Continuous Quality Improvement – Don't Miss It

At the annual meeting of the House of Delegates of the Utah Dental Association Spring of 2017 I was elected to serve as Secretary of the UDA. I understood this would mean that over the next 5 years I would be a worker/servant for that organization and its members. Each successive year my responsibilities would change, my learning and understanding of the organization would increase and ultimately, I would serve as President of the UDA. As with most opportunities there was a lot more there than I anticipated but I can honestly say I have enjoyed it all and appreciated the chance to learn so much more about the UDA/ADA. The deeper knowledge and understanding of this organization pales however in comparison to the friendships gained across the country but more importantly here in our great state. The UDA staff, Val, Dotty and Becky, and Board of Directors, past and present, are a wonderful dedicated group of friends whom I admire and appreciate.

I first started to realize the value of the UDA back in 1996 when a program was instituted called CQI (Continuous Quality Improvement). I was a young solo practitioner in Vernal, Utah and I really learned to love the annual trips of the UDA leadership and guest speakers to my community. These individuals were willing to come to us and share ideas, topics and information that were timely and relevant to practicing dentistry in this state. Initially attending this meeting was required for licensure and so of course these meetings had great attendance. Over time attendance to these meetings was no longer required but for me this did not change the value of the meeting itself. Not only do I value getting to know the UDA leadership and learning from them but I deeply enjoy getting together with my local colleagues, who I consider my friends. In Vernal our meeting is traditionally held at a local restaurant; we order off the menu and each individual is responsible to pay for themselves and most years we have good attendance. As I interact with current and former leaders of the UDA I have come to realize that the trip to Vernal was memorable for them as well, despite the “long” drive.

When I was elected into UDA leadership, I knew the day would come when I would be traveling the state as part of the CQI. It was hard to imagine that I could take that much time away from the practice and all the other responsibilities of life and travel the state to attend and participate in CQI meetings. We have CQI meetings from Logan to St. George and everywhere in between and let’s not forget Vernal and Moab. As a UDA leader it is anticipated that you will attend these meetings for at least 2 years of your tenure. Once again as I traveled and participated in these meetings, I gained a greater appreciation for them. I got to spend some valued talking time with my beautiful wife, Holly, who travel with me. When possible, the UDA leadership carpools as we travel which was a great time to build friendships and discuss business. Each and every meeting I met new colleagues, rekindled friendships and gained new and diverse perspective of the issues we face. Most meetings were under attended which does cause some degree of frustration. I don’t feel like it is wasted time because those who attend receive valuable information and we receive valuable feedback. For those who do not attend it is a missed opportunity. A missed social gathering with friends and colleagues, missed education on matters that seem to be on the forefront in the state, and a missed chance of sharing ideas and opinions with the leaders who are representing our profession on the local, state and national level.

As this is the member benefit issue of the “UDA Action”; after our annual convention I vote CQI as the most valuable member benefit provided by the UDA. After 20+ years of attending and 2 years presenting, I plan to continue to attend each year. Don’t miss out on this valuable meeting, watch for the CQI schedule to come out, put it on your calendar and go to learn and be a voice in our profession. I hope 2022 is a wonderful year for all of you.

Dr Mike Smuin UDA Past President