member news your component society presidents
Dr. Kristine Aadland
Dr. Dino Cacchiotti
Dr. Stephen Hansen Benton-Franklin Counties Dental Society
It’s a privilege to serve as president of the Benton-Franklin Counties Dental society. There are many dentists in our community who give selflessly of their time, expertise, and means to benefit our profession and to help care for the underserved, and I truly look up to such great mentors. I’m originally from Las Vegas, but completed most of my dental training in the great Northwest, attending OHSU in Portland for dental school, Idaho State U. AEGD program, and finally returning to OHSU to specialize in Endo. My wife, Christina, and I have four children, ages eight to one year. We enjoy staying active, traveling, and doing outdoor family activities.
Dr. Kristine Aadland Clark County Dental Society
I can hardly believe three years have gone by since I got a phone call asking if I wanted to be more involved in our local dental society. At the time, I had just opened my practice and time alone seemed to be this imaginary dream, but I was raised with the belief that you had to get involved with organizations that affect who you are, what you do, and who you would like to become. I truly love dentistry, and it is changing every day. I want to make sure it doesn’t shift in a direction that will stop me from waking up every day and wanting to go to work. My family has been in the construction industry for my entire life and more, and I was so fortunate to watch my father become involved from being the local President to the national President of AGC- the fourth largest association in our nation. I was in awe as I watched him give speeches to rooms of thousands of people and believed every word he said about being active in your PAC groups. The changes he made in his industry felt tangible. He lived by the rule that if you want change, be the change, so when Dr. Katy Wright asked if I would be involved, I felt I couldn’t say no. Even though my father was in construction, all of his messages apply to our world of dentistry. We are a changing business, in technology, politics, and even the perceptions of health care. We need to all work together to help determine the course of our industry.
Dr. Stephen Hansen
Dr. Dino Cacchiotti Grant County Dental Society Hi, I’m Dino Cacchiotti, and this year I’ll have been practic-
ing orthodontics in Moses Lake and Quincy for 20 years! This is my second term as Grant County Dental Society President, and I enjoy the camaraderie and cohesiveness of our group very much. My wife, Rhonda, and I spend most of our “off time” traveling. Together we have three children: Max, Dominico, and Damiano.
Dr. Stephen Rupert Grays Harbor District Dental Society Let me start out with a thank you to the WSDA and all that is
organized dentistry. In these challenging times, we are fortunate to have a great ally providing us with wonderful resources and support — sign up for the WSDA blog to stay informed, peruse the award-winning online tool, The Source, take advantage of NORDIC’s incredible customer service, and don’t forget to stay involved at Dental Action Day, the House of Delegates, or the PNDC. Organized dentistry needs to champion the advantages that its members are privy to, and entice more young dentists to enroll. Don’t forget to invite the new dentist in town to your next component meeting — as well as helping the WSDA and the ADA, it is a great opportunity for learning, networking and fun! Improving access to care, especially for children, in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties is one of my main professional goals. I was fortunate enough to join my father’s practice after graduating from the University of Southern California School of Dentistry in 2011. This privilege has helped me continue to treat the many underserved in our region as he has for almost 40 years. It is wonderful to be involved in such a dynamic practice of young and old, insured/uninsured/Medicaid patients and all disciplines of dentistry. Each day brings successes and challenges. In addition to GHDDS president, I am the current co-champion of the ABCD program for Grays Harbor. 68 percent of all children in Grays Harbor are Medicaid eligible- making the burden huge for those of us who choose to accept DSHS patients. I believe that all dentists have an obligation to treat the underserved, and I look forward to many more years of doing so. In my spare time I enjoy traveling to the far reaches of the planet. continued on next page
8 · th e wsda ne w s · issue 2, december · 2013 · www.wsda.org