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GEORGIA DELEGATION Continued from page 17 of dentists that represent increasing proportions of dental school graduating classes—women and minorities. “The challenge will be balancing and coordinating services to ensure membership growth for years to come,” said Dr. Norman. “We must develop one brand for organized dentistry [across the tripartite]. We must deliver goods and services in the most appropriate, efficient, and cost-effective manner. This means eliminating unnecessary costs and duplication while utilizing the unique strengths of each level of the tripartite to deliver ‘Best in Class’ service.” Dr. O’Loughlin offered a hard-hitting look at the environmental scan the ADA conducted on the dental care sector. She noted that dentists’ earnings have not kept up with the growth of gross domestic product. “Dentists are simply not busy enough,” she said. “Our members’ average annual revenue is down.” She also noted that utilization of dental care has declined among working age adults, particularly young adults, and that total dental spending in the U.S. slowed considerably in the early 2000s and has been flat since 2008. Like Dr. Norman, she noted the decline in ADA membership “In order for all of us to survive and thrive in this new world, we have to change what we’re doing,” said Dr. O’Loughlin. “Together, we have to find ways to enhance dentists’ professional success, reputation, earning power, professional collegiality and security, all while maintaining a gold standard of excellence for the profession. Together, we have to enhance the member experience so that dentists see us as essential to their professional satisfaction and peace of mind. Our members need us more than ever before to survive and thrive in today’s stormy and ever-changing landscape.” Dr. Evis Babo, another new Delegation member and first-time House attendee, was one of the GDA point persons on membership issues during the House. “Membership is an area that I am really passionate about,” she said. “Especially in this time of fundamental changes, including in national health care policy, creating a cohesive position by our profession is critical. I really believe that understanding the changes that our profession is facing and
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acting quickly to implement the necessary changes will make our Association stronger and will help us better serve our patients.” A third new Delegation member and first-time House attendee, Dr. Ben Jernigan, added, “The ADA session is invaluable in many ways, but one of its core functions is to bring together the different points of view from dentists all over the country to try to develop a consensus that we can present to the nation. It is obvious to a newcomer to the Delegation the amount of work that has been done before to establish the Fifth’s reputation as the ‘conscience of the ADA.’ We continued to advocate and present the wishes and desires of the dentists we represent but the ADA session also opens our eyes to the rest of the nation’s opinions.” Dr. Wolff echoed those thoughts. “We all know there are many challenges on the horizon for dentistry,” she said. “Unity in the ADA is our best hope for positive outcomes.”
House Receives Update on Public Relations Program The House of Delegates passed a resolution in 2012 authorizing the ADA to retain an outside public relations firm to accomplish a number of promotional goals, including enhancing the reputation of dentists and the dental profession. The 2013 House heard how the ADA and the firm Fleishman Hillard had developed and launched a public relations initiative that includes specific programs and media outreach centered on the Action for Dental Health: Dentists Making a Difference campaign to address the leadership role of ADA dentists on access to care, safety net, and prevention issues. This campaign also includes support to position MouthHealthy.org as the most trusted and respected resource for public oral health information. Through May 2013 media coverage has reached 37.1 million newspaper and magazine readers, 33.5 million TV viewers, and 691 million visitors to news and information web sites.
GDA ACTION DECEMBER 2013
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