The Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund Recognizes Outstanding Innovators in Dentistry

PHILADELPHIA, P.A., October 18, 2013 – The Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund, Inc., a non-profit organization dedicated to innovative leadership in health care, recognized key pioneers and trailblazers in oral health innovation at its 2013 awards ceremony.  Supporting individuals, organizations and programs that have positively influenced the dental community and public oral health arena, the 2013 Shils Awards were presented at a gala on October 9 at the Union League of Philadelphia.
“The Shils Fund Annual Awards ceremony gives us a chance to spotlight the outstanding innovators and contributors in the field of dentistry,” said Steve W. Kess, President of the Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund Board of Directors.  “These individuals exemplify the spirit and mission of Ed, who still inspires us nine years after his passing.”
Dr. Shils, who served as the Executive Director of the Dental Manufacturers of America and the Dental Dealers of America for almost 50 years, earned six degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, becoming a full professor and chair of the management department at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.  He was also instrumental in the establishment of the Wharton Entrepreneurial Center, the first institute dedicated to the academic study of entrepreneurialism. Due to his stewardship, scholarship and encouragement of innovative business practices in dentistry, the dental industry established the Dr. Edward B. Shills Entrepreneurial Education Fund to recognize those whose contributions reflect a similarly enduring commitment to innovation.
Shils Award winners are chosen annually and presented with a monetary prize, which is given to the recipient organization of their choice.  Dr. Jeanne Sinkford, former dean of the Howard University College of Dentistry, received the 2013 Shils-Meskin Award, named after Dr. Shils and Dr. Lawrence Meskin, another pioneer in the field of dentistry.  Sinkford’s lifelong leadership in oral health education serving underrepresented minorities and her championing of innovative pipeline and faculty developments programs to bring diversity into the dental profession are two of her most significant achievements.
“This event is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate exceptional innovators in the dental community and public oral health arena,” said D. Walter Cohen, Chancellor Emeritus, Drexel University College of Medicine and Co-chair of the Shils Awards Committee. “These exceptional innovators embody the principles of leadership and entrepreneurship that Ed championed during his lifetime, and are enriching the lives of countless people around the globe.”
Dr. George Blue Spruce, Jr. received the Shils Award for his distinguished 30-year career as a dentist and educator, which included posts in the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Public Health Service and the World Health Organization.  Another recipient of the Shils Award, Dr. Wendy Mouradian, was honored for her years of service in education, training dental students to work in rural and underserved communities through the interdisciplinary and intercollegiate Regional Initiatives in Dental Education (RIDE) program, as well as teaching medical students about oral health.  Dr. David Satcher, the 16^th U.S. Surgeon General, received the Shils Award for the Surgeon General’s report on Oral Health, a seminal publication that established the link between oral pathology and systemic disorders such as diabetes, cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases.  Dr. Robert Schattner, the inventor of Chloraspetic mouthwash, was presented with the Shils Award for his work as an entrepreneur, developing more than 70 innovative products for the prevention of oral disease.
Special Recognition Award recipients included: Norman Weinstock, Chairman of the Zahn Dental Laboratory Division of Henry Schein, Inc., for his half a century of service to the dental laboratory industry; Dr. Dominick DePaola (posthumously), Dean of the Baylor College of Dentistry, for his dedication and leadership in oral health research; 1300 Smiles, a full-service dental facility managing company in Australia; and Youth With a Mission Medical Ships – Australia (YWAM MSA), an organization that brings free health care by ship to underserved populations in Papua New Guinea, including oral screenings and treatment.
“Ed’s dedication to teaching, his love of the dental community, and his pioneering work in entrepreneurial studies have established in our collective memories a profound example of service and achievement,” said Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein.
The Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund is a founding supporter of two programs:  Project Watch, a charter school that operates in the Brownsville/East New York section of Brooklyn, New York, which works to prepare students to make healthy lifestyle choices and expose them to all aspects of the health care field, including career options; and I-LEAD, a community-based, non-profit start-up charter school that improves the quality of life for local citizens and helps develop them into community leaders.
About The Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund
Friends and colleagues of Dr. Shils, who are also prominent leaders in the dental industry, founded the Dr. Edward D. Shils Entrepreneurial Education Fund in 2002 because they knew that Dr. Shils wanted to leave a legacy of entrepreneurship.
In 2012, the Fund was renamed the Dr. Edward B. Shils Entrepreneurial Fund, Inc. and became a registered 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization.  Through annual awards, the Fund honors the pioneering vision of Dr. Shils and helps foster inspiration and initiative in current and future health care entrepreneurs.