service, and leadership in the advancement of dentistry and dental health, their public service, community service, and/or civic affairs, and their dedication to continuing education.
The School of Dentistry Alumni Society Honors Task Force chose Tuomi based on her commitments to outreach, community involvement, and leadership.
Tuomi received her Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene from the University of Minnesota in 2009, after studying biology at Augsburg College. She currently works at NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, a multi-specialty health center located in North Minneapolis. She also volunteers as a community outreach dental hygienist with Hennepin County.
In 2016, Tuomi received the Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation Community Health Spirit Award, given annually to an individual who works to improve the oral health of Minnesotans and exhibits exemplary leadership. She was honored in 2018 with the Sunstar/RDH Award of Distinction as an exceptional registered dental hygienist.
In her work, Tuomi focuses on serving pregnant women and children from birth to age five, spending her time seeking out grant funding to promote dental health in the North Minneapolis community. She’s passionate about reaching out to schools for health screenings and follow-up care, serving patients at community events in her spare time, and finding care for patients whether her clinic is able to see them or not.
“Lesley is a dynamic, young Dental Hygienist who is passionate about providing dental care,” said Carol Dahlke, who nominated Tuomi for the award. “Shei is a perfect role model of what a distinguished dental hygiene alumna looks like.”
Get to know Tuomi.