Summer 2011_Newsletter HDA - Hispanic Dental Association
Transcription
Summer 2011_Newsletter HDA - Hispanic Dental Association
News & Reports National Headquarters: 3085 Stevenson Drive, Suite 200 Springfield, IL 62703 Phone: 217.529.6517 www.hdassoc.org Issue Number 165 - Summer 2011 “As the leading voice for Hispanic oral health we provide SERVICE, EDUCATION, ADVOCACY, and LEADERSHIP for the elimination of oral health disparities in the Hispanic community.” HDA Professional Chapter Council Meets in Plano, Texas HDA’s first President Dr. Francisco Rivera Hidalgo with current President Margo Melchor, RDH, MEd The HDA Professional Chapter Council which consists of the President and Vice President of each Chapter gathered together with HDA national leaders, President Margo Melchor, RDH, MEd, President-Elect Dr. Lilia Larin, Treasurer Dr. Tyrone Rodriguez, Executive Director Dr. C. Yolanda Bonta, and Associate Director Rita Brummett. The two-day meeting event sponsored by the DentaQuest Foundation was held at the Marriott Hotel in Plano, Texas on June 10-11, 2011. The purpose of the Council is to provide a venue for support and collaborative actions between the national component of the HDA and the local component Professional Chapters. Special guest speakers included Therese Long, Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) Executive Director, Craig Harlan, Procter & Gamble Regional Manager – Southwest, Dana Moon, Procter & Gamble District Manager – Southeast, Robyn Miller, Procter & Gamble Territory Manager – Dallas, and Dr. Doyle Williams, Chief Dental Officer for DentaQuest. There was a very special surprise guest as well – Dr. Francisco Rivera Hidalgo – the very first President of the Hispanic Dental Association stopped by to greet everyone! The HDA has nine Professional Chapters in the following geographic regions: Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Antonio, San Diego, and Eastern Washington. Each of the Chapter representatives were given an opportunity to share with the Council about their Chapter activities, exchange ideas, strategize and network with their peers. Dr. Bonta reviewed with the Council the results of the pre-meeting See Council Meets page 5 Some of the council participants included Dr. Zuzana Mendez (Boston), Dr. Eduardo Tanur (Dallas), Dr. Christina Gonzales (San Antonio), Dr. Regina Espinoza (Los Angeles). Colgate-Palmolive Partners with the HDA to Kick off 2011 “Oral Health Month” Campaign Campaign targets U.S. Hispanic community to join the “fight for zero cavities” through free oral health education and screenings The Colgate-Palmolive Company has joined the Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) to celebrate the kick off of Colgate’s “Oral Health Month.” This annual campaign encourages the U.S. Hispanic community to join Colgate’s “fight for zero cavities” by educating families about the importance of proper oral care. See Oral Health Month on page 8 Message from the President Greetings members, 2011 Board of Trustees President Margo Y. Melchor, RDH, MEd Houston, Texas President Elect Lilia Larin, DDS National City, California Vice President Maritza Morell, DDS, MS, MPH Boston, Massachusetts Treasurer Tyrone Rodriguez, DDS Houston, Texas Immediate Past President Victor Rodriguez, DDS Houston, Texas Trustees Vidal Balderas, DDS, MPH San Antonio, Texas Irubiel Barbosa, DDS Los Angeles, California Manuel Cordero, DDS, MAGD Sewell, New Jersey Lauro Medrano-Saldana Brooklyn, New York Tatiana Ramirez, RDH, MEd Stafford, Texas Esperanza Rodriguez, DDS Bronx, New York Adriana Segura, DDS, MS San Antonio, Texas Myriam Zambrano, RDH, BSDH Houston, Texas Student Trustee Ricardo Lugo Ann Arbor, Michigan Executive Director C. Yolanda Bonta, DMD, MS, MS Somerset, New Jersey I hope everyone is having a nice summer. Here in Texas, we are ready for winter! It has been very busy for HDA. You will be pleased to know that your association is shining with much visibility across the nation. We were invited to attend, give greetings or be recognized at the California Dental Association, California Dental Hygienists’ Association, the Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention, American Margo Y. Melchor, RDH, MEd President, HDA Dental Hygienists’ Association, and American Association of Women Dentists. Also, I was asked to be a panelist for the National Association of School Nurses with other representatives from the Association of Pediatrics, Pediatric Dentistry, NYU Nursing, ADHA, and ADA. At this meeting, I was shocked to learn that there are quite a number of schools in our nation who do not have a school nurse. So, you can see there is a need to support school nurses in their efforts to keep our children healthy and ready to learn. The outcome was to encourage and improve collaboration between school nurses and oral health professionals/organizations by providing resources and any means of delivery of oral health. In June, through the DentaQuest grant, we were able to hold the second annual Chapter Council meeting. Two leaders from each HDA professional chapter had the opportunity to share, network, and plan under our Strategic Plan. An outcome from this meeting is the implementation of the HDA national Career Recruitment Day in September (during Hispanic Heritage Month). Each professional and student chapter is encouraged to go out in their community into a middle school and present a presentation on promoting oral health professions. Many thanks to the Greater North Texas chapter for their wonderful, Texas hospitality at the meeting! Also through the grant, HDA will hold its first Congressional Briefing in Washington D.C. on September 21, 2011. Many thanks to our Advocacy Consultant, Andrew Kaffes, who is coordinating this monumental event! This event will enable HDA to present information of the IOM report with the need to reduce oral health disparities, and stress the importance of cultural awareness to congressional attendees. The May 2011 issue of Hispanic Business really grabbed my attention with its cover: “Explosive Hispanic Presence.” Their article on the 2010 Census was quite informative. There were several facts which caught my interest, and I wanted to share them with you: There are 50.5 million Hispanics in the U.S. (a 43 percent increase in 10 years) One of every six people in the U. S. is Hispanic One in four children is Hispanic (92 percent of those children are U.S. citizens) The number of Hispanics with bachelor’s or higher degrees has increased from 8.5 percent in 1985 to 13.2 percent in 2009 (this is well below the 27.3 percent of the general population that have such degrees) The Number of Hispanics in Congress increased from seven in 1985 to 25 in 2010. The 2010 census showed Hispanics not only poised to have a major influence throughout the nation, but to have increasing influence in years to come. This is an excellent example of why our HDA Recruitment Day is vital for the future of our youth (look forward to hearing about the events in the next newsletter). 2 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 See President’s Message page 3 217.529.6517 President’s Message... Continued from page 2 NEW HDA T-SHIRTS! HDA Committees are working diligently for our association and its members. The Faculty Advisor Committee and the HDA office have reached out to the appropriate university deans of our student chapters to make sure we have the correct Faculty Advisor(s) for each active HSDA chapter. Then they plan to send out a survey to the Faculty Advisors to learn more about their roles and any needs that HDA can assist them with. The survey outcome will enable the Committee to develop a HDA Faculty Advisor Manual. HDA knows that being an active Faculty Advisor (also HDA professional member) takes time beyond their academic role and we want to assist them in any way possible in mentoring or steering their student chapter with our mission and SEAL (Service, Education, Advocacy, Leadership) because these students are the future leaders and members of HDA. Thanks to Procter and Gamble who will sponsor the Faculty Reception at our annual meeting. We look forward to seeing those in attendance last year in Chicago and meeting new colleagues. The Governance Committee, chaired by Millie McClain, PhD, has been very busy reviewing revisions for the HDA Constitution and Bylaws. Their goal is to have this task completed by September, so it can be distributed to all HDA members and approved at our annual meeting. Congratulations