KDA Today

KDA Today

For Immediate Release

Date: Dec 29th, 2014
Contact: Richard A. Whitehouse
Phone: 800-292-1855
Email: info@kyda.org

Who Wouldn’t Want to Be a Part of This?

My wife and I love movies. She likes hers with lots of action and I like mine with a twist of sci-fi. So, when I think about my first month here at the KDA, I can’t help but think about the 2009 big screen re-boot of the Star Trek franchise. I remember a particular scene from that movie where the Earth is in peril, the ship is under attack, and all appears lost as the crew stands on the battered bridge of the new USS Enterprise. As if to provide a momentary break in the tension, one of the crewmembers spontaneously utters, “I like this ship! …it’s exciting!”

There is a lot exciting happening in the world of dentistry today and I am certainly glad to be here as KDA Executive Director. I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to be part of this association. However, I do understand why some may be a little concerned about the future of the profession. It may seem like dentistry is under fire these days with all the personal, economic, and political pressures on dentists and dental practice. Many dentists see a practice landscape that seems pretty alien to the one they entered even a few years ago. Students are coming out of dental school today with record debt and being thrust into a seemingly hostile bureaucratic and regulatory environment they feel may adversely affect their ability to make a decent living in practice. And, the one thing that everyone seems to have in common is the feeling that they are without a voice and adrift in the vacuum of space.

In the last issue of KDA TODAY, I wrote about being here to help. Certainly, help is already here for Kentucky dentists through membership in the KDA. More than ever, the KDA recognizes that all members of the dental profession need to work together. We are currently working to position the association for success in concerted efforts to better serve members and the profession through the promotion of advocacy and policy initiatives that are important to all dentists. We have learned that, for dentistry to be heard, dentists from diverse backgrounds, working in a variety of practice settings, located all around the commonwealth, and involved in new and different practice models must all organize in a unified voice through the KDA. Only then, can dentistry expect to be more effective in informing and influencing public policymaking and shielding the profession and its members from potential harm.

Who wouldn’t want to be part of this opportunity when the stakes are so high? Organized healthcare is undergoing an unprecedented transformation in our nation and dentists cannot be content to sit on the sidelines. Oral health is an important component of general public health. And, as we know, we have much work to do in Kentucky to ensure adults and children have better access to care. But, dentists around the commonwealth have often expressed great frustration with Medicaid – the very program intended to address these concerns. Ironically, the potential exists for this program to negatively impact access to dental care, if it drives dental providers away due to low reimbursements and onerous paperwork.

No professional can fairly criticize legislators and policymakers in a democracy if they don’t rally together to make themselves heard. Dentistry has not been as effective as it could be in doing this. Working with our component societies, the KDA will work closely with elected officials and policy makers to improve this situation. But, that is only possible if we channel these concerns through the collective voice of all dentists. Non-members can no longer rely upon members to carry the message for them. They must join the chorus.

Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this solution when membership is so rewarding? Perhaps, many people don’t realize that, when you join the KDA, you actually become part of three organizations engaged to help you succeed in practice. The Power of Three brings together the resources of the national (ADA), state (KDA), and local (component societies) levels to advance the profession of organized dentistry and serve as the collective voice of Kentucky dentists in working to educate elected officials and policy makers about dentistry. Membership also provides a unique opportunity to work with peers in the profession and their community.

These are certainly exciting times at the KDA. We are working to build stronger connections with both the ADA and our component societies. There is a great need for participation in your local component society working closely with the KDA to influence policy by establishing and maintaining relationships with state legislators. But, needed change cannot happen if dentists don’t step forward, become members, and get involved.

Issues regarding dentistry affect new dentists, women and men, and every size practice from large group to solo practitioner. Your KDA membership lets you become as active as you want to be in leading the profession while providing you with valuable services. But, only with your membership and the coordinated efforts of the ADA, KDA, and local component societies can dentists effectively play a significant role in the success in achieving better public policy.

In the last month, I have had the opportunity to visit different parts of Kentucky from Pikeville to Paducah. I have seen a variety of practices and heard a variety of practice experiences. What I hear from everyone is that legislators and policymakers have not heard us. But, from the perspective of the legislature, dentists have not been effective in developing a grassroots campaign of communication with individual legislators. Together, we can make the collective voice of dentistry heard. The KDA is here for you… for that very purpose.

We may not be on the bridge of a starship exploring the final frontier. But, these are important and exciting times to be part of the dental profession and the KDA. There are significant personal and professional benefits to KDA membership. But, the most important reason to join these days may be that membership strengthens the ability of the dental profession to be an effective advocate on behalf of dentistry. How can any dentist afford not to be a member today?

Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this?

Note from the author: If you’re reading this, you’re probably already a member. I hope this reinforces the importance of that decision. But, please put the word out to colleagues that we are growing our membership to better serve the profession of dentistry and we need them to be a part of this effort. Invite them to become part of The Power of Three!

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