Dr. Sheela Tummala – Chief Dental Officer, Community Health Center, Inc.

Dr. Sheela Tummala has served as the Chief Dental Officer at Community Health Center, Inc. (CHC, Inc.)—one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in Connecticut—since 2016. She began her public health career in 2006 after graduating from the New York University College of Dentistry in 2003. Prior to dental school, Dr. Tummala earned a Masters in Public Health from Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green Kentucky. 

She completed a General Practice Residency at the Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in Queens, New York, one of the city's busiest hospitals, where she gained extensive clinical experience.

Since joining CHC, Inc., Dr. Tummala has played a critical leadership role in advancing comprehensive dental care. She oversees the entire dental department, including mobile dental services, and manages recruitment, staffing, retention, career development, and the quality of clinical care. Dr. Tummala began her tenure at CHC, Inc. as a general dentist, later becoming an on-site dental director before assuming the Chief Dental Officer role.

Dr. Tummala has served as Chair of the Dental Quality Improvement Committee since 2006. In this role, she has been instrumental in developing clinical protocols, infection control procedures, sterilization standards, and designing chart audit tools for both dentists and dental hygienists.

Her leadership extends into grants and funding, where she collaborates with CHC’s grants team to secure funding that supports senior care and community outreach. Recently, she played a key role in obtaining two significant dental grants: one from HRSA for oral telehealth, and another for dental-medical integration.

In 2018, Dr. Tummala was honored with the Outstanding National Clinical Leadership Award from the National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA). Her contributions also include co-authoring research, including a study on oral Triazolam published in the Journal of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Deeply committed to community service, Dr. Tummala has led numerous outreach initiatives, including organizing Mission of Mercy events within CHC to expand access to dental care for underserved populations.