to Committee member, Nick Panomitros, DDS, for passing the Chicago bar! His legal expertise will be an asset to our Association. The Public Relations Committee, chaired by Victor Rodriguez, DDS, has been meeting regularly to discuss how to further expose and increase the visibility of the HDA. The Scholarship Committee is preparing for the submissions of the student and resident scholarship applications. The Annual Planning Committee, chaired by Lilia Larin, DDS, has been working hard to prepare for the annual meeting. This year’s theme is “Hispanic Oral Health Without Borders”. This meeting will provide great educational and networking experiences for all attendees! Mark your calendars for November 3-5, 2011 in beautiful San Diego, California! Lastly, I want to thank our Associate Director, Rita Brummett for her role with the HDA the past 4-1/2 years. She leaves us to embark upon a new career adventure and we wish her all the best! Members can order them online at www.hdassoc.org for just $10/ each. Or, by calling the HDA Office at 800-852-7921. The shirts are Navy Blue with the HDA Logo and are available in sizes small through XXXLg. Did you also know that there are great resources available to HDA Members on the Association Website? If you haven’t done so lately, check out our website at: www.hdassoc.org. Sincerely, Margo Melchor, RDH, MEd 2011 HDA President Hispanic Oral Health You can earn up to 15.5 CDE credit hours plus an additional 6 CDE hours post-conference. C. Yolanda Bonta, HDA Executive Director Tamiko Kinkade, Newsletter Editor Rita Brummett, Associate Director Hilton San Diego Resort & Spa 1775 East Mission Bay Drive - San Diego, California HDA Annual Meeting November 3-5, 2011 Register online at www.hdassoc.org www.hdassoc.org National Headquarters: 3085 Stevenson Drive, Suite 200 Springfield, IL 62703 Phone: 217.529.6517 Fax: 217.529.9120 E-Mail: [email protected] www.hdassoc.org HDA News & Reports is published four times annually by the Hispanic Dental Association, and distributed to members and other dental professionals interested in the oral health of the Hispanic population. ©2011 Hispanic Dental Association 3 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 Message from the Executive Director An All-Inclusive Organization Originally published in: Compendium of Continuing Education in Dentistry. Copyright © 2011 to AEGIS Communications. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from the publisher. I n 2 0 1 0 , t h e H i s p a n i c D e nt a l Association (HDA) celebrated its 20th anniversary, reaffirming its mission to be the leading voice for Hispanic oral health, and to provide Service, Education, Advocacy, and Leadership (SEAL) for the elimination of oral health disparities in the Hispanic community. To achieve this goal, the HDA is reaching out strategically on a number of fronts—from the local neighborhood to the online community to Washington, DC—wherever it can make an impact on oral health. Fostering an all-inclusive dental community is integral to this mission. The organization’s reach extends well beyond the Hispanic population, and the association works closely with a broad range of individuals and organizations to communicate with Hispanic and nonHispanic dental professionals alike. The HDA website, www.hdassoc.org, details the SEAL philosophy, and the site has become the organization’s primary vehicle for disseminating information to Hispanic dental professionals and the broader dental community. The association continues to take significant strides to make www.hdassoc.org a “go to” resource for Hispanic oral health data. Recent additions include a new search function that accesses all content found on the site. For instance, a quick search of the term “caries” brings back HDAgenerated papers, meeting abstracts, student abstract presentations, and research findings relevant to the topic. The site will also include individual pages specific to each HDA chapter. In addition, any page on the site created by the HDA can now be translated into Spanish. (Those interested in submitting information to be considered for inclusion on the organization’s website can contact HDA national headquarters at 217-529-6517). ... reaffirming its mission to be the leading voice for Hispanic oral health, and to provide Service, Education, Advocacy, and Leadership (SEAL) for the elimination of oral health disparities in the Hispanic community. Fostering an all-inclusive dental community is integral to this mission. An expanded, improved website is just one component of the HDA’s plan for a greater online presence. The association currently has nine chapters, representing Boston, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, San Antonio, San Diego, New York, and Yakima, Washington, as well as 40 student chapters in 40 dental schools. In 2011, the HDA intends to create “cyberchapters,” which will allow members to become active with the association on a national level, in addition to being part of their respective local dental communities. To support its long-term goals, HDA has increased its focus on strategic planning. With the assistance of a DentaQuest Foundation grant, the association has brought on a government affairs consultant who has worked closely with the HDA legislative committee and board of directors to design a 5-year strategic plan for the organization. That plan will include expanding the HDA’s advocacy efforts into the nation’s capital where the association’s legislative committee will look to further open the lines of communication with the Hispanic caucuses, the oral health caucus, and key policymakers in Washington. The HDA’s strategic planning efforts have already led to the formation of the HDA Council of Chapters, a group composed of current and incoming presidents of the association’s nine chapters. The Council meets twice annually, developing and implementing 4 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 C. Yolanda Bonta, DMD, MS, MS Executive Director, HDA strategic planning initiatives for each chapter’s city and region, as well as generating projects and programs with a more national focus. One national initiative the HDA has recently launched is Dia del Dentista, or “day of the dentist.” The event, which the organization hopes to expand in 2012, is a daylong celebration of the dental professional’s important role. Conceived by HDA President-Elect Lilia Larin, DDS, Dia del Dentista was held on February 9 in honor of Saint Apollonia, the patron saint of dentistry. This year, some participating members combined the celebration with Give Kids a Smile Day (February 4). As part of the 2011 festivities, Wrigley generously distributed packs of Orbitz gum throughout the nine HDA chapters, with a caries prevention message enclosed in each individual package. As a proud participant in this vital program, the HDA has been a recipient of the ADA Gives Kids a Smile award for the past 2 years. Three chapters— Boston, Dallas, and Los Angeles—were acknowledged for their outreach work in their communities. The populations in these and other HDA chapter cities have their own unique needs, and each chapter has taken its own approach to promoting children’s oral health in their regions. Each group, however, had the same ultimate goal of communicating an important prevention message to patients in a variety of populations, and the effort displayed by all of the HDA chapters participating in the program is indicative of the collaborative, inclusive spirit that will carry the organization into 2011 and beyond. 217.529.6517 Council Meets ... Continued from page 1 survey and focused on discussion points. She and President Melchor provided an update on national HDA activities as well as a review of the national strategic plan. Dr. Rodriguez (Treasurer, Legislative Chair, and President of the Eastern Washington HDA) gave an advocacy report to the Council describing all current legislative activities and plans. Dr. Larin (President Elect and Membership Chair) offered an overview of the upcoming 2011 HDA Annual Meeting (San Diego, CA – November 3-5) and discussed with the Council about membership recruitment and retention along with potential changes in member categories and rates. A large portion of the meeting was devoted to allowing the Council to have an opportunity to develop collaborative goals between the national HDA and the local Chapters to further the mission of the Hispanic Dental Association. The North Texas (Dallas) HDA Professional Chapter hosted an evening Meet & Greet reception, sponsored by Procter & Gamble, at the Salata Restaurant in Plano. It was a wonderful opportunity for all the meeting attendees as well as the local chapter members, dental and dental hygiene students from Baylor College of Dentistry and Texas Womens University to network together. Further outcomes will be communicated to the membership. 