WVU Dental Student Honored for Rural Healthcare Commitment

A fourth-year Doctor of Dental Surgery student at West Virginia University has been recognized for her dedication to serving rural and underserved communities in Appalachia.

Brianna Hodak, originally from Spring Church, Pennsylvania, was selected as the 2025 West Virginia Rural Health Association Outstanding Rural Health Student. The award acknowledges her extensive involvement in programs aimed at improving access to dental care in the state, particularly in areas facing significant healthcare disparities.

Hodak’s path to WVU was driven by a desire to combine her childhood fascination with dentistry with a commitment to service. “I first wanted to become a dentist when I was three years old, because I always loved going to the dentist to get my teeth cleaned,” she said. “I became more involved in the idea in middle school when I learned about Operation Smile…that was my main motivator.”

WVU’s mission, rooted in service to West Virginia and its people, resonated with Hodak. As the only state entirely within the Appalachian region, West Virginia faces unique healthcare challenges, a fact that drives the WVU School of Dentistry and other units within WVU Health Sciences. Hodak specifically cited the university’s Guatemala mission trip and its rural rotation program as key factors in her decision to enroll.

Her engagement began as a sophomore with the Rural Undergraduate Shadowing in Healthcare (RUSH) program, which placed her at the Minnie Hamilton Health System dental clinic in Grantsville, a town of fewer than 500 residents. This experience provided her first exposure to the realities of rural dentistry.

Since then, Hodak has actively participated in several initiatives, including serving on the leadership team for the Rural Health Interest Group and Project REACH (Rural Education Alliance for Community Health), both focused on advocacy and outreach. She was similarly selected as a West Virginia Area Health Education Centers Rural Community Health Scholar and a Nourish West Virginia Sustainable Food Systems Leadership Fellow, partnering with the Greenbrier County Health Alliance.

Hodak’s commitment extends to advocating for these programs, participating in the annual WVU Rural Health Day to inform other students about rural healthcare pathways. She also completed a community health project through the Community and Rural Rotations Support (CARRS) Program and participated in the WVU Rural PRO (Professional Readiness Opportunity) Program.

As part of her Doctor of Dental Surgery program, Hodak completed a six-week rural rotation, working with Drs. Timothy Thorne and Aimee Keplinger in Moorefield. She described the experience as eye-opening, witnessing firsthand the significant need for dental professionals in the region. “We see an extraordinary number of patients in a day, many of which travel from many hours away,” Hodak said. “I have gotten many hugs, several ‘God bless yous’, and even been a part of an impromptu prayer circle.”

During her rotation, Hodak gained practical experience in endodontics and surgical extractions, performing root canal therapy and removing her first impacted wisdom tooth under the mentorship of Drs. Thorne and Keplinger, whom she described as “incredibly encouraging.”

Upon graduating in May, Hodak will join West Virginia Health Right in Charleston, working on the Mobile Dental Clinic to provide free dental care to low-income patients in Boone, Clay, Jackson, Logan, McDowell, and Roane counties.

“Brianna is the epitome of everything we strive to accomplish with our student programs – graduating and staying in the state to service our most underserved communities,” said Christie Zachary, program director for student outreach and marketing for the WVU Institute for Community and Rural Health.