ABOUT US

Since 1997, Smile America Partners and its predecessor companies have worked with dental practices that specialize in both portable and mobile dentistry. By doing all of the administrative work, our affiliated dental practices can focus on dentistry.

Our specialty is working with dental practices that bring care to underserved children in the convenience and comfort of their school. Each year, 51 million school hours are lost due to oral health issues. The practices we service primarily focus on children who are often never taken to a dentist due to issues such as transportation and time off from work. These practices offer an easy and convenient solution to parents, and ensure these children get the care they need and deserve.

THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE INCLUDE:

Dentist and allied professional recruiting and staffing
Equipment sourcing and maintenance
Supplies sourcing and distribution
Patient care coordination
Billing and payroll services

373,050

Children Served

8,065

School Partners

$3,932,316

Charity Care in 2025

Our Leadership

STEVE HIGGINBOTHAM

President and CEO

Steve Higginbotham is President and CEO of Smile America Partners, the nation’s largest provider of in-school dental care. He leads the organization’s strategy and operations, balancing growth, technology, workforce needs and financial performance while expanding access to care for children in underserved communities. Before joining Smile America Partners, Higginbotham served as president and chief operating officer of Aeroscena, a clinical research and consumer products company based in the Cleveland Clinic Innovation Center. He previously served as CEO and chief operating officer of Lifestyle Lift. Higginbotham was named a regional 2024 EY Entrepreneur Of The Year. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Southern Methodist University and an MBA from Auburn University.

CHANEL YONO

Chief Operating Officer

Chanel Yono, Chief Operating Officer, started her career at Smile America Partners in 2006 while still pursuing her degree in finance. She has 15 years of healthcare & mobile dentistry experience and is responsible for leading & overseeing all non-clinical operations, including business development, school unit logistics, project management, & recruiting. During her tenure, Yono has had a number of roles and responsibilities in a variety of different capacities from school relationships management, business development and operations.

CRAIG THOMAS

Chief Compliance Officer

Craig Thomas joined Smile America Partners as Chief Compliance Officer in August of 2022. He is responsible for ensuring the integrity of the Corporate Compliance Program at Smile America Partners. Thomas has over 20 years of healthcare operations leadership in hospital, medical group and academic medicine. Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science from Missouri State University and an MBA from Keller. In addition, Thomas has achieved the fellowship credential through the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) and holds the following certifications in the field of healthcare compliance: Certified Healthcare Compliance (CHC), Certified Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC) and Certified Professional Coder (CPC).

JUSTIN WEINGER

Chief Financial Officer

Justin Weinger, Chief Financial Officer, joined Smile America Partners in 2019. Weinger has more than 20 years of experience in financial planning and analysis, specializing in budgeting, profitability, and forecasting. Prior to joining Smile America Partners, he served as the senior manager of an automotive lighting company. Weinger earned both a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA from the University of Michigan, Dearborn.

Gary Bordey

Chief Digital and Information Officer

Gary Bordey, Chief Digital and Information Officer and HIPAA Security Officer, joined Smile America Partners in 2024. A strategic leader with real technical depth, he sets the organization’s technology direction while staying close to how it gets built. He drives digital transformation, data architecture, and enterprise information security, with current initiatives including agentic AI and intelligent automation, a unified data platform powering enterprise decision-making, and a program that safeguards sensitive health information across the enterprise. Gary brings more than 20 years of experience across healthcare technology, security and risk management, and governance, with senior technology and advisory roles at firms including EY, Accenture, and Capgemini. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Clinical Leadership

Clinical excellence is at the heart of everything we do. Smile America Partners' clinical leadership team brings deep experience and expertise to guide our care delivery, advance quality and patient safety, and ensure consistent clinical standards across the organization. Together, they help shape the practices and programs that support our mission to bring smiles and good oral health where they are needed.