2011 HDA Chapter Council Participants Eastern Washington: Dr. Tyrone Rodriguez and Belen Lopez, Dental Assistant Greater Chicago: Dr. Gene Rome, Jr. and Dr. Cesar Otero Greater Houston: Dr. Alexandra Garcia Greater San Antonio: Dr. Christina Gonzales and Dr. Norma Reyes Los Angeles / LDC: Dr. Regina Espinoza and Carlos Sanchez, RDH, MPH Massachusetts: Dr. Zuzana Mendez and Dr. Jose Camillo Segura New York: Dr. Esperanza Rodriguez North Texas: Dr. Edith Cortes-Rosene and Dr. Eduardo Tanur San Diego / Baja: Dr. Glenda Urias and Dr. Mario Orozco The 2011 HDA Chapter Council was a great success – and we would like to give special thanks and recognition to those who helped make it happen: DentaQuest Foundation Organization for Safety, Asepsis and Prevention (OSAP) Procter & Gamble North Texas HDA Meet & Greet San Antonio Chapter Presentation Dr. Doyle Williams, Chief Dental Officer, DentaQuest. The HDA congratulates Dr. Ruth W. Bol as the new President of The Society of American Indian Dentists (SAID) and thanks Past President Dr. Dave Smith for all of his tremendous contributions in building SAID and fostering collaborations like those with the HDA and the National Dental Association. Dr. Bol was raised in Bakersfield, CA. She is from the Comanche tribe in Lawton, Oklahoma. She graduated from Cal-State Bakersfield Magna Cum Laude in 2000. She then attended school at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco where she graduated in 2003. Dr. Bol completed her pediatric residency at UCLA. She also holds a master’s degree in Public Health. Dr. Bol has been very involved in her community and is a part of various dental professional groups such as: California Dental Association, American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, California Society of Pediatric Dentists and the Diversity in Leadership Institute. She serves on the board of the CDA Foundation and will soon be inducted in fellowship of the American College of Dentists. Dr. Bol currently runs a pediatric dental practice in Menifee, CA. She has been a member of SAID since 2004 and has been part of the Executive Committee/Board since 2005. Dr. Bol has great passion for the fostering and mentoring of leadership. As one of her goals during her presidency, Dr. Bol is starting a campaign on Recruitment and Retaining New Leadership. Congratulations! www.hdassoc.org 5 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 HDA Advocacy Consultant HDA Playing Important Role on Capitol Hill The Advocacy component of HDA’s “SEAL Program” is taking form. Over the course of the spring and early summer a flurry of activity has occurred that has elevated the visibility of the Hispanic Dental Association on Capitol Hill and proved the Andrew Kaffes organization’sadvocacy effectiveness. Legislative Consultant In March, an introductory letter from HDA President Margo Melchor was sent to targeted congressional offices. We received several positive responses from congressional staff indicating that they look forward to working with HDA, including, most importantly, from the chairmen of the congressional caucuses with which we aspire to work. We capitalized on this interest by setting up introductory meetings for HDA, which occurred March 25, 2011. HDA President Margo Melchor, Legislative Committee Chair Dr. Tyrone Left to Right: Heidi Ross, Health Policy Advisor, Office of U.S. Rodriguez, and Executive Director Dr. Yolanda Bonta participated. Congressman Elijah Cummings of Maryland, HDA President Margo The meetings were with the Office of Congressman Elijah Cummings, Melchor, RDH, MEd, Dr. Tyrone Rodriguez (HDA Treasurer and co-chair, Congressional Oral Health Caucus; Office of Congressman Legislative Chair), Dr. Rodriguez’ son, and Andrew Kaffes (HDA Mike Simpson, who is the founder and co-chair, Congressional Oral Health Caucus; and the Office of Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, chair, Advocacy Consultant). Congressional Hispanic Conference.At all three meetings, HDA provided an overview of the organization, its mission, and service programs to the community. Moreover, discussions were held about how HDA can help to elevate visibility of oral health issues through education and outreach while maximizing its resources. In my opinion, this was an excellent “first step” on Capitol Hill. Key audiences on Capitol Hill came away with a greater understanding of HDA and what the organization can bring to the table. Moreover, we continue to follow-up with meetings and communications with additional congressional offices, including the Office of Congressman Charles Gonzalez, who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. This groundwork proved helpful during a May advocacy campaign to keep the Division of Oral Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from being downgraded. HDA contributed to the effort by garnering congressional support for a congressional letter that was sent to House appropriators urging them to do what they can to prevent the downgrade. In total, 46 House members signed the letter. In April, the Institute of Medicine issued a report brief titled, “Advancing Oral Health in America” was issued. Among the IOM report brief’s many objectives, it supports HDA’s calls for cultural competency and oral health literacy as well as a reduction of oral health Advertise in the HDA News disparities. It also expresses the difficulties underserved populations have in attaining quality access to care. The IOM report brief provides an excellent opportunity for HDA & Reports to spotlight the importance placed on cultural competency, oral health literacy, and the reduction of oral health disparities by an independent, non-governmental organization, and I am pleased to state HDA will do with its first-ever congressional briefing hosted in The HDA News & Reports is a quarterly cooperation with the Congressional Oral Health Caucus on September 21, 2011. This is newsletter provided to our members evidence of yet another exciting step forward for HDA. and others who share our interest in Finally, the HDA web site added an “Advocacy” web page thanks to the help of improving the oral health of the Hispanic Executive Director Yolanda Bonta and Associate Director Rita Brummett. This is an community. The deadline for classified important step to help HDA provide resources of information, legislative developments, and display advertisements in the Fall and policy positions. The first piece of resource information provided on the Advocacy Newsletter is September 1st. web page is an explanation of the Oral Health Caucus and a link to a listing of its members. We encourage HDA members to help grow the Oral Health Caucus. Therefore, please For information about display or check this page often for legislative updates and key action alerts. classified advertising, contact the HDA at [email protected]. 6 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 217.529.6517 A Demographic Portrait of Hispanics in Puerto Rico The Hispanic Dental Association in cooperation with Representatives Mike Simpson and Elijah Cummings Co-Chairs, Congressional Oral Health Caucus ~ invite you to a briefing ~ Oral Health & Your Overall Well-being: Why Reducing Health Disparities & Fostering Cultural Awareness Matter Wednesday, September 21, 2011 9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. 