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ADHA's 84th Annual Session
New Orleans, LA
June 20 - 27, 2007
One Voice One Vision
By Jennifer Campbell, RDH, BS
ADHA Delegate
ADHA Annul Session Overview
This year at the ADHA Annual Session, there was a whole new line-up of how the meeting was organized. For those interested in networking sessions, professional forums and candidate positions, these were set-up to attend the day before and the day of the opening ceremony. On Friday evening, ADHA's president, Marge Lappen Green, kicked off the meeting with a New Orleans Jazz parade. After a few introductions and award presentations, Tim Prosch, Branding Consultant, introduced the look and vision of the future of ADHA. The new logo is beside the title of this article (but you should go to www.adha.org to see it in color). To paraphrase what ADHA's mission will be is: ADHA is all about Empowering, Supporting and Developing You so that You can Unleash Your Potential. After the introduction of the new brand, our keynote speaker, Afterburner (a team of real Fighter Pilots), gave us usable working tools to use in our fast-changing dental hygiene business environment. If you have never heard these guys/gals speak, they are a real inspiration.
Then the rest of the meeting was full of excellent CE's, luncheons, sightseeing, and the Exhibit Hall! Wow, how wonderful to have Exhibitors catering just to Dental Hygienists! It was incredible. Touching, trying, learning about new products, lasers, ultrasonics, brushes, mouthwashes, books, equipment, magnifying loops...
Applause for some few
Several of us were there to represent the Dental Hygienists in Oklahoma. The elected four included myself, Jennifer Campbell, Delegate Chair, Tulsa; Bonnie Flanagan, Delegate, Tulsa; Karen Sehorn, Alternate Delegate, Shawnee; Angie Dakin, Alternate Delegate, Edmond. Joining us this year were two Dental Hygiene Students representing District IX: Kristina Speers, Student Delegate from Rose and Julie Swift, Alternate Student Delegate from the University of Oklahoma.
The Students participated in the Student House of Delegates and discussed Proposed Resolutions and By-laws that the ADHA House of Delegates had on their agenda. They were active at our caucuses and attended ADHA's HOD.
This was the last year that Hope Garza served as our District IX Trustee. At the District IX Workshop early in June, Delegates from Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma voted Bonnie Flanagan as our next District IX Trustee. Bonnie was installed at ADHA and attended her first Trustee Meeting before leaving New Orleans. Congratulations Bonnie!!
Congratulation also goes to Hope Garza, who was elected ADHA Treasurer after a run off balloting. She will serve our national organization well. Don't be surprised if she moves up the ranks!
The Business of ADHA
Besides the fun, pomp and circumstance, CE's, there was business attended to! This year in the House of Delegates, several resolutions of interest were passed. Here they are after adopted:
- Proposed Resolution: That, ADHA adopt the following definition of credentialing:
The process by which an authorized and qualified entity evaluates competence and grants the formal recognition to, or records the recognition status of individuals that meet predetermined and standardized criteria.
Justification: The proposed definition supports the future direction of an ADHA credentialing program, and is consistent with the National Organization for Competency Assurance definition.
- Proposed Resolution: The ADHA supports educating the public and other health professionals regarding health risks of extra and intra oral piercing and oral modification as well as supporting licensure and regulation of body-piercing establishments.
Justification: Piercings should be an individual decision. Some piercings may be based on custom or religion. Sometimes there is a risk for potential pathological conditions or fatal consequences. It is important that we continue to identify these conditions and educate the public and other health professionals on healthier methods of oral care and/or health risks that may occur. By supporting regulating the businesses that provides piercing, we are advocating a discretionary choice with health and safety issues addressed. The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) has stringent guidelines for appropriate recommendations regarding age, consent, and health and safety.
- The ADHA advocates cultural and linguistic competence for health professionals.
Justification: ADHA does not currently have policy on cultural and linguistic competence. Cultural and linguistic competence are widely recognized as fundamental aspects of quality in health care-particularly for diverse patient populations-and as essential strategies for reducing disparities by improving access, utilization, and quality of care. Knowledge about cultures and their impact on interactions with health care is essential for dental hygienists practicing in a clinical setting, education, research, or administration. While the two are related they are defined independently in the professional literature.
- Upon receipt of a dental hygiene license, all SADHA members will be eligible to convert to active member status through June 30th of the year following graduation/licensure and will automatically be placed onto the summer billing cycle. Those who are licensed during other times of the year will automatically be place onto the second cycle after licensure.
Justification: We have repeatedly been asked by students and recent graduates for a relief in the dues payment of December, following their June graduation dates. To this point the ADHA House of Delegates has been inflexible on this issue and it continues to cost us both conversions and the joining of active members who are now identified as the focus of our membership efforts. This relief of one-half of the regular membership dues would be an enticement for new graduates to join AHDA upon graduation or within the 6 month conversion window. If they do not join the national association at this time, they are less likely to join at a later date. If our goal is to be an organization that is responsive to its members, and we agree that the student members are a key to membership and the future of the organization, it is an option worth considering.
Here are a two that were rejected by the ADHA House of Delegates:
- That, active dues be increased by $5.00 to cover the cost of four print copies of JDH annually to be poly-bagged with Access.
Justification: A refereed journal is important to a profession. The JDH Survey results (conducted in the Spring) support this action.
The reference committee came back and recommended rejection stating the following justification: Though we recognize the importance of having the journal for the continued growth and development of the organization, it is not fiscally responsible to increase dues to cover the cost of a print version. Testimony supports this recommendation.
- Bylaw Amendment: That ARTICLE IV be amended to read:
Sec. 2 Qualifications. All elected officers shall be voting members and members of a constituent. Candidates for president-elect must have served at least one year on the board of trustees. A district trustee shall also be a member of a constituent with the district to be represented.
Justification: This will ensure that individuals running for the position of president-elect are aware of the magnitude of the activity of the board of the national organization.
The reference committee came back and recommended rejection of this Bylaw stating the following justification: ADHA has a long history of outstanding leadership elected by the House of Delegates. In studying the history of ADHA elections there is no perceived conflict at this time and the bylaws amendment is not warranted. Given the formation of a new governance committee, new leadership will be fostered and enable viable candidates to come before the House of Delegates and continue the tradition of the democratic process.
Now lots of time was devoted to the exact grammar and wording of each resolution, so as tradition has it, the House was in session one and half hours past anticipated end time.
The finale
This year Oklahoma participated in the "Call" to next years ADHA's Annual Session in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico paraded into the HOD on Route 66 with cars that had state theme icons on them. Oklahoma, by far, was the best. Everyone will have a chance to see the Okie car at ODHA's Annual Session in September. There will be a special set-up of the car and a sign-up, if you are the least bit interested, in attending ADHA's Annual Session next June, 2008. If you have never been, it is time to attend!
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