As an adult restorative dentist and independent business owner, I have been practicing in private practice for nearly 35 years. During this time, I raised four children while managing a solo private practice, all with a husband who frequently traveled for work. My personality is driven, Type A, and I have always been determined to excel in both my personal and professional life.
We raised our family on a horse farm in Vermont, where we not only boarded horses but also engaged in various equestrian activities. We bred, raised, and trained Morgan horses and Warmbloods, imported horses from Europe for training and sales, and participated in horse rescue. Our daughter was deeply involved in showing horses through her college years. We even ran summer camps for young children, sharing our love for horses with the community.
My educational journey began at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where I completed my undergraduate degree and the first two years of dental school. Due to concerns that many private dental schools were closing in the 1980s, I transferred to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to complete my dental education, graduating in 1991. This experience provided me with the best of both worlds: the clinical expertise of Marquette and the research-focused education of UNC.
Originally a pre-med student, I quickly realized that the landscape of physician practices was changing, with many being managed by hospitals. I had no desire to work for someone else or be constrained by the demands of others regarding my practice, vacation time, or working hours. I craved independence and balance between my work and family life. Dentistry offered me the perfect blend of business ownership, artistic creativity, and scientific rigor, allowing me to achieve the independence I sought.
I began my private practice in the small town of Burlington, Vermont, in the early 1990s, a time before the rise of corporate dentistry. Today, I practice in a large city where corporate dental offices seem to be on every corner. The commoditization of healthcare has led patients to price-shop for services as if they were seeking the cheapest option for an oil change. Despite this shift, I remain committed to providing the highest quality care, using the best labs, and employing highly skilled and well-compensated staff, all within a beautiful office environment. While this approach is costly, it is essential to my business model. Now more than ever, collaboration with other private practitioners is crucial in learning how to create value and continue serving patients with the quality they have come to expect, while remaining cost-effective.
Julie and her team
Above all, I prioritize self-care. I have learned that I cannot pour from an empty cup; to care for others, I must first care for my own mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being. Regular exercise, meditation, and journaling help me manage stress and maintain balance. Developing the ability to self-soothe without relying on mind-altering substances has been a 20-year journey, and maintaining a balanced and healthy life is vital, particularly as someone in long-term recovery.
During dental school, I had the opportunity to provide free dental care to people on the Cherokee Native American reservation in North Carolina. The joy of serving those in need filled my heart and has stayed with me throughout my career.
Pablo Picasso captured this sentiment perfectly: “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
After completing my residency in Portland, Oregon, and meeting my husband, we relocated to Vermont, where I joined the Rotary Club in Burlington. Through this connection, I began traveling annually to Honduras with a group of Rotarians who were building and improving schools. While they focused on education, I established a free dental clinic program that I led for almost 20 years. My service extended to Nicaragua and Ghana, where I worked alongside my eldest son through Global Brigades. These experiences led me to connect with my current program director in Ghana, and later, I led my own student groups to Ghana, providing free medical and dental clinics in remote areas of the Volta region. Witnessing the transformative impact on students as they served others was deeply fulfilling, echoing my own experiences in college.
In 2018, after moving to Portland, I founded my own registered public 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, One World Brigades. Our mission is to bring students, healthcare providers, and volunteers of all backgrounds to serve those in need. My previous connections in Honduras and Ghana, along with new relationships formed in Uganda and Kenya, allowed me to extend our service to both East and West Africa.
Before the pandemic, I began assisting a small community in the Maasai Mara area of Kenya. A primary school had been started but was struggling with funding. In the last five years, we have developed the school from pre-K through fifth grade, adding five classrooms. One World Brigades has also built a road to access the school, excavated a spring on the property, and provided a solar pump for clean water. This water is filtered and used at the school and its kitchen. We support the school with books and supplies, sponsor children’s uniforms and shoes, provide two meals a day, and assist with teachers’ wages.
The school now has over 100 children enrolled, with several dozen sponsored for their education through One World. Sponsorship covers books, supplies, uniforms, teachers’ wages, and housing, and all contributions are tax-deductible. Annually, we run large medical and dental clinics for the entire community, with care provided by Kenyan physicians from our partnering NGO in Nakuru. These local physicians are well-versed in treating subtropical infectious diseases. We also employ locals from the Maasai tribe as interpreters in triage, medical, and dental services. Our clinics treat almost 1,000 patients with free services during our two-week mission.
Looking ahead to 2025, our vision includes adding solar power, building a new kitchen and cafeteria for the children, and improving the bathrooms and handwashing stations. In March 2025, we will bring 18 volunteers to three different rural areas of Kenya, including the school in Narok County. Our “Service and Safari” trips combine the best of voluntourism, allowing participants to immerse themselves in the Maasai culture, help those in need of healthcare, and enjoy the wildlife on safari during the weekend.
My journey as a dentist has been one of continuous learning, growth, and service. Balancing my professional responsibilities with my commitment to serving others has been both challenging and rewarding. I remain dedicated to providing the highest quality care to my patients and making a meaningful impact in the lives of those in need around the world.