122 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC SPEAKERS Clemencia Vargas, DDS, PhD, Associate Professor, University of Maryland Dental School, will share her experiences and findings as a member of the Committee on An Oral Health Initiative, which issued the Institute of Medicine’s April 2011 report brief, “Advancing Oral Health in America,” with a focus on the importance of reducing health disparities. Sarita Arteaga, DMD, MAGD, Associate Clinical Professor, University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine, Department of Reconstructive Sciences, will stress the importance of fostering cultural awareness in providing quality oral health care. The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, today released a statistical profile of Hispanics in Puerto Rico. It describes the demographic and economic characteristics of Hispanics living in Puerto Rico, and compares these characteristics with those of Puerto Rican-origin Hispanics living in the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia (D.C.) as well as with all Hispanics living in the 50 U.S. states and D.C. The profile is based on the Center’s tabulations of the Census Bureau’s 2009 Puerto Rican Community Survey and American Community Survey. The 2010 U.S. Census counted 3.7 million Hispanics living in Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States. By contrast, the population of Puerto Rican-origin Hispanics in the 50 U.S. states and D.C. was larger, at 4.6 million, having surpassed Puerto Rico’s Hispanic population during the last decade. Nearly a third of Puerto Rican-origin Hispanics in the 50 U.S. states and D.C. were born in Puerto Rico, according to Pew Hispanic Center tabulations from the 2009 American Community Survey. The statistical profile is available at the Pew Hispanic Center’s website, www.pewhispanic.org. The Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, is a nonpartisan, nonadvocacy research organization based in Washington, D.C. and is funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts. Please RSVP in the affirmative only to the Hispanic Dental Association at [email protected] by Monday, September 19, 2011. The Hispanic Dental Association (HDA) is a national, non-profit organization comprised of oral health professionals and students dedicated to promoting and improving the oral health of the Hispanic community and providing advocacy for Hispanic oral health professionals across the US. The Association works with a wide spectrum of individuals and organizations to communicate to Hispanic and non-Hispanic dental professionals, students, and the public. www.hdassoc.org 7 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 Oral Health Month ... Continued from page 1 Association of State & Territorial Dental Directors WEBINAR Cultural Competency for Hispanic Populations Monday, August 29, 2011 3:00 pm ET Presenter: Dr. Sarita Arteaga, Hispanic Dental Association The Hispanic population currently represents 14 percent of the U.S. population (about 41 million people) and projections by the Census Bureau place the percentage of Hispanics in the U.S. at one in three residents by the year 2050. Better understanding of the needs of Hispanic populations as an oral health care provider or dental public health professional will improve health care outcomes in the Hispanic community. This webinar is designed to increase dental professionals’ cultural awareness of the needs of Hispanic populations. Educational Objectives Define issues related to cultural awareness of the Hispanic community Describe Hispanic cultural values, health practices and beliefs Explain the importance of cultural awareness and understand how cultural beliefs shape clinical and educational encounters in the provision of oral health care Call in information will be provided by e-gram to HDA membership. Information will also be available on the HDA website: www.hdassoc.org. “Our growing Latino population tends to encounter greater deficiencies in oral care for a number of reasons, such as language barriers and lack of familiarity with healthcare resources,” says Carla Kelly, General Manager, U.S. Multicultural Marketing, Colgate-Palmolive Company. “At Colgate, we care about the health and well-being of our consumers. We’re proud to to host our Oral Health Month campaign again alongside the HDA, in an effort to provide oral health education and resources to Hispanic families across the country.” The Hispanic population has become the largest minority group in the United States, resulting in an increase in oral health care demands. In fact, minority populations bear a disproportionate burden of oral disease in the United States, according to a recent report by the U.S. Surgeon General. Current data indicates that Hispanics have less access to dental care and are half as likely to visit the dentist regularly - in fact, approximately 51% of Hispanic adults (aged 18-64) in the U.S. did not go to the dentist in 2009. “Unfortunately, the growing rate of oral health disparities continues to have a major impact on Hispanics in the U.S.,” says Margo Melchor, RDH, MEd, President, Hispanic Dental Association. “The Hispanic Dental Association is dedicated to helping improve oral care among Hispanics and is proud to support Colgate’s Oral Health Month. This month, our HDA professional and student members will be reaching out to underserved Hispanic communities by providing free dental screenings and oral hygiene education to children via Colgate’s Bright Smiles, Bright FuturesTM program.” With the support of the HDA, Colgate’s “Oral Health Month” will target Hispanic households through bilingual oral health education materials and activities available at participating retailers, dental offices, and online. Colgate’s flagship program Bright Smiles, Bright FuturesTM will also travel to underserved communities,in key markets 8 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 throughout June to provide free oral health education, dental screenings, and treatment referrals to children, as well as education for parents on how they can maintain their families’ oral health. To learn more about Colgate’s Oral Health Month, please visit our bi-lingual website at www.Colgate.com/OHM or call Colgate’s Oral Health Month line at 1-888-646-2011 for information on Bright Smiles Bright FuturesTM van visits, providing free dental screenings and education to children and families in need. Colgate-Palmolive is a leading global consumer products company, tightly focused on Oral Care, Personal Care, Home Care and Pet Nutrition. 0Colgate sells its products in over 200 countries and territories around the world under such internationally recognized brand names as Colgate, Palmolive, Mennen, Softsoap, Irish Spring, Protex, Sorriso, Kolynos, elmex, Tom’s of Maine, Ajax, Axion, Soupline, and Suavitel, as well as Hill’s Science Diet and Hill’s Prescription Diet. 0For more information about Colgate’s global business, visit the Company’s web site at http://www.colgate.com. To learn more about Colgate’s global oral health education program, Bright Smiles, Bright Futures TM, please visit http://www. colgatebsbf.com . Activities scheduled for the month of June, 2011. Geographic Regions to be served: Atlanta, Georgia Chicago, Illinois Dallas, Texas Houston, Texas Los Angeles, California Miami, Florida New York, New York San Antonio, Texas There will be a recap of all volunteer activities in the next HDA newsletter. 217.529.6517 Welcome HDA New Members New HDA Professional Members as of July 1, 2011 Cindy Almanzar, New York, NY Giselle Alvarez, San Antonio, TX Jay Andersen, Westborough, MA Ryan Andersen, Yakima, WA Matthew Artho, Sachse, TX Viviana Avila-Gnau, Boston, MA Jennifer Bankler, San Antonio, TX Nilly Borovoy, Dallas, TAS Emilia Brasil, Brookline, MA Anthony Callison, Dallas, TX Liliam Castellanos, San Antonio, TX Vanesa Clements, Frisco, TX Maribel De La Rosa, Lawrence , MA Vilma De Leon, La Crescenta, CA Mark Doherty, Westborough, MA Sandra Esparza Elias, Anaheim, CA Juan Espinoza, Lafayette Hill, PA Regina Espinoza, Winnetka, CA Marcia Falloure, Austin, TX Daniel Figueiredo, Jamaica Plain, MA Victoria Garcia, Bronx, NY Carlos Garza, Atlanta, GA Marlyce Godoy, Buffalo, NY Marnin Goldenstein, Phoenix , AZ Ana Gossweiler, Indianapolis, IN Steven Gounardes, Brooklyn, NY Marines Guzman, Bronx, NY Sean Hanson, Salem, OR Eric Haynam, Davis, CA Michelle Holmes, Wilmington, NC Bret Ibarra, Houston, TX Georgina Jamison, Beaumont, CA Cristina King, East Syracuse, NY Katia Lemke, Sugar Land , TX Kari Lindefjeld Calabi, Greenfield, MA Belen Lopez, Moses, WA Susan Lopez, Mountain View, CA Eduardo Lorenzana, San Antonio, TX Michael Madden, Minneapolis, MN Monica Maldonado, Methuen, MA Karen Marino, Houston, TX Grecy Martinez, New York, NY Jose Martinez, Chula Vista, CA Vickie Martinez, San Antonio, TX Christina Meiners, San Antonio, TX Glena Millan, Boston, MA Angela Morales, Malden, MA Estela Murillo, Pico Rivera, CA Alma Nava, Farmington Hills, MI Adam Ortega, Dallas, TX Ruben Ovadia, Dallas, TX Rosa Pelaez-Shelton, Farmington , CT Carolina Perdomo Ruiz, Cambridge , MA Daymary Pinero-Aguilar, Wakefield, MA Corina Ramirez, Monterey Park, CA Belinda Reyes-Vasquez, Whittier, CA Felix Rodriguez, Bronx, NY Michele Roman, Boston, MA Paola