The President’s Message Jeannette Peña Hall, D.D.S. It is truly an honor to serve as your 2013-2014 SFDDA president. Our dental association has been a part of my life long before I decided to become a dentist. In the 1970’s, my grandfather (a foreign trained dentist) was a member of the organization when it was formerly known as the East Coast District Dental Society. His legacy is no doubt a large part of what fuels my interest in maintaining the integrity of our association today. With this said, I wish to take the opportunity to share with you some of my thoughts and ideas on how to keep our association strong, interesting and relevant. This year we plan to add a special implant temporary fabrication course to our usual CE offerings. In light of the success of our radiology certification course offered in Miami Dade County, we are also planning to hold the same course in South Broward, thus making it easier for more to attend.
As you may have heard, healthcare is in the political blender and several changes, which can affect our profession as healthcare providers and/or business owners, are on the horizon. Utilizing our association resources, efforts will be made to keep the membership informed of the ramifications of the so-called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) will have on our profession. Look for future inserts in the SFDDA newsletter with information regarding these matters. We will also keep you informed of future lectures or webinars discussing this issue. Our goal is to hopefully make clear some of these confusing changes. I very much appreciate that running a private practice and taking on the role of SFDDA president will not be an easy task, but I vow to put forth my best effort, together with our experienced staff, to keep our association strong. I look forward to meeting all of you as I attend your local affiliate meetings this year. Please feel free to call or email the SFDDA office or to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.
We will continue holding CPR renewal every month, and this year we will provide the members with an opportunity to attend the state mandated course for relicensure twice - once in the Fall and again at the Miami Winter Meeting. I am also excited to invite you to attend the Member Appreciation Reception on October 23, where I will have a chance to meet you personally and to introduce you to this year’s SFDDA officers. Please save the date in your calendar. The 2014 Miami Winter Meeting will feature a Brazilianthemed “Carnaval” atmosphere, and the program will be provided in both Spanish and English. The Miami Winter Meeting is our premiere event, and frankly, also lots of fun. It is one of my favorite times of the year, because it is an opportunity to see many of my friends and colleagues. Later this year, I am looking forward to our team participation in a Cleft Lip and Palate 5K Run, and in the FDA’s Mission of Mercy (MOM) project - two very worthwhile community events. 3