In Memoriam - John P. Rossetti

Tribute to John P. Rossetti

Many of us have lost a true friend, colleague, champion, and mentor. Dr. John P. Rossetti passed away on August 9, 2011, after a brief illness.

John received a dental degree from West Virginia University and a Master of Public Health degree from the University of California, Berkeley and, following his dental residency, became a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Public Health. He led a distinguished lifelong career in the field of dental public health.

John began public service with the U.S. Air Force in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam Conflict, where he headed the Dental Civic Action Program, which set up a temporary field clinic to provide oral health care in friendly native villages. He also served as a rural community development volunteer with the Peace Corps in Puerto Rico and Panama, and his Spanish had a distinct New England accent. His dedication to oral health led him to the U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS), where he first served with the Indian Health Service (IHS). He held leadership roles in the Mescalero Apache and Alamo Navajo Reservations, the California Area Office, and IHS headquarters in Rockville, MD.

John started his next chapter in 1989, when he began working at the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) as chief dental officer for the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), and he remained with HRSA until his retirement in 2002. He continued to serve MCHB for several years in as a national Head Start oral health consultant; in that capacity he established a network of regional Head Start oral health consultants, fostered collaborations at the state and local levels among Head Start and oral health programs and organizations, and facilitated many other important activities to promote oral health for the Head Start population.

With his dedication to improving the oral health of individuals and populations, John accomplished a great deal on many fronts. We will remember him for his steadfast support for state oral health program development and for establishing, with MCHB funding, the first oral-health-systems-development grant program for states and communities, a school-based/school-linked dental sealant grant program, and a state fluoridation grant program. Because of his efforts, many state oral health programs began collecting data on oral health status as a component of the required Title V statewide comprehensive needs assessment. To assist in this effort, MCHB funded the development and implementation of Assessing Oral Health Needs: ASTDD Seven-Step Model. Thus, state oral health programs were able to document the need for and promote statewide oral health initiatives and priorities as integral parts of the broad based MCH “quilt.” In addition, John’s efforts led to the sponsorship of national meetings such as the National Oral Health Conference; the convening of numerous national, regional, and state oral health summits, consensus conferences and meetings; and the development of the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center and the National Maternal and Child Oral Health Policy Center.

During his career, John was recognized by many national organizations for his commitment to excellence and contributions to public health. To name just two significant awards he earned, in 1995 he received ASTDD’s Distinguished Service Award, and in 2008 he received the John W. Knutson Distinguished Service Award in Dental Public Health from the American Public Health Association, Oral Health Section. Furthermore, in 2011, in memory of John’s insight and guidance, which benefited countless USPHS officers, state oral health directors, students, and others, the USPHS Chief Dental Officer and Dental Professional Advisory Committee established The John P. Rossetti Mentor of the Year Award. The award was created to recognize the efforts and accomplishments of an oral health professional serving in an exemplary mentoring role to a less-experienced dentist.

John was an active, tireless leader who found purpose in each and every day and had a special knack for “separating the wheat from the chaff.” John will be remembered for his generous nature, his willingness to help others, and his ever-present desire to make the world a better place. Thank you, John, for helping and encouraging us to become who we are and aspire to be even more.


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