Romero, San Antonio, TX Chris Roussos, Dallas, TX Edward, Ruiz, Homewood, IL Santina, Saldana, San Antonio, TX Carlos, Sanchez, Burbank, CA Luis , Sanchez, IRVING, TX Ilse, Savelli, Chula Vista , CA Ernesto, Schwedhelm, Seattle, WA Jose, Segura, Boston , MA Claudia, Serna, Miami, FL Genoveba, Smirlian Hagopian, Las Vegas, NV Carol, Summerhays, San Diego, CA Jose, Turcois, Little Rock, AR Valerie , Vargas, Del Rio, TX Daniel, Vasquez, Oceanside, CA Guadalupe, Villa, San Diego, CA Martha, Wade, Houston, TX Leslie, Winston, Mason, OH Adriana , Young, Schertz, TX Guy, Yturralde, Brawley, CA Karla, Zapata, Houston, TX Patricia, Zarruk, Little Rock, AR New HDA Student Members as of July 1, 2011 Carmen Aguiar Altamirano, Los Angeles, CA Ruth Alvarez, Corona, CA Rose Amable, Tarrytown, NY Radha Amin, Philadelphia, PA Danielle Antal, Tallahassee, FL Seciah Aquino, Gardena, CA Daniela Arias, Columbia, SC Christian Boliere, Augusta, GA Tonja CalhounMason, Stafford, TX Adriana Castiblanco, Lilburn, GA Saige Chavez, Dover, NH Christopher Cheong, Philadelphia, PA Samuel Cho, Pittsburgh, PA Berta Crespin, Daly City, San Francisco, CA Antonio Diaz, San Francisco, CA Amy Didato, Augusta, GA Uyen Do, Kennesaw, GA James Duncan, Tempe, AZ Valentina Espinosa, Gainesville, FL Ruben Espinoza, San Francisco, CA Vincent Ferretti, San Bernardino, CA Daniel Figueiredo, Jamaica Plain, MA www.hdassoc.org Marie Font, Toa Alta, PR Sandra Frederick, Sterling Heights, MI Amir Ghalehgol, Augusta, GA Carlos Griswold, Augusta, GA Luis Gutierrez, Sunnyvale, CA Dana Hailat, Evans, GA Francisco Herrero-Nater, New York, NY Andrew Johns, Memphis, TN Maria Lara, Provo, UT Priscilla Luna, Commerce, CA Jennifer Maille, San Antonio, TX Rubi Marconi, Bayside, NY Garrick McGrath, North Augusta, SC Brian Mitchell, North Augusta, GA June Murakaru, Marietta, GA Perrice Murray, Sugar Hill, GA Janine Musheno, Clarks Summit, PA Jose Navarro, Augusta, GA Fernando Neira, Guttenberg, NJ Thao Nguyen, Houston, TX Sarah Ordonez, Greenlawn, NY Alejandra Ortega, North Bergen, NJ Lida Paez, Augusta, GA Devon Paris, Augusta, GA Benjamin Pass, New York, NY Dhara Patel, Norcross, GA Shivani Patel, Alpharetta, GA Azadeh Paziraei, Augusta , GA Arturo Perez, Fort Valley, GA Rachel Quevedo, Miami, FL Natalia Restrepo-Kennedy, Iowa City, IA Genifer Rouse, Martinez, GA Jilly Shao, Los Angeles, CA Thomas Suitt, Augusta, GA Marko Tadros, Martinez, GA Alicia Thomas, Statesboro, GA Chad Thomas, Millen, GA Shannon Thorsteinson, Augusta, GA Karina Toledo9, Danbury, CT Ruby Truong, Augusta, GA Raquel Villalobos, Allen Park, MI Tameika Wheeler, Augusta, GA Karrie White, Lompoc, CA Michael Winstead, Augusta, GA 9 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 Achieving Total Practice Success 10 Targets that will dramatically improve practice performance in 2011 Schedule 100% of new patients within 7–10 days. If you make patients wait too long, they will seek dental care elsewhere. If patients are requesting your services, you don’t want to make them wait. With too much time on their hands, patients will either become de-motivated or seek treatment elsewhere. Reduce no-show rates to 1% or less. Neither the patient nor the doctor benefits by a broken appointment. Obviously, you can’t treat a patient who isn’t there. Train your team to build value for appointments and recommended treatment. Confirm all appointments 48 hours in advance via cell phone, texting and email. Achieving Total Practice Success Setting specific, measurable targets for your practice and implementing the systems to achieve those goals are critical to creating a successful practice. Targets motivate you and your team to improve performance. When supported by step-by-step systems and value creation scripting, targets are one of the best management tools for jumpstarting growth and increasing production. Targets can take your practice from where it is to where you want it to be. But targets can’t do it alone. You need to build systems to achieve targets, and the best systems are built using value creation scripting. These three things—targets, systems and value creation scripting—are essential for practices to grow in this economy and realize their full potential. Achieve 90% case acceptance. Patients who say “yes” will have better oral health outcomes, and your practice will experience greater success. Enhance the verbal skills of your team. Implement value creation scripting and roleplay scripts during morning meetings. Collect 99% of your adjusted production. You deserve to be paid for the work you perform. Remember, you only have what you collect, not what you produce. Don’t try to play “banker.” Use patient financing from a dental-knowledgeable company to make treatment more affordable patients. Spend 98% of your time on patient care. Delegate administrative tasks such as scheduling and collections to your well-trained staff who are using step-by-step systems. Remember, you went to dental school to provide patients the highest levels of oral health care. You didn’t become a doctor to answer phones and run the schedule—that’s why you have a team! Have 98% of your patients on the schedule. Patients should not leave the office without scheduling their next appointment. It’s always easier dealing with patients face-to-face than trying to get them on the phone at home or work. Collect 90% of your accounts receivable within 30 days and the rest within 60 days. The longer it takes to collect, the greater the chance of non-payment. Emphasize to patients that payment should be made at the time of service, including any insurance co-payments. Have at least 40% of your patients refer someone else to your practice. Provide such a “WOW” experience that they will refer friends and neighbors. “Word-of-mouth” advertising is the most effective and least expensive form of marketing. Reduce overhead percentages by 5 - 7%. Growing production is the best way to reduce overhead as a percentage of collection. In addition, practices should look at every expense category for opportunities to reduce costs. The target for a GP practice should be 59% or lower. Specialty practices would have an even lower target. Roger P. Levin, DDS Chairman & CEO Levin Group, Inc. Grow production by 15% over the next 12 months. Your daily goal should be aligned with hitting this target. Put in the updated systems—case presentation, marketing, scheduling, etc. —that fuel practice growth. By consistently hitting the daily target, you’ll achieve the annual goal. www.levingroup.com Copyright© 2011 by Levin Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. Targets are your key to greater success in 2011. Set challenging targets… update systems to reach those objectives… use value creation scripting to train your team… Do all these things and you’ll have a more successful practice this year! 10 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 217.529.6517 The Maryland Children’s Oral Health Institute is proud to announce the launch of Smiles Change Lives! Code Red: The Oral Health Crisis In Your Classroom© Empowering the Teacher to Teach Oral Health Education - A curriculum Resource Reference. HDA thanks all of our dental professionals who selflessly give of their time and talents. We would like to spotlight Drs. Carlos Nurko and Eduardo Tanur of the North Texas Hispanic Dental Association professional chapter for their pro bono dental services for a young patient receiving care through Smiles Change Lives (a non-profit organization providing medicallynecessary, orthodontic treatment for children from low-income families). Edgar Soria is on the road to a beautiful smile because of our awesome HDA members! The Maryland Children’s Oral Health Institute has coordinated this oral health literacy movement to sensitize teachers to the impact that poor dental health can have on classroom performance. Our nonprofit organization will work together with dentists, dental students, physicians, school nurses, corporate supporters, legislative leaders, government, parents and educators to help advance this undertaking. This handbook contains many valuable curriculum resources that can help to elevate the wellbeing of entire families. The commitment of teachers to incorporate oral health education into their lesson plans is of fundamental importance to the concerted efforts to reduce and eventually end the oral health crisis in classrooms and throughout society. Code Red: The Oral Health Crisis In Your Classroom© aims to achieve the following objectives by