legislative corner
THE FDA ADDRESSES WORKFORCE CHALLENGES Workforce issues have become a common topic of discussion. The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light a dilemma that is impacting every industry from health care to hospitality. Initially, it appeared that some workforce issues would be temporary, and things would go back to “normal” once vaccines were widely available and immunity was built up for the virus. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Many industries are still trying to figure out how to address the current workforce shortages and grapple with the demands presented to get people back to work. As businesses contemplate the right formula of incentives and benefits to offer potential employees, it’s evident that the way things were done in the past will not be enough going forward in the future. The pandemic has invited people to look at employment in a different light and pushed some employers to implement lucrative propositions to address their staffing issues. This has created a new phenomenon that is challenging the status quo and has forced businesses to be open-minded about alternative work options to accommodate employees’ desire for more flexibility. These new demands and expectations have stressed the labor market into a workforce epidemic. The Florida Dental Association (FDA) is aware that workforce challenges may be impacting dental offices across the state. During the June annual meeting, the House of Delegates (HOD) adopted a resolution to examine the opportunities that may be FLORIDADENTAL.ORG
fostered by supporting educational programs that help recruit talented candidates to pursue a career in dentistry. It is evident that the current educational system for dental auxiliaries is not sufficient enough to meet the demand. The FDA’s Workforce Innovation Task Group has been meeting with dental stakeholders to evaluate the current state of the dental workforce and educational opportunities. The task group will provide a report of its findings to the January 2022 FDA HOD. If you are interested in sharing feedback about dental workforce challenges you may be experiencing, please send your comments to jahart@floridadental.org. Resolution adopted by the June 2021 FDA HOD:
JOE ANNE HART FDA CHIEF LEGISLATIVE OFFICER
For additional information on legislative issues, you can reach Joe Anne Hart at jahart@floridadental.org or 850.350.7205.
DENTAL AUXILIARY WORKFORCE The House ADOPTED WITH AMENDMENT resolution 2020H-035: [Policy] RESOLVED, that the FDA supports innovation in educational programs and active recruitment of talented candidates for careers as dental hygienists, dental assistants, and dental laboratory technicians, and be it further, RESOLVED, that the FDA President refer to the Workforce Innovation Task Group the duty of examining dental auxiliary workforce within Florida and making recommendations as appropriate to the FDA BOT and report back to the January 2022 FDA House of Delegates.
TODAY’S FDA NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021
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