U.S. Oral Surgery Management (USOSM) – a specialty management services company that exclusively serves premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons – congratulates its surgeon partner Julia R. Plevnia – DDS, FACS, FACD – on her recent ACOMS Humanitarian Award. The award, given by the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, recognizes outstanding philanthropic and humanitarian contributions made by oral and maxillofacial surgeons. It is awarded only to those of “exceptional merit,” not bestowed annually.
Dr. Plevnia is one of only 14 people to receive the award, since it was established in 1990. The last award was bestowed in 2016.
“The ACOMS Humanitarian Award is a tremendous honor, and we’re thrilled for Dr. Plevnia to be recognized in this way,” said USOSM President and CEO Richard Hall. “It is only awarded when the board of regents finds someone they feel is truly worthy, and that speaks volumes. Dr. Plevnia is exceptional, and it shows.”
Dr. Plevnia is an owner, partner and practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeon with Dry Creek Oral Surgery, a USOSM partner practice with an office in Parker, Colorado, and an office in the Denver Tech Center in Englewood, Colorado. Dr. Plevnia practices a full scope of oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMS), with a clinical interest in orthognathic surgery, dental implants, tooth extractions and pathology with reconstruction.
“I love what I do. I love being able to make a huge impact on someone’s health – to be able to change their face or profile. I love getting to know my patients and being a part of their lives. I love all the things that I learn from my patients – each one can teach you something,” says Dr. Plevnia. “I’m making a difference and it’s never boring.”
Dr. Plevnia earned dual bachelor’s degrees in communications and political science from Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, and went to dental school on an Army scholarship. During the summers, Dr. Plevnia served in active duty training at Walter Reed in Washington, D.C., where she was introduced to the OMS specialty, working orthognathic and trauma cases.
“The training I received there was amazing,” says Dr. Plevnia. “Seeing them rebuild people’s faces, helping our soldiers – that was the bug that bit me. From that moment on, I knew exactly what I wanted to do.”
Dr. Plevnia graduated with her DDS from the University of Michigan School of Dentistry, ranked number one both internationally and in the U.S. On graduation day, Dr. Plevnia was commissioned as a Captain in the U.S. Army. She went on to complete a year in advanced education in general dentistry at Fort Meade, Maryland.
After that, Dr. Plevnia served for two years as the officer in charge for a dental clinic at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. Following that assignment, Dr. Plevnia completed the officer advanced course in San Antonio, Texas, and then returned to Washington, D.C., to begin her OMS residency at Walter Reed. While there, she treated soldiers who were critically wounded in the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as retirees and family members of the Armed Forces.
Following her residency, Dr. Plevnia was awarded the distinguished Silver Scalpel Award and was asked to teach in the OMS residency program at Walter Reed. After teaching there, Dr. Plevnia was sent to Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington, where she served as the assistant program director of the oral surgery program and as a mentor for the advanced education general dentistry residency.
After that, Dr. Plevnia served at the Army Hospital at Fort Carson, Colorado, where she taught and mentored students in the AEGD program in the oral surgery department. During this time, she was selected by her residents – twice – as Mentor of the Year and received a number of military commendations. After several years serving there, Dr. Plevnia transitioned off of active duty to serve in the U.S. Army Reserves and went into private practice.
While serving in the reserves, the U.S. Medical Detachment Commander personally requested Dr. Plevnia as the Colorado State Dental Officer, a post that she held for about five years, before being promoted to Colorado State Surgeon in 2018 and the Colorado Army National Guard/Colorado Joint State Surgeon in 2020. She is the first female, first Dental Corp officer and first oral maxillofacial surgeon to hold those distinctions. As the Colorado State Surgeon, she also served as the advisor to the governor on COVID-19 response, vaccinations and other medical concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, Dr. Plevnia continues to serve as the Colorado Army National Guard/Colorado State Surgeon and holds the rank of Colonel. She recently received the Order of Military Medical Merit for significant contributions to the U.S. Army Medical Education Department. Dr. Plevnia also is the DORA Anesthesia Office Inspector for Colorado, where she helps ensure that dental professionals who have sedation privileges are up-to-date on their training, certifications and onsite inspections.
In addition, Dr. Plevnia is an adjunct trauma lecturer at the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine and a preceptor on trauma rotations for Idaho State University. She also is a member of the Trauma Emergency Specialty Surgery (TESS) Facial Trauma Panel, which responds to difficult, emergency facial trauma cases at all the Centura Littleton Adventist hospitals and urgent care centers throughout the state of Colorado.
Dr. Plevnia serves in a number of leadership roles for a variety of professional organizations. She is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and the American College of Dentists and is particularly active with the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and the American Board of Oral Maxillofacial Surgery.
Headquartered in Irving, Texas, USOSM has partner practices spanning 26 states. A shared services organization, USOSM collaborates with premier oral and maxillofacial surgeons to offer a partnership solution for continued and accelerated practice success. USOSM provides operational, marketing and administrative support services, reinvests resources, and applies best practices to improve clinical and financial performance and produce steadier, more profitable growth for all. For more information, visit https://www.usosm.com/.
