News from Our Sections and Fellows

Supply Chain Story

Steven D. Chan Past President of the ACD

I’m in the San Francisco Bay Area—one of the COVID hot spots in the country. I happen to be the longest serving dentist on the medical staff at our regional Washington Hospital. I also happen to serve on the hospital district’s governing body—a holding company that oversees about 10 off-campus subsidiary companies. I’ve had a ringside seat as COVID has unfolded in our community.

In January, as COVID was starting to gain momentum, our hospital was running scared. So much was unknown, and we were anticipating a surge of COVID patients way beyond our resources, especially with the dire shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE). By February, their institutional suppliers were starting to experience shortages from their vendors. Our hospital, like most in the Bay Area, was sending up red fl ags.

By the last week of February, I reached out to our county dental society to rally a drive to donate any surplus they might have. There are over 150 dental offi ce members in the hospital service area. Our pitch was that if every offi ce could donate a few boxes of PPE—given what we heard at the time—the PPE units in our storage closets might even save the lives of our patients who might contract the disease. What’s more important?

By the fi rst week of March the supply chain for PPE for dental offi ces were starting to get back ordered and in shorter supply. COVID cases were escalating all over the country. The Bay Area was dealing with quarantining a cruise ship rife with passengers infected with COVID.

By the beginning of the second week in March, the Governor of California issued an emergency executive order. The counties that surround the San Francisco Bay all issued heightened restrictions. Our area was the fi rst in the country to institute shutdowns, before the federal government decided to move.

The early dental offi ce donors gave what they could. But frankly, COVID moved so fast offi ces were immediately shut down. Even the owners were reluctant to expose themselves—to open their closed offi ces and transport PPE to the suspected hotbeds—the hospitals. Realize also,

Silicon Valley Chinese American Computer Association member companies donated truckloads of personal protective equipment.

the effective use recommendations of PPE at the time were far less stringent than what we now know to be true.

I tried another approach. The SF Bay area and Silicon Valley are home to the most high-tech fi rms—many owned by Asian expatriates. They also happen to live in our communities. These high-tech fi rms also use PPE for their production lines! Dental offi ces have patients from all walks of life. It’s about relationships.

Realize that by the second and third week of March the exponential assault of COVID created anxiety among the population of this country. The Bay Area and Silicon Valley were among the fastest growing hotspots in the country. That’s when member companies of the Silicon Valley Chinese American Computer Association donated truckloads of PPE. Their distribution included fi ve area hospitals in Alameda County (San Francisco Bay Area) and San Jose. These specifi c hospitals were the benefi ciaries because of relationships.

The moral of the story—dental offi ces are part of a community. As community members, we don’t exist in isolation. We develop relationships among our patients and the businesses in that same community.

As members of the College we were invited to Fellowship as leaders of the profession. We each had a demonstrated record of leadership just to be nominated. We didn’t just watch. We did something about it. The tenets of leadership begin in our own backyards.

As leaders, we are connectors in our communities and our profession.

As leaders in our profession we do something about a challenge facing us. We boldly engage.

Be Safe. Stay Healthy.

Lyndsey Burnett

Dr. Marsha Pyle

Dr. John Dane

Dr. Pamela Alston The Colorado Section has a longstanding tradition of awarding a dental hygiene student for exceptional leadership. This year’s recipient was Lyndsey Burnett from Sheridan College in Wyoming. In Ms. Burnett’s words, “While it has been a crazy year to graduate, this award defi nitely made it a more positive experience for me. I am so grateful to have received this award.”

Marsha A. Pyle (Missouri) a longtime leader in academic dentistry, has been named as the next Senior Scholar in Residence for the American Dental Education Association (ADEA). She succeeded ADEA Senior Scholar in Residence Leo E. Rouse (Maryland) on October 1st. Dr. Pyle retired in September as Dean of the University of Missouri - Kansas City School of Dentistry and relocated to the suburban Washington, D.C. area.

John Dane (Missouri) has been named the 2020 Missouri Dental Association (MDA) Dentist of the Year. The Dentist of the Year Award recognizes a member dentist who has demonstrated outstanding service to the Association, to the profession of dentistry and/or to the community in the past year. Dr. Dane was chosen for his outstanding service and leadership as the State of Missouri Dental Director and especially to the dental profession and to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pamela Alston (Northern California), Immediate past-chair of the Northern California Section, will assume her term as National Dental Association (NDA) President on January 1, 2021. Dr. Alston’s theme for her presidency will be “Forging and Fortifying Partnerships for Health Equity.” She commented, “I am grateful for the honor to lead the 107-year-old NDA and work with outstanding leaders, many of whom are ACD Fellows.” Congratulations, Dr. Alston!

Dr. Daniel Klemmedson

Dr. Cesar R. Sabates The ADA recently installed as ADA President, Dr. Daniel J. Klemmedson (Arizona). Dr. Klemmedson has served in leadership positions nationally and regionally, including as President of the Arizona Dental Association. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Gerald E. Hanson Outstanding Service Award from the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Foundation. He is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Dentistry and the USC School of Medicine.

A number of Fellows were installed as ADA offi cers along with Dr. Klemmedson, including Cesar R. Sabates (Florida), as President-elect and Vincent U. Rapini (Missouri) as First Vice President. Congratulations!

Dr. Vincent U. Rapini

Past President Max Martin presents Dr. Dugoni with a Lifetime Achievement certifi cate. This award recognizes 50 years of continuous service to the College.