empowering primary and secondary school educators to: Appreciate the essential need to establish oral health education as part of the elementary, middle and high school curriculum. Integrate oral health lessons with teaching mathematics, reading, music, science, history and comprehensive health education. Access materials and provide literature about proper dental hygiene and oral disease prevention. Have an increased awareness of the devastating effects that tooth decay has on a student’s ability to learn. Identify physical, emotional and behavioral signs and symptoms of dental disease when a child is in the classroom. For more information visit: http://www.mycohi.org Life Outside the Practice Dr. Eduardo Tanur, President of the North Texas HDA and his daughter Michelle on a skydiving adventure. www.hdassoc.org 11 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 HDA Professional Chapter News The 2011 Greater San Antonio Hispanic Dental Association Annual Gala The Greater San Antonio Hispanic Dental Association (GSA HDA) held its 2011 Annual Gala, on Saturday, May 7, 2011 at the Holiday Inn Riverwalk in the heart of San Antonio, Texas. This gala celebrated the successes of the past year as GSA HDA continues to advance its mission, “As the leading voice for Hispanic oral health we provide Service, Education, Advocacy, and Leadership for the elimination of oral health disparities in the Hispanic community”. In attendance were over 280 members, students, honorary guests and friends who have supported the organization for the last six years. The Gala opened with a social hour with entertainment provided by a pianist and violinist from the GSA HDA High School Pre-dental Club. The returning master of ceremonies was the local voice of jazz, David Munoz. GSA HDA had the privilege of having the Texas Secretary of State, the Honorable Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, give the keynote speech at the Gala. The key note speaker was the Texas Secretary of State, the Honorable Hope Andrade. Madam Secretary Andrade spoke of her humble upbringing and joked about her own dental phobias. She stressed the importance of raising our children to be trilingual; to speak English, Spanish, and education. The GSA HDA Presidential Award for Community Service was presented to Kenneth L. Kalkwarf, D.D.S., M.S., the current Dean of the Dental School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Kalkwarf was selected for his commitment to the advancement of dental education and numerous collaborative venues between GSA HDA and the dental school. HDA Past President, Dr. Victor Rodriguez, presented a plaque to outgoing GSA HDA President, Dr. Frank Ramos for his outstanding leadership and service on behalf of HDA. The presentation continued with the passing of the gavel from the 2009-2011 GSA HDA President, Frank Ramos, DDS, to the new President, Christina R. Gonzales, DDS, a board certified pediatric dentist. Dr. Gonzales spoke of the advancements GSA HDA has made in mentorship and introduced the new B.O.L.D. (Building our Leaders in Dentistry) mentorship program. The B.O.L.D. program will focus on exposure, mentorship and service for students in high school through dental school. Students from Health Careers High School, University of Texas at San Antonio, the University of Incarnate Word, St. Mary’s University, and Texas A&M Kingsville were in attendance. The new officers were also introduced and thanked for their dedication. Vidal Balderas, DDS, MPH, a past president of GSA HDA, and Juanita Lozano-Pineda, DDS, then awarded scholarships to eight students totaling $3,000. The dental student recipients were Brigid Buck, Taylor Goggins, Hilda Yanez, and Flor Moreno. The dental hygiene student recipients were Rocio Flores and Alberto Montemayor. The GSA HDA High School Pre-dental club members who received a scholarship in recognition for their early commitment to dentistry and service were Danielle Briones and Roshan George. Dean of the Dental School at UTHSCSA, Dr. Kenneth Kalkwarf (left), received the Presidential Award for Community Service. United States Congressman Francisco “Quico” Canseco (TX-23), was also in attendance (right). The presentation concluded with the presentation of a $500 check to the Mexican American Hispanic Physicians Association by Roger Campos, DDS, past present of GSA HDA, to contribute to their scholarship fund honoring the late Barbie Hernandez. Ms. Hernandez was vital in making GSA HDA’s first Gala a success. GSA HDA would like to thank its 2011 Annual Gala sponsors for their generous donations; Campos Family Dental, Absolute Dental Care, BBVA Compass, E. Laura Bonilla, D.D.S., Christina Gonzales, DDS, Eduardo R. Lorenzana, DDS, MS, Oscar Pineda and Juanita Lozano-Pineda DDS, and Procter & Gamble/Crest. 12 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 217.529.6517 HDA Professional Chapter News Carmen Campos, Dr. Roger Campos (Past President of GSA HDA), Dr. John Schmitz (President of the San Antonio District Dental Society). The 2011-2012 Current GSA HDA Officers (left to right): President - Dr. Christina Gonzales, President Elect - Dr. Norma Reyes, Secretary - Paola Romero RDA, Immediate Past President - Dr. Frank Ramos. Not present: Treasurer - Dr. Christina Meiners, Scientific Chair - Dr. E. Laura Bonilla. Dr. Juanita Lozano-Pineda (center) with the senior dental student scholarship recipients: Dr. Brigid Buck, Dr. Flor Moreno, Dr. Taylor Goggins, and Dr. Hilda Yanez (left to right) Pre-dental college students pose behind the GSA HDA ice sculpture. Pictured are 7 of the 8 Greater Houston Hispanic Dental Association (GHHDA) Presidents. Back row, Dr. Giancarlo Romero, Dr. Aldo Sordelli, Dr. Victor Rodriguez. Front row, Margo Melchor, RDH,MEd, Dr. Anna Munne, Dr. Alexandra Garcia, Tatiana Ramirez, RDH, MEd. www.hdassoc.org 13 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 HDA Professional Chapter News The Los Angeles HDA / Latinos for Dental Careers Professional Chapter participated in a volunteer event with MEND (Meet Each Need With Dignity). The MEND program is completely volunteer based – we thank the members of the HDA who generously gave of their time and talents. Dr. Alejandro Hurtado 11PT7160_hispanic 12/9/10 11:23 AM Dr. Regina Page 1 Espinoza, Chapter President Dr. Irubiel Barbosa Henry Schein Professional Practice Transitions (PPT) Henry Schein PPT’s experienced transition consultants provide expert guidance for today’s practitioner. PPT is the nationwide team you want on your side when you decide to pursue your professional goals. We will support you through all the complexities of a transaction to ensure a smooth transition— always with your best interests in mind. • Appraisals • Practice sales and purchases • Associateships, partnerships, and mergers • Retirement planning • Business structure consulting 1-800-730-8883 Henry Schein Financial Services is not a bank, does not represent itself as such, and does not conduct banking activities. © 2011 Henry Schein, Inc. No copying without permission. Not responsible for typographical errors. 14 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 or e-mail: [email protected] www.henryschein.com/ppt 217.529.6517 www.hdassoc.org 15 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 HDA Professional Chapter News Massachusetts HDA Hosted it’s first Symposium in Dental Careers entitled “Promoting Dentistry as a Career for Minorities” Dr. Aidee Nieto Herman, Dr. Merelyn Hong, Dr. Maritza Morell, Dr. Zuzana Mendez. Dr. Maritza Morell, HDA Vice President (second from right), pictured with meeting attendees. Dr. R. Ivan Lugo, HDA Past President and Procter & Gamble Representative pictured with Symposium attendees. Procter & Gamble/Crest Scholarship Recipients. 