Jessica A. Rickert, the first American Indian woman dentist in the U.S., will be inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame, according to a news article in Indian Country Today.
Dr. Rickert, who graduated from University of Michigan in 1975, has helped establish dental clinics for two Michigan tribes and is the author of a widely dental column read in American Indian newspapers, the story states. She is a founding member of the Society of American Indian Dentists and only the third American Indian dentist in history.
She has provided dental care to foster children in the Dental Clinic within the Children’s Aid Society in Detroit and has been instrumental in expanding access to health care for American Indian communities, according to the story.
In 2005, she was given an award by the ADA in recognition of her work to promote dental care among underserved groups.
Dr. Rickert will be inducted during a benefit dinner Oct. 21, along with nine other women being honored for their contributions to society.
