About Us

The mission of KinderSmile Foundation is to provide underserved children and their families with access to comprehensive dental care and educate children and their families on the importance of dental hygiene. We envision a future where every child has access to a dentist and preventable dental diseases are eradicated.

Today, KinderSmile Foundation has three Dental Homes in Bloomfield, Newark, and Trenton, New Jersey where we serve all patients, regardless of insurance status or lack thereof. Our staff and volunteers guarantee that everyone who walks through the door is provided with the highest level of care and respect. Since inception in 2007, KSF has provided over $12 million of dental services and impacted over 47,000 low-income patients in NJ and nine developing nations, in order to eliminate dental disease, the #1 epidemic of economically disadvantaged children.

Check out our programs to learn how we work directly in the community to provide oral health education and dental care, as well as our work to engage both current and future healthcare professionals to further our mission!

Nicole McGrath-Barnes, DDS, FACD, Founder & CEO

“Dr. Nicole,” as she is lovingly referred to by her patients and community partners, established The KinderSmile Foundation, Inc. as a charitable organization in 2007, based on her personal exposure to the disparity of dental care access in Montclair, New Jersey, where she ran a private practice for nearly 25 years.

Dr. Nicole is a tireless advocate in reaching out to at-risk children in her community who lack access to affordable dental care. To date, she has led KinderSmile Foundation to provide free or low-cost dental services to over 40,000 children in New Jersey, and traveled to Jamaica, Trinidad, Haiti, Nicaragua, Peru, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, and Ecuador to donate dental care to children and adults. Click here to learn more about Dr. Nicole!

Sara Kalambur, DDS, KinderSmile Board of Trustees Secretary

Dr. Sara Kalambur serves on the Board of Directors for HOPES Community Action Partners Inc. Based in Hoboken, HOPES CAP Inc. serves at-risk children and families in Hoboken, Plainfield & Somerset, NJ. Dr. Sara has been volunteering her services as a dental consultant to HOPES, and NJ Head Start Community since 1996.

In addition, Dr. Sara is involved in statewide oral health community outreach programs; she serves on the NJ Dental Association’s Oral Health Coalition and Pediatric Oral Health subcommittees with the American Association of Pediatrics. Dr. Sara was formerly a committee member for CMS/Medicaid & Medicare Advocacy, facilitated by legal services in Edison, NJ.

As an independent Child Care Health Consultant for federally funded Head Start programs across the United States, Dr. Sara provided onsite monitoring of health services, in-service training for staff/parents and guidance for program facilities to meet compliance with Head Start performance standards.

Michal Herman, DDS, COO

Dr. Michal Herman joined KinderSmile Foundation in 2009 as a dedicated volunteer for our premier KinderSmile Oral Health Program. Her commitment to serve the community was unmatched. In 2017, Dr. Herman returned to join our staff as a dental provider at the newly built Dental Home, KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center Bloomfield. She worked tirelessly to provide comprehensive quality dental services to thousands of children in the community. Dr. Herman served as the Dental Home Director of KSCOHC Bloomfield from 2020 to 2023 when she was promoted to COO of KinderSmile Foundation. Her dedication and passion for serving the community, mentorship of many CSLP student volunteers, implementation of new policies and protocols during the pandemic, and procuring hundreds of grants make her an important and indispensable member of the KinderSmile family!

Board of Trustees

Nicole McGrath-Barnes, DDS, FACD
President & CEO, KinderSmile Foundation

Sara Kalambur, DDS
Board Secretary, KinderSmile Foundation

Ayanna C. Bradshaw Sydnor, DDS
Associate Dentist

 

Andrea McDonagh, BA
Marketing Manager, Naturally Beautiful Plant Products

 

Dorrie Gagnon, RDH
Give Back A Smile Provider, KinderSmile Foundation

 

Marie-Gina Brown, RN
Health Manager, East Orange Child Development Corporation

 

Caren Jesseman, CPA, MBA
Owner/President, CFO Solution, LLC

 

Jenna Kettenburg
Supervisor of Investigations, Conflict Investigations Unit Division of Children & Families, NJ

 

Paula Huergo
Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning & Operations Officer, First Bank

 
Kyle Pitts
Partner, Momentum Advisors

 

 

Staff

KinderSmile Foundation

Nicole McGrath-Barnes, DDS, FACD, Founder & CEO

Michal Herman, DDS, COO

Jennifer Halliez, Accounts Financial Officer

Dede Horowicz, HR & Compliance Officer

Andrea Wiley, Development Coordinator

Tamarinda J. Barry Godín, DDS, MPH, Oral Health Program Director

Nyeilla Veale, Perinatal Health and Wellness Program Director & Chief Administrative Assistant

KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center Bloomfield

Hanna Choi, DDS, Dental Home Director

Rooshika Dalaya, DDS, Dental Provider

Ghazala Seedat, DDS, Dental Provider

Kelin Walsh, DDS, Dental Provider

Monique Whyte, RDH, Dental Hygienist

Patricia Fernandez, RDH, Dental Hygienist

Miriam Santiago, Front Desk Patient Coordinator

Shaila De Jesus, Front Desk Patient Coordinator

Briana McBride, Dental Assistant

Deborah Flores, Lead Dental Assistant

Maria Laura Ortega, Dental Assistant

Nafisa Ali, Dental Assistant

Naidilis Nazario-Velez, Dental Assistant

Priya Vaid, KSOHP Coordinator Assistant

 

KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center at Boys & Girls Club Newark

Shu Hsuan Hu, DDS, Dental Provider

Monique Whyte, RDH, Dental Hygienist & Oral Health Coordinator

Briana McBride, Dental Assistant

Miriam Santiago, Front Desk Patient Coordinator

 

KinderSmile Community Oral Health Center Trenton

Steven Vassell, DMD, Chief Dental Provider

Stephanie Lee-Soto, DMD, Dental Provider

Jayasudha Samudrla, DDS, Dental Provider

Donele Doran-Vassell, Director of Operations

Fabio Osorio, Front Desk Patient Coordinator

Mitali Roy, Front Desk Patient Coordinator

Derek Chan, Dental Assistant

Gloria Gomez, Dental Assistant

Edna Kyere, Lead Dental Assistant

Kayla Levene, Dental Assistant

Silvia Vela, Dental Assistant