16 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 Dr. John Fisher, President of Massachusetts Dental Society & Dr. Jose Segura, President Elect of MHDA. 217.529.6517 HDA Professional Chapter News The Massachusetts Hispanic Dental Association (MHDA) held its First Symposium in Dental Career: “Promoting Dentistry as a Career for Minorities” at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine(TUSDM) in Boston, Massachusetts. The event featured a group of seven Panelists from the Private Practice, Community Health Center, Academia, and Organized Dentistry. The event included representatives from Boston Public Schools, teachers and students from Middle School, High School, College, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and Boston University Henry Goldman School of Dental Medicine. More than 70 people registered and the dental field was represented by dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants. The Symposium was a great opportunity to bring parents and students together and remind them to engage in their children’s education to improve the dropout rate of minority children from Boston Public Schools. The event finished with an award ceremony honoring 8 students that are part of the Mentoring Program from MHDA. Attendees left the evening feeling encouraged by the mission of the MHDA to improve the oral health of the Hispanic Community in Massachusetts and to achieve our goal to increase the recruitment and retention of more minorities in the dental field. This event was organized by the founder of the 1st Symposium in Dental Career: Dr. Aidee Nieto-Herman, former President of HDA, Executive Director of MHDA; Dr. Zuzana Mendez, CoFounder & President MHDA; Dr. Merelyn Hong, Vice-President of MHDA-Committee chair; Dr. Emilia Brasil, MHDA’s clerk with the collaboration of all our MHDA Board of Trustees. The event was published by Univision TV- Show Channel 27, El Planeta News Paper, and Cueca Vision-MasTV, Channel 26. Congratulations! Reported by Dr. Aidee Nieto-Herman Symposium presenters/presentations included: n Dr. R. Ivan Lugo, Procter & Gamble Professional & Scientific Relations North America Region Manager “Leveraging Private-Public Partnerships to make a difference in Oral Care” n Beth Lynn, RDH, Director of Oral Health Massachusetts Department of Public Health “The importance of Oral Health and Prevention of Dental Disease in Minorities in the USA” n Dr. Wanda G. Wright, Assistant Professor Division Head Education, Advocacy and Community Outreach, Tufts University Dental Medicine, Department of Public Health and Community Service “Diversity in Academia” n Dr. Aidee N. Herman, Associate Clinical Professor of Periodontology Department Chair of the Equal Educational Opportunity Committee at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine “Multicultural Crisis in Oral Health in America and The Role and Needs of More Mentors and Leaders in the Dental Field” n Dr. Michael McQueen. Director of Upham’s Corner Health Center “Dental Limited License and Staffing at the Health Centers” n Dr. John Fisher, President of Massachusetts Dental Society “The role of Organized Dentistry” n Jamie E. Russell DA, PHDA, RDH, President of the Massachusetts Dental Hygiene Association “Dental Hygiene as Dental Career and the Public Health” n Ruby Elder-Bush, RDH, BS, Director of Madison Park Technical Vocational High School, Dental Assistant Program “Dental Assistant as a Career” The MHDA would like to thank all those involved (the University, volunteers, sponsors, presenters, attendees) who helped make their first symposium a truly great success! www.hdassoc.org 17 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 HDA Student Chapter News El Centro de Corazon Clinic Ricardo Munoz, Olufemi Fadahunsi, Valerie Gil, Magda Valeriano, Reyna Garcia and Juanita Rodriguez, and Margo Melchor. Magda Valeriano and Olufemi Fadahunsi El Centro de Corazon clinic is dedicated to providing affordable healthcare to the underserved population of the East end and Greater Houston area. On the morning of Saturday June 25, 2011 the School of Dentistry at Houston HSDA members worked hand in hand with Dr. Heather Dent, Ms. Margo Melchor, HSDA Faculty Advisor and the dedicated staff at El Centro de Corazon dental clinic. Valerie Gill, Magda Villariano, Juanita Rodriguez, Reyna Garcia, Olufemi Fadahunsi, and Ricardo Munoz eagerly provided perio maintenance treatments, gross debridements, prophys, restorative procedures, as well as reinforced oral hygiene instructions. The HSDA group will return in September and November to continue with this collaborative community outreach activity. Reyna Garcia and Juanita Rodriguez Ricardo Munoz and Valerie Gil May 20th was an exciting and informative day for 84 high school students from the Rio Grande Valley. These students are involved in their school’s health careers program and traveled to Houston to visit several schools in the medical center. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Dentistry’s Hispanic Student Dental Association hosted the visiting students for this activity. The students were divided into two groups, each of which was given a tour of the school and a presentation about the dental and dental hygiene programs offered. During the presentation, HSDA officers Kallina Mikulencak, Alexandra Aponte, Ricardo Munoz, Jennifer Miller, Faryn Vela and Sean LaRue spoke with the students about their high school and college backgrounds before dental school and highly encouraged the students to consider a career in dentistry. The students were very receptive to the presentation and were able to ask questions regarding their education and each HSDA member’s personal experience in dental school. The visiting students then toured student clinic bays, graduate departments and included an operative demonstration on typodonts in the lab. The students left the school with a better understanding of the dental field and inspiring words of encouragement to continue their pursuits in the health care industry. Submitted by: Kallina Mikulencak, President of Hispanic Dental Student Association One of our very own student members – Ms. Evelyn Lucas-Perry of the University of Michigan School of Dentistry HDA Student Chapter has been reelected and will serve a second one-year term as the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Vice President for Students, Residents, and Fellows. She is currently in the final year of her self-initiated five-year DDS/MPH program at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry. For more information, please visit www.adea.org. Congratulations Evelyn! 18 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 217.529.6517 HDA Student Chapter News The Massachusetts HDA held its traditional annual Senior Recognition Dinner on May 17, 2011 for graduating students of the Tufts University Hispanic Dental Association student chapter. Some of the graduating students had completed their degree from the Dental International Student Program to fulfill their dreams of being a dentist in the USA. Pictured at right: Members of the Massachusetts HDA professional chapter along with students chapter members of Tufts HSDA standing with Dr. Aidee Nieto-Herman (in the middle in red & black), long time MHDA Executive Director, professor and mentor. www.hdassoc.org 19 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 Feature Article Advancing Oral Health in America INSTITUTE of MEDICINE of the National Academies www.iom.edu/oralhealthinitiative Advancing Oral Health in America The U.S. surgeon general issued a landmark report in 2000, Oral Health in America, which described the poor oral health of our nation as a “silent epidemic.” While there have been notable improvements in the oral health of Americans, oral diseases remain prevalent across the country, posing a major challenge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). These dire circumstances could be improved if HHS strengthened its commitment to oral health, made it a national priority, and partnered with other stakeholders. In 2009, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to assess the current oral health care system and recommend strategic actions for HHS agencies. The IOM convened a committee to explore how HHS can enhance its role as a leader in improving the oral health and oral health care of the nation. The Current Oral Health Picture Dental caries, commonly known as tooth decay, is a common chronic disease in the United States and one of the most common diseases worldwide. The surgeon general’s report found tooth decay to be more than five times as common as asthma among children ages 5 to 17. Evidence shows that oral health complications may be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. For the most part, tooth decay is a highly, if not entirely, preventable disease. However, individuals and many health care professionals remain unaware of the risk factors and preventive approaches for many oral diseases, and they do not fully appreciate how oral health affects overall health and well-being. In 2007, the consequences of poor oral health received national attention when a 12year-old boy died from an untreated tooth infection that caused bacteria to spread to his brain. This served as a wake-up