Public Servant of the Year Ramsay Koury answers a calling with Mission of Mercy
Bianca Rivas figured her Friday off would be spent helping a friend. Instead, the Wheaton resident got a cavity filled too.
Dr. Ramsay Koury treats patient Bianca Rivas at the fall Mission of Mercy clinic held at Shady Grove.
Rivas had registered her friend, who is uninsured, for the University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) Mission of Mercy at the Universities at Shady Grove on Oct. 16. He needed an extraction.
“Dental service is always a little bit pricey,” Rivas said. “It’s a win-win. We help the students get their practice, and he gets his work done.”
Her friend is far from alone. About 69 million American adults, or 26 percent, have no dental insurance, according to a 2025 report from the CareQuest Institute for Oral Health. That’s more than three times the number of adults without medical insurance.
When they checked in, a staff member asked Rivas whether she wanted care too.
“I wasn’t even thinking about myself,” Rivas said. “And I was like, ‘Well, I do need a filling.’”
Mission of Mercy is a one-day dental clinic that UMSOD runs twice a year at Shady Grove in collaboration with Catholic Charities of Washington, DC to treat the uninsured and underinsured in Maryland. More than 70 third- and fourth-year dental students and hygiene students, supervised by faculty and volunteer dentists, treated patients throughout the day. Treatment included exams, X-rays, fillings, extractions, and cleanings. Patients needing more complex work were encouraged to return for follow-up care.
According to Halima Karim, DDS, FAGD, FACD, director and clinical instructor of the Division of General Practice at Shady Grove, the demand for care keeps growing. About 1,700 people registered for 80 treatment slots, she said. That’s up 700 from the spring event.
“I feel like that is a big difference from years prior for sure. It goes to show there’s a lot more need,” said Karim, who noted that patients were lined up outside before staff began arriving.
She also credited the long partnership with Catholic Charities and word of mouth on social media for the increased registrations. Some people, she said, had signed up for parents and friends who aren’t comfortable registering online.
At the center of the day was Ramsay Koury, DMD, a clinical assistant professor and director of general practice, who was recently named the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s 2026 Founders Week Public Servant of the Year. Since 2016 he has organized more than 20 Mission of Mercy events in Baltimore, Montgomery County, and the Eastern Shore.
“He’s been my go-to person with anything. He’s the best,” said Tom Ritter, DDS, a member of the Dean’s Faculty who has done dental relief work around the world. He said Koury is skilled at keeping a crowded, fast-moving clinic on track.
“He knows how to get people working as a team, and that’s super important,” Ritter said.
Koury, who found his way into dentistry and then teaching through mission trips, said he believes he was called to the work.
“I’ve been very fortunate and I believe in giving back,” he said. “This event reinforces everything I’ve ever done in my life with both dentistry and volunteering and teaching. It’s a no-brainer for me. This is where I belong.”
He added that he’s most rewarded by watching nervous students grow into confident clinicians. “I don’t have kids of my own, so this is my legacy, so to speak.”
His hope is that students learn to love volunteering.
“If just a few of them catch the volunteering bug and catch the ‘Yes, I need to give back, I need to give more as a professional, I need to help people that need help. If I’ve just convinced a few of them to do that the rest of their life, I’ve accomplished way more than the 80 patients that we see today,” Koury said.
Fourth-year student Onyedikachukwu Okafor is one of those students. He returned to Mission of Mercy after assisting last year as a D3. On Oct. 16 he did two fillings, and he said he was glad to do whatever patients needed.
“Being able to provide care for patients who don’t have the opportunity or have the resources to get the care,” he said, “it's pretty cool.”
