TRUSTEE’S CORNER
WHY BE AN ADA MEMBER? Gary D. Oyster, D.D.S.; ADA Trustee, 16th District
Since this is my first article since becoming the trustee for the 16th district, I will present a brief look at my involvement with organized dentistry. I have been an active ADA member for 48 years and have participated at the local, state, and national levels. My primary participation has been in the area of political advocacy but advocating for members and patients’ needs is a big part of political advocacy. My general practice is located in Raleigh, N.C., and I live in Franklinton, N.C. I have been married to Sharon for 41 years and have a son Josh who is 36 and lives in Raleigh. Since I am still practicing, I am very aware of the challenges and rewards of owning a dental practice. First of all, the ADA needs to be a strong membership organization. For dentistry to remain considered essential, receive PPE, and have protection from frivolous lawsuits, we must have a strong organization. As ADA President Dr. Klemmedson recently stated, “There is no doubt we’re in a resurgence and with this resurgence comes another R word-resilience. We continue to plumb the depths of our resilience, drawing strength and support from one another thanks to our ADA dental family.” The ADA mission is to help dentists succeed and support the advancement of the health of the public. I will share several of the subsidiaries of the ADA that are helping achieve this missionary statement. ADA Business Enterprises Inc. acronym ADABEI. Its mission is to create member value and increase member engagement, help create financial sustainability for the organization, and develop an organization with adequate capacity to meet member needs.
ADA Business Innovation group acronym ADABIG. It is the holding company for the ADA Practice Transitions. The goal of this group is to help dentists make the process of joining, expanding, or leaving a practice more predictable and successful. The newly formed ADA Science and Research Institute- acronym ADASRI. Science and research have always been an important aspect of the ADA. This institute will provide scientific support through the development of sciencebased resources for the ADA.
“ The ADA mission is to help dentists succeed and support the advancement of the health of the public.”
The 2020 ADA HOD passed resolutions with policies on the use of silver diamine fluoride, temporary expansion of scope during public health crises, point of care testing, vaccine administration by dentists, teledentistry model, several resolutions concerning dental insurance, and a policy on elder care. These are just some of the resolutions passed. We must always remember policy positions taken by the ADA are always subject to changes when made into laws by the state and federal legislatures. That is why the advocacy arm of the ADA is critically important so that we have input into the legislative process. Legislative law changes and insurance rule changes are constantly challenging the doctor- patient relationship. That is why being a member of the ADA is important. Only by having a strong national organization can we have input into these potential changes. Contact me at: oysterg@ada.org.
Common Ground 2025 is the ADA strategic plan which has a membership goal, a financial goal, an organizational goal, and a public goal. The membership goal has a growth aspect and a retention aspect. The financial goal is to increase dues and non-dues revenue by 2-4% annually and helping keep unrestricted reserves of at least 50%. The organizational goal is to improve organizational effectiveness at the national and state levels. The public goal is for the ADA to be the preeminent driver of trusted oral health information for the public and the profession.
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