call for many Americans, including members of Congress, who began to take notice of the potential dangers of untreated oral disease. Poor oral health can be attributed to a number of factors, including uneven and limited access to oral health care and dental coverage, lack of appropriate quality measures in oral health care, inadequate health literacy among the U.S. populace, and lack of attention to oral health among primary care providers. While access has improved over time, many people—typically those who are most vulnerable—still lack the oral health services they need. Accessing oral health care is particularly difficult for certain populations, including people whose income falls below the federal poverty level, African Americans, Latinos, and children covered by Medicaid. Dental coverage largely determines access to oral health care as well as predicts those who will seek it, but many people—older adults, for example—often do not have dental coverage. Even when individuals have dental coverage, they frequently do not receive needed services because of transportation barriers or a lack of providers who accept public insurance, among other factors. Few quality measures are used in oral health, and there are no standards in practice to determine the overall quality of oral health care in the United States. Because quality measures do not exist, patients cannot find information to help them make decisions about their oral health care, and best practices are limited. In addition, many individuals do not have sufficient health literacy to understand the importance of oral health and oral health care and do not know when or how to seek appropriate care. Compounding the problem, physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals generally have 20 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 not been educated or trained in providing basic oral health care, including the ability to recognize oral diseases or teach patients about self care. While there have been notable improvements in the oral health of Americans, oral diseases remain prevalent across the country, posing a major challenge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Role of HHS HHS’ efforts to improve oral health and oral health care have been wide ranging, but the priority placed on these endeavors, including financial support, has been inconsistent. Enduring areas of attention include support for community water fluoridation, research on the etiology of oral diseases, dental education, oral health financing, workforce demonstrations, oral health surveillance, and recruitment of oral health care professionals to work in underserved areas. HHS aims to broadly reach multiple populations in need of oral health services. The department administers programs such as the Indian Health Service and Federally Qualified Health Centers, 217.529.6517 Caries - CAN DO...Continued from page 26 which directly provide oral health care to select populations. Through HRSA’s Title V program and other initiatives, HHS provides financial support to states to develop public health programs for the delivery of oral health services and for disease monitoring and surveillance activities. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finances oral health care through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. In fact, HHS has a great role to play in the support of the overall oral health care system HHS needs to have consistent messages for patients and health care professionals about the importance of oral health, but it is as critical for the department to have consistent messaging within its own organization that oral health is a priority. Providing New Leadership and Direction in Oral Health In the past, HHS has suffered from a lack of high-level accountability, coordination among its own agencies, resources, and sustained interest in oral health. In 2010, however, HHS launched an Oral Health Initiative—a cross-agency effort to improve oral health care nationwide. Echoing the 2000 surgeon general’s report, the initiative conveys the message that oral health is integral to overall health. To augment the recent efforts by HHS, the IOM committee recommended several approaches that HHS could take to help improve the oral health of the nation. The committee calls this set of recommendations the New Oral Health Initiative (NOHI), to distinguish it from and build upon the current initiative. In addition, the committee developed a set of organizing principles based on the areas in greatest need of attention as well as approaches that have the most potential for creating improvements. www.hdassoc.org Organizing Principles for a New Oral Health Initiative 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Establish high-level accountability. Emphasize disease prevention and oral health promotion. Improve oral health literacy and cultural competence. Reduce oral health disparities. Explore new models for payment and delivery of care. Enhance the role of nondental health care professionals. Expand oral health research and improve data collection. Promote collaboration among private and public stakeholders. Measure progress toward short-term and long-term goals and objectives. 10. Advance the goals and objectives of healthy people 2020. To guide and evaluate the NOHI, the committee suggests that HHS use the goals of Healthy People 2020—an existing set of benchmarks for achieving better health for the country—rather than creating new goals that would be redundant. The committee stresses three key areas needed for successfully maintaining oral health as a priority issue: strong leadership, sustained interest, and the involvement of multiple stakeholders. Conclusion The committee’s report, Advancing Oral Health in America, is not meant to redesign the oral health care system but instead to highlight the vital role that HHS can play in improving oral health and oral health care in the United States. NOHI can succeed if it has clearly articulated goals, is coordinated effectively and adequately funded, and has high-level accountability. HHS needs to have consistent messages for patients and health care professionals about the importance of oral health, but it is as critical for the department to have consistent messaging within its own organization that oral health is a priority. HHS has the opportunity and responsibility to bring together different sectors to effect change in oral health care. There are many reasons that HHS should seize this opportunity. However, most important is that in spite of improvement, the American people continue to suffer, often silently, from avoidable and treatable oral diseases. Advancing Oral Health in America is available online to read or download at no charge at: http://www.nap.edu/ catalog.php? record_id=13086. As a special offer to Hispanic Dental Association members, National Academies Press, the publisher for the IOM, is offering a 25% discount off the list price for the print version of the book. Please enter promotional code FHDA in the NAP shopping cart to take advantage of the discount. INSTITUTE of MEDICINE of the National Academies The institute of Medicine serves as adviser to the nation to improve health. Established in 1970 under the charer of the National Academy of Scienes, the Institute of Medicine provides independent, objective, evidence-based advice to policy makers, health professionals, the private sector, and the public. Copyright 2011 by the National Academy of Sciences. Reprinted with permission. 21 HDA News & Reports Issue No. 165 Summer 2011 HDA Notices and Classified Advertisements IOWA The University of Iowa’s College of Dentistry is searching for full-time clinical or tenure-track faculty in Family Dentistry. Position available October 1, 2011; screening begins immediately. Must have: DDS/DMD from ADA-accredited dental school OR foreign equivalent of DDS/DMD (applicants w/out DDS/DMD from ADA-accredited dental school must have certificate in Prosthodontics/AEGD/ GPR from ADA-accredited program); and at least five years of dental practice experience via private practice, military or educational environment. Desirable: Certificate in Prosthodontics/AEGD/ GPR from ADA-accredited program and relevant teaching experience. Applicants must apply electronically. To learn more and/or apply, go to Jobs@UIowa at http://jobs.uiowa.edu/content/faculty/, reference Req #59696. AA/EEO employer; women/minorities encouraged to apply. 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