Washington Dental Commission Member Bio

Carolin Spice, Public Member

Hello! My name is Carolin Spice, and I’m happy to serve as a member of the Washington Dental Commission. As a proud public member, I am not a dentistry professional. 

Since I do not have a dentistry background, I serve Washingtonians by asking and engaging our professional members for clarity on dental matters. The professional dentistry members have helped me understand some of the complexities that dental professionals face. Some of these complexities are similar to those I have as a health informatics professional.

I’m a proud graduate of Washington’s public school system. During college, I worked at the Pacific Science Center as a Science Interpreter. This led to a position as a Science on Wheels educator where I traveled across the state, from Forks to White Salmon and Aberdeen to Pend Oreille. The best part of this job was teaching and energizing kids around science and science topics.

I also have an interest in scientific research. With my combined experience and interests, I worked for Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center for the Women’s Health Initiative. I served as a Data Coordinator, helping clinics ensure accurate, effective, and efficient data capture. 

My experience at Fred Hutchinson led to my interest in applying research findings to real-world settings. Through various roles at Swedish Health Services and Group Health, I also found an interest in healthcare quality and how electronic health records could support providers in promoting patient health and well-being. My work at Community Health Plan of Washington allowed me to support this goal and visit community health centers throughout the state.

Currently, I help healthcare organizations optimize their use of computer technology to improve patient care and well-being. I also teach health informatics and health information management students at the University of Washington. As we enter the age of generative artificial intelligence, I focus on questions of bias in the data and encourage a healthy skepticism of misinformation that is part of the internet.

Thank you for this opportunity to introduce myself. I’m proud and honored to serve as a public member.

Board of Denturists Member Bio 

Amy Varshock, L.D.

Amy Varshock graduated from high school in upstate New York and earned an associate degree from Schenectady County Community College. Amy received a Bachelor of Arts degree from SUNY Albany before training in the Denturist program at Bates Technical College, where she earned her Associate of Science Denturist degree.

Amy was licensed in Washington in 2008 and in Arizona one month later. She practiced in Arizona for three years before returning to Washington state, where she has practiced ever since.

Amy taught part-time for one year at Bates and served on its Denturist Program Advisory Board for six years. She is a member of both the Washington Denturist Association and the National Denturist Association. Outside of practice, she enjoys kayaking and beekeeping.