Mahnaz Fatahzadeh, a professor at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, identifies a significant challenge in the late diagnosis of oral cancer cases. Fatahzadeh saw an opportunity to address this issue by promoting early diagnosis and easing patient suffering through improved interprofessional collaboration in healthcare.
“I felt part of the reason patients are falling through the cracks is because there is a knowledge gap,” Fatahzadeh stated. She elaborated that oral health screening, though simple, often receives low priority in primary care due to limited emphasis on oral health in non-dental health curricula, a gap compounded for patients lacking dental insurance.
Encouraged by her mentor Arnie Rosenheck, Fatahzadeh began developing oral health educational modules for various healthcare programs at Rutgers. These efforts aim to equip future healthcare providers with vital oral health knowledge.
Her dedication was recognized when she received the 2025 Rutgers Health Distinguished Interprofessional Clinical Educator Award. “I feel honored and grateful,” expressed Fatahzadeh upon receiving the award.
Claire O’Connell of Rutgers School of Health Professions praised Fatahzadeh’s approach, highlighting the importance of collaboration and oral care’s role in overall health. “Oral care is vital to overall health. The Physician Assistant Program embraces a humanistic, patient-centered model of care. Dr. Fatahzadeh exemplifies this in her teaching and practice,” O’Connell stated.
Fatahzadeh first introduced her module to the Physician Assistant Program in 2004, which welcomed the idea. Her teachings educate students on oral screenings, the intersection of oral and systemic health, and appropriate referrals. Her modules have since expanded to include Rutgers’ medical and nursing schools.
“We must work together,” Fatahzadeh emphasized, advocating for a collaborative approach between medical and dental providers. At Rutgers School of Medicine, she instills in her dental students the understanding of their role as oral physicians, encouraging them to screen for systemic diseases and engage in health promotion.
Additionally, Fatahzadeh supports Rutgers’ SPICE program, which fosters interprofessional projects and collaborative care conferences. She expressed a desire to expand her modules to provide clinical exposure, stressing the need for enhanced communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals for patient care.
