Board of Regents Spring Meeting Highlights

ACD Officers Robert Faiella, Treasurer; Teresa Dolan, Vice President; Richard Jones, President; and Robert Lamb, President-elect

Dr. Krista Jones Dr. Julie Connolly

TASK FORCES REPORT PROGRESS

Members of the Board of Regents as well as invited Fellows worked on several initiatives over the fall and winter of 2021-2022. Task Forces studying relevance, inter- and intraprofessional cooperation, group practices, SPEA, equivalent organizations, and professionalism each engaged in discussion and problem-solving around the assigned issues, and the work of these groups will continue through the summer.

The Task Force on Professionalism, led by At Large Regent Dr. Krista Jones, released a mnemonic device and two essays to help frame professionalism in oral healthcare. Authored by Incoming Regent Dr. Julie Connolly, these resources might be especially useful in Fellows’ work with local SPEA Chapters and dental schools. The complete set of documents can be found at acd.org/position-papers/professionalism/.

P R O F E S S I O N

PRACTICE ALTRUISM

Put the patient’s interests first at all times. RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY

Treat others as you would like to be treated, take responsibility for all your actions, not just the good ones.

OPEN TO ALL

Treat everyone without bias or prejudice, even if they differ from you.

FIDELITY

Remember and honor the fact that patients and colleagues/staff both trust and put their confidence in you.

EMPATHY AND EXCELLENCE

Put yourself in your patients’ shoes, remember to respect their perspectives to allow for excellence in practice.

SOCIAL CONTRACT

We have a duty as professionals to respect the patients’ trust in us, maintain competence and to inform them of the treatment we are doing and why we are proposing to do it.

SELF-REGULATION

The cornerstone of being a professional, we must take this responsibility with utmost seriousness. If asked to participate in Peer Review, we must partake.

INTEGRITY

Keep Ethics and Humanism at the core of your patient care philosophy.

OATH

Use the ADA Code and Oath of the Professions as a resource for guidance and centering in times of ethical question or challenge.

NEVER STOP LEARNING

Embrace life-long learning for the benefit of your patients. Competence is a core part of being a professional.