From the Office
By Kevin J. Robertson, CAE KDAExecutive Director The past 11+ years have really flown by, and I hope we can continue to move forward together for a few more. I’ve been especially happy to have had the honor to work with the same KDA staff for the past three years - Greg Hill (9 years) Assistance Executive Director and Executive Director of KDCF, Niki Gustafson (7 years) Operations Coordinator, Jennifer Jones (3 years) Membership and Finance Coordinator, and Tasha Morrissey (2 ½ years) Administrative Assistant. The KDA Board of Delegates was tested this past year with differing opinions on the Rural Access Initiative. I believe the KDA officers and delegates handled the difference on this issue in a positive manner by deliberately stepping back from the original proposal and soliciting additional input from all parties. Ultimately, an amenable solution to the issue was worked out with a large majority of agreement. Our opinions on some dental issues differ with our colleagues in other dental professions and insurance companies, yet there have been several issues regarding access that
we have been able to put aside our differences to pursue common goals. I would mention Dr. Hemberger’s elder care initiative as one of these issues that creates this common bond. I’ve been blessed to have had the privilege to ride the coat tails of some great KDA leaders during my tenure as your Executive Director. All you need to do is look at the list of the last 11 KDA Presidents and you’ll see there are no “light weights” in that bunch! The KDA has gone places many may not have expected. Kansas dentists took the bold (and somewhat controversial) move in 1998 to pursue legislation to allow dental assistants to scale. This was reinforced last year when the ADA looked to Kansas for information when developing its new Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) workforce model. Regionally and nationally, Kansas is a recognized leader in the development and advancement of the Mission of Mercy concept. Through the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation started in 2001, organized dentistry has provided some $6.45 million in dental care to 14,500 patients. NO ONE does MOM like KANSAS…thanks to people like Dr. Jeff Stasch, Bruce Bergstrom, Reggie Monson and the team that make up the “MOM squad”! Nebraska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, New Mexico and Iowa have or will soon have there own MOM projects with our help. The KDA is quickly being recognized as a technology leader among the state dental societies and the ADA. Though many KDA staffers share the responsibilities, I’d like to give Greg Hill special recognition for pushing, pulling and clawing the KDA (and ME) into the 21st century with the KDA blogs, website, My Space page, production of the KDA Video Minute, video conferencing and more. We submitted an application to the ADA for a Golden Apple Award for our technology advances and are hopeful of a positive outcome. In addition, Greg was recently a featured general session speaker at the ADA Management Conference which included participants from every ADA state society and many local society staffs. The KDA and dentistry face many challenges as we look to the near future - universal healthcare, the infringement of non-dental professionals doing dental procedures (particularly whitening), and the creation of a dental mid-level are only a few. Regardless of what we may think of these issues, the KDA must be willing to work with the other organizations, agencies and the state legislature to resolve them both in a
manner that is satisfactory to dentists and is in the best interests of Kansans. Let me conclude my commentary by changing to another topic entirely. As many of you know I spent 14 days at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico in June. Scouting has been a passion of mine since I was an Eagle Scout in Troop 414 in Omaha. Upon the completion of our trek we learned about many news events that had occurred over the two weeks we were in the backcountry – one being that four scouts somewhere in Iowa had been killed by a tornado. Later I learned that three of the four scouts were from Omaha and all had been attending leadership training at Little Sioux Scout Ranch outside Omaha – the largest camp in the MidAmerica Council where I had regularly attended camp as a boy. The reports are quite clear about the heroic efforts of the 40 or so scouts that were in the shelter as they assisted wounded scouts that were trapped under the debris of the stone chimney that had collapsed on them. I ask you to remember these boys and their families in your prayers. Thank you for allowing me to serve you.
Thought of the Quarter “No exercise is better for the human heart than reaching out to help another person”. Tim Russert (1950-2008)
Honest and trustworthy, experienced and efficient, EMA is the dental practice sales name-to-know.
EMA Dental Practice Sales
Shown are Deborah Wolff, Evan Myers and Dr. Steven Wolff. Our staff has over 100 years of combined experience in dentistry.
(formerly Evan Myers & Associates) 6220 Arlington, Raytown, MO 64133 Phone: (816) 358-6782 Fax: (816) 358-3509 Toll-free: (800) 311-2039 www.emadentalpracticesales.com 7