Samantha Forlenza makes up one half of a groundbreaking partnership: the first interdisciplinary dental-medical team to be awarded a North Carolina Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. Designed to help graduate health-professional students learn how to address health disparities in vulnerable communities, the year-long leadership program is based at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina.

With sponsorship from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, Sam and her partner developed a clinic that combines dental and medical services for Greenville’s homeless population—addressing dental conditions, such as infections, that are strongly correlated with systemic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes.