4
NAME CHANGE
DEBATE
The jury is still out The industry relevance of the current name of our association is under scrutiny and consideration. DHAA or not DHAA that is still the question. by Melanie Hayes, CEO
A
s communicated in the last edition of the Bulletin, the DHAA Board of Directors is exploring the name of the association and whether it truly reflects the membership and our mission. Following consideration by our Directors, State and Territory Chairs and past Presidents, the DHAA decided to raise this issue in an open forum at CPD events around the country. It is extremely important to the Board that the members have an opportunity to voice their positive feedback and concerns about a potential name change. A range of positive and negative outcomes have been identified by the members, plus many questions for the Board to consider. There is support for retaining the DHAA name, given the profession of dental hygiene is recognised globally, our name has earned respect in the sector and that OHTs are deciding to join us regardless of the name. However, there was also significant support for being more inclusive of our OHT members and being more reflective of the changing profession. The other issue raised at various forums was that a name change may blur the lines between the DHAA and ADOHTA, and whether it was worth visiting the option of merging the two associations and then deciding as a collective on the most appropriate name. We also conducted an electronic survey at Symposium to gauge interest in potential names for the association, with some 120 delegates completing this at the DHAA booth. While over 78% were in favour of the name change, preferences were quite varied. The favoured option was the Australian Oral Health Association (33%), with less popular options including the Australian Association for Dental Hygiene and Oral Health (20%) and Allied Oral Health Professionals Association (20%). The DHAA does not have a definitive timeline on this process; changing the name should not be a rushed decision and the Board will take its time to carefully consider all of the feedback received. There was robust discussion at the October Board meeting and the next step in our consultation will be to survey the entire membership in January 2019, and review the findings at the February Board meeting. n
“ A range of positive and negative outcomes have been identified by the members, plus many questions for the Board to consider�
