One of a series
Distinguished Service to the Institution
Gary Guest, D.D.S., associate dean, Patient Care, School of Dentistry
Remarks by Dr. Henrich at the March 22 awards dinner:
“His accomplishments are many but I would like to highlight a few. Dr. Guest has the distinction of leading the continual improvements that have occurred in UT Dentistry’s patient admissions process, reducing patient time from days to hours. His leadership was clearly evident as the School of Dentistry implemented its electronic curriculum support, or Laptop Project, becoming the first dental school— and perhaps the first professional school in the country— to deliver curriculum content and clinical decision-making support via laptop computers. As electronic patient records began to emerge in the 1990s, Dr. Guest was at the forefront of our school’s foray into this new world and is credited with directing and guiding us through what at times was a perplexing and frustrating journey to our successful implementation of an integrated electronic patient record and digital imaging system.
“Though these accomplishments make a compelling case for recognition, it is his outstanding leadership role in the completion of the new Center for Oral Health Care and Research that is responsible for our acknowledging him tonight. Dr. Guest was thrust into this role as the construction phase of the project began and through the ensuing 2 ½ years he worked tirelessly to see it to its successful completion. Today, the facility is the flagship for UT Dentistry.”
From the nominating letter by William W. Dodge, D.D.S., dean, School of Dentistry:
“Gary’s extraordinary leadership role in the completion of the new Center for Oral Health Care & Research is responsible for our acknowledging him with this award. Most of us can’t comprehend the myriad details related to the building’s mechanical, structural and functional components that he had to digest in order to provide guidance to both the contractors and his colleagues who were anxious to occupy their new clinics. Through it all, he managed to keep everything top notch for the record-breaking move from the old building to the exquisite new facility that is the home to UT Dentistry.”