Leo and Yvonne Rouse Dental education pioneer, administrator and advocate, Arthur A. Dugoni (Northern California), Dean of the University of the Pacifi c Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, died at age 95 on September 23, 2020. Dr. Dugoni transformed dental education not just for University of the Pacifi c but for the profession over his 28-year tenure as dean. He is a legend.

News from the Board

ACD president Leo E. Rouse (Maryland) received the 2020 Distinguished Service Award from the American Dental Association. Known for his “pearl” – “Do the right thing right always the fi rst time,” Dr. Rouse is recognized for the exceptional leadership and character he has brought to the profession, his students, and his soldiers as the former commander of the U.S. Army Dental Command. Dr. Rouse is also the former Dean of the Howard University College of Dentistry, as well as a former President of the American Dental Education Association. The video presentation celebrating this event is located on the membership portal welcome page. Please go to www.acd.org and log in to view.

On the Occasion of the Retirement David W. Chambers, EdM, MBA, PhD, FACD

Dr. David W. Chambers was appointed Editor of the College in 1994, changing the mission of the Journal of the American College of Dentists to “identify and place before the Fellows, the profession, and other parties of interest those issues that affect dentistry and oral health.” Moreover, he substantially enhanced the format and readability of the journal. This publication is now regarded as one of the most respected journals addressing essential issues in dentistry. The journal is a scholarly publication presenting proactive and informative perspectives on issues affecting the dental profession and society, together with enlightening features on areas such as leadership, ethics, governmental and private agencies, policy development, and the history of the American College of Dentists. Throughout his illustrious career, Dr. Chambers has been engaged in a wide variety of research interests to include ethics, leadership, and moral reasoning. He has presented hundreds of invited lectures, both nationally and internationally, and he is recognized as an expert in the fi elds of philosophy and ethics with a particular emphasis in health care ethics. He is a prolifi c author and has published over seven hundred articles in peer-review journals in his areas of interest, which include competency-based education, ethics, evaluation, and critical thinking. He has authored multiple book chapters and he is the Editor of the recently released ACD publication, Ethics Report: The New Professionalism. Dr. Chambers has the distinction as the longest-serving Editor of the College and for more than twenty-fi ve years he has defi ned the role of the American College of Dentists as the conscience of dentistry. For the past three decades, he has challenged us to broaden our communication strategy and provide for more two-way dialogue. He has championed a role for a communications director to enhance our communication efforts. Dave’s contributions to the College as the Editor are widely known and lauded. What is less well known are his generous contributions to College initiatives such as the Regent Intern Program, the ACD Library, the Digital Archive Program, the bound historic periodical collection, and preserving the College’s historical artifacts. The Chambers have given generously in support of the College and for this, we acknowledge their collective devotion to duty. We also owe a debt of gratitude that cannot be responsibly reconciled in this lifetime. In recognition of his distinguished service to the American College of Dentists and by unanimous vote of the Board of Regents, Dr. Chambers was awarded the status of Editor emeritus of the American College of Dentists.

News from the Offi ce

Finance Director Paul Dobson Celebrates 20 Years with the ACD

Past president Tom Connolly and Paul Dobson From ledger paper to fully on-line dues statements, Paul Dobson, Finance Director, has seen it all. In his words, “Twenty years of great memories working with the members, board members, two executive directors, lots of coworkers, and a lot of hotel staff. Twenty years of traveling to great places and staying in a lot of nice hotels. Twenty years of helping the College and its members to make a difference. I may have actually done some work along the way, but it is diffi cult to remember because I was having fun.” According to former Executive Director and Immediate Past President, Steve Ralls, “I had the privilege of working closely with Paul for seventeen years. I cannot imagine anyone I would rather have had beside me in that role. On the

Paging Dr. Mecklenburg

Throughout the drama and confusion created by the COVID-19 pandemic, pivoting to telework, then back to an offi ce limited by the safety requirements demanded of the times, then launching our fi rst virtual event, the staff never lost sight of a very special project—the College’s centennial presentation book. With our archive more organized thanks to our fi rst library intern in the summer of 2018, it was easy to have our summer of 2019 intern, MUSC dental student Conor Snyder, scan our most important historical photos. One photo proved to be elusive, however. We could not locate a photo of Interim Editor Robert E. Mecklenberg. Dr. Mecklenberg, who resides in Potomac, Maryland not far from our new Rockville offi ce, stepped in after Dr. Blair retired and before Dr. Chambers was selected in 1994. He did not seek the position himself, but instead was instrumental in the successful nation-wide search that brought us Dr. Chambers, for which we are so very grateful. occasion of his twenty-year anniversary, I enthusiastically congratulate Paul on his rock-solid dedication, outstanding service, and impactful contributions to the American College of Dentists. Paul, please accept our sincere gratitude and appreciation for a “job well done.” Thank you!” Paul’s ACD anniversary fell on the day after Thanksgiving this year. Please join the rest of the staff, Dr. Ralls, and Dr. Gonzales in congratulating him on 20 years of outstanding service!

It was a big day in the offi ce when our Credentials Coordinator and Administrative Assistant, Adrian Campos, called out from his desk, “I found Dr. Mecklenberg!” While doing the annual offi ce scrub the week after the annual meeting, Adrian came across an overlooked folder containing the photo we knew had to be “somewhere.” This one-andonly photo of the essential Dr. Mecklenberg is now part of the permanent archive. The centennial presentation book goes into production in November and, thankfully, the photographic record of our editors is now complete.