--- title: This Too Shall Pass – Erika Gist description: The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Oral Health Program remained steadfast despite the uncertainties and challenges that COVID-19 brought to our Department’s workforce and program. image: https://pages.ada.org/hubfs/Covid%20Monograph/CM_Gist_square.jpg --- [![American Dental Association](https://pages.ada.org/hs-fs/hubfs/101520_ADA_logo.jpg?width=50&height=50&name=101520_ADA_logo.jpg) ](https://www.ada.org) [![American Dental Association](https://pages.ada.org/hs-fs/hubfs/101520_ADA_logo.jpg?width=50&height=50&name=101520_ADA_logo.jpg) ](https://www.ada.org) ** ## In It Together A community sourced archive, documenting COVID-19’s impact on dentistry ***Sponsored by [Patterson Dental](https://www.pattersondental.com/)*** #### Many in the dental community have been affected by COVID-19 and want to share their stories. As a result, the ADA is launching the JADA+ COVID-19 Monograph—a digital collection of stories, reflections, and accounts from any perspective, in any format, including articles, essays, podcasts, videos, graphics, and photos—that is open to all contributors. [Submit your COVID-19 story here.](https://pages.ada.org/jada-plus-monograph-submissions) Stories by Region [Outside the US ](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/outside-the-us) --- # This Too Shall Pass – Erika Gist ![CM_Gist_1](https://pages.ada.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Covid%20Monograph/CM_Gist_1.jpg?width=1000&name=CM_Gist_1.jpg) The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Oral Health Program remained steadfast despite the uncertainties and challenges that COVID-19 brought to our Department’s workforce and program. On March 15, 2020, to slow the spread of the disease, we went from reporting to the office on most days to teleworking, mostly. The whole team leaped on to the virtual platform and hosted face-to face meetings, community engagement activities, a symposium, and a summit. This pandemic proved more than ever what promoting oral health meant for us, to connect with the communities anywhere and anytime. And thus, OHP successfully launched, “Love Your Baby’s Teeth” campaign across social media, billboard, radio, and TV platforms. During the pandemic, as County disaster service workers, we continued with our daily work assignments and projects, and committed ourselves to serve on the incident command system (ICS) and assisted with vaccine distribution at the County’s vaccination Points Of Dispensing (PODs) sites. Additionally, the team reached out to dental offices and clinics to follow-up on all dental health care worker COVID-19 positive cases and investigated possible COVID-19 outbreaks. We also worked with the local dental societies to inform dentists of vaccination efforts for dental healthcare professionals. In our monograph submission, we have highlighted some of our important roles and accomplishments in images from the past year. __________ Erika Gist *Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Oral Health Program* Topics: [Patients](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/patients), [Practitioners](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/practitioners), [Region–West](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/region-west) - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ### Stories by type - [Practitioners (58)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/practitioners) - [Personal Essay (35)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/personal-essay) - [Region–Northeast (23)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/region-northeast) - [Region–West (22)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/region-west) - [Clinical Observations (17)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/clinical-observations) - [Region–South (16)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/region-south) - [Region–Midwest (12)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/region-midwest) - [Art and Photography (10)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/art-and-photography) - [Multimedia (8)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/multimedia) - [Students (8)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/students) - [Creative writing (6)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/creative-writing) - [Patients (4)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/patients) - [Region–Outside the US (3)](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/tag/region-outside-the-us) [See all](https://pages.ada.org/en/covidmonograph/this-too-shall-pass-dr.-erika-gist#) ### Most Viewed Stories ***Sponsored by: [![CM_Sponsor_Patterson_2](https://pages.ada.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Covid%20Monograph/CM_Sponsor_Patterson_2.png?width=250&name=CM_Sponsor_Patterson_2.png)](https://www.pattersondental.com/)***   ### Subscribe for updates [![JADA+_logo_rev](https://pages.ada.org/hs-fs/hubfs/JADA+_logo_rev.png?width=200&height=80&name=JADA+_logo_rev.png "JADA+_logo_rev")](https://pages.ada.org/) Contact us at [JADA@ada.org](mailto:JADA@ada.org) Visit the [ADA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Center for Dentists](https://success.ada.org/en/practice-management/patients/infectious-diseases-2019-novel-coronavirus?utm_source=hspage&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=CovidMonograph)   --- *The JADA+ COVID-19 Monograph intends no endorsement of the content of the entries, or the views or opinions of the authors that are expressed therein. Furthermore, the JADA+ COVID-19 Monograph makes no representations or warranties about the information and opinions set forth in the entries, over which the JADA+ COVID-19 Monograph asserts only editorial, and no substantive control in any way.*   © 2021 American Dental Association **