Steve Higginbotham named Crain’s Notable Leader in Health Care

Smile America Partners is proud to announce Steve Higginbotham, CEO, has been recognized by Crain’s Detroit Business as a Notable Leader in Health Care. This recognition showcases his outstanding leadership abilities and dedication to bringing dental care to underserved children who need it most.

Crain’s Notable Leaders in Health Care recognizes the professionals who are shaping the future of the industry.

With nearly a decade of leadership at Smile America Partners, Higginbotham, a resident of Troy, Michigan, has been instrumental in transforming the organization into the world’s leading dental service organization specializing in mobile and portable dentistry. Smile America Partners now serves approximately 450,000 underserved schoolchildren annually across 20 states, thanks to the more than 1,000 team members who carry out the mission of bringing smiles and good oral health where they are needed.

One of Higginbotham’s most significant career achievements came during the COVID-19 pandemic. When schools shut down, cutting off access to in-school dental care for thousands of children, he and his team quickly developed a tele-dentistry program to ensure that health education and screenings could continue. After schools reopened, Higginbotham led a rapid expansion effort to rebuild the in-school program and meet the increased needs of children who had missed out on dental care during the closures.

“I’m deeply honored to be recognized as a Notable Leader in Health Care,” Higginbotham said. “This recognition reflects the incredible work of our entire team who are committed to making a difference in the lives of underserved children. Bringing dental care to those who need it most—particularly in challenging times like the pandemic—has been both a personal and professional mission. Together, we’ve been able to expand access to critical dental services for thousands of children in across the country.”

The full list of honorees can be found here.