Before Ina was a UIHS employee, she was a dental patient.
As a teenager, she came to UIHS to have her teeth cleaned, straightened, and cared for. She never imagined that the place where she received her own dental care would eventually become the place where she would build a 30-year career.
That changed during an appointment with dental hygienist Larry Swingseth, RDH. Larry asked Ina what she wanted to do with her life. She was taking classes at College of the Redwoods and considering counseling, but wasn’t really sure what direction she wanted to take.
“Why don’t you become a dental assistant?” Larry suggested. “We’d hire you.”
Ina took his advice and applied to the Registered Dental Assistant program at CR. Shortly after being accepted, she mentioned it during an appointment with Dr. Jaso. He told her UIHS was shorthanded and asked if she’d like an application.
She filled out the UIHS application—and accepted the job as a dental assistant before ever starting the RDA program! Instead, Ina learned on the job. UIHS supported her as she gained the experience needed to take the State Board exams and earn her RDA license.
Dental was much smaller in those days, with five assistants and two full-time dentists in Trinidad. Just 20 months after Ina started, Larry told her, “Well, I guess you are now the senior assistant.”
“It was quite a wild ride,” Ina remembers.
Over the next three decades, Ina grew alongside UIHS and the Dental department. She has experienced changes in staff, facilities, technology, and the way care is delivered, while remaining dedicated to the patients and coworkers who have become such an important part of her life.
For Ina, caring for patients has always been the most rewarding part of her work. She understands that visiting the dentist can be intimidating, especially for patients who may have had difficult experiences. Helping them feel comfortable and supported is something she takes pride in.
“I love being a part of the team that provides care to this community,” she says. “Dental patients often arrive fearful and anxious, and it brings me joy to help them get through their appointment successfully.”
Thirty years ago, Ina walked through the doors of UIHS as a teenager and a patient. A conversation with someone who recognized her potential helped point her toward a career she had never considered. Today, she is part of the team providing that same care and encouragement to others.
From patient to dental assistant, and from a young employee learning the ropes to a longtime member of the UIHS team, Ina’s story is a wonderful example of how one opportunity can shape an entire career.
“It’s hard to believe that it has been 30 years already. Time flies when you are having fun, I guess.”
