Noteworthy News
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CODA Accepts Recommendation to Require Needs Assessment to Determine the Feasibility of Proposed Dental Hygiene Programs
ADHA has just issued a press release heralding CODA's new requirement for a needs assessment as part of the accreditation process for new DH programs accreditation. "Evidenced-based documentation of current and local/regional data which verifies an adequate patient population, qualified faculty and administration, and present employment opportunities for graduates" is now required. A link to the attached press release can be found on the ADHA home page, www.adha.org.
Congratulations to UTHSC Dental Hygiene Class of 2012
for Submitting the Winning Video in the YouTube Contest
A10638: Authorizes a limited permit to practice dental hygiene
TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to authorizing a limited permit to practice dental hygiene
PURPOSE: To authorize graduates of dental hygiene programs who have met all the requirements for licensure but not yet passed the New York licensing examination to obtain limited permits to practice for a period of one year.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one amends the education law by adding a new section 6609-b which allows a limited permit to practice dental hygiene to be granted to an individual who has met all the requirements for license as a dental hygienist but has not yet passed the required examination. The limited permit entitles the holder to practice only under the personal supervision of a licensed dentist. The limited permit shall be issued for a period of one year, and may be renewed at the discretion of the department for one additional year. The fee for such permit and for each renewal shall be fifty dollars.
Section two provides the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION: Under the current law, a person who has completed all the requirements for licensure as a dental hygienist, but not yet passed the required examination is not permitted to practice. However, many of the other medical professions, including physician's assistants, phys ical therapists, and dentists may obtain a limited permit authorizing them to practice under supervision for a set period of time prior to passing the required examination. Increasing access to oral healthcare and oral disease prevention for all New Yorkers continues to be a challenge. The creation of limited permits for dental hygienists would increase the number of practitioners avail able to provide dental hygiene services throughout the state, while bringing the dental hygiene profession in line with most other medical professions.
Worlds most powerful man speaks out about importance of oral health and the relationsihp to total health!
The U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass H.R. 3590, the health care overhaul bill passed by the Senate in December, thus ushering in a new era of heath care delivery in the United States. The 219-212 vote closely followed party lines with only Democrats voting in favor of the measure. The bill now awaits President Obama's signature in order to become law. H.R. 3590 contains a number of oral health provisions that will have a significant impact on the oral health care delivery system and the dental hygiene profession. As the leading resource for information about your profession, ADHA offers this update on health reform as part of the series of health reform e-mails that have been sent since August.
The House vote brings closure to more than a year of national debate about whether or not to fundamentally overhaul the national health care system. The new law will extend health care coverage to tens of millions of Americans. While much media attention has been focused on the broad medical provisions contained in H.R. 3590, little has been reported about the significant oral health provisions included in the bill. The following offers an overview of some of the key oral health provisions:
How Dental Care Will Be Changed by Healthcare Reform
Health reform will offer major changes in the arena of dental care; the bill that has been offered by the United States Congress for healthcare reform will have a lasting effect on the field of dentistry and the type of dental care that people receive.
There promises to be a huge expansion of coverage for individuals in need of dental care once health reform is initiated. The healthcare reform bill looks very promising for people who have long awaited adequate coverage for their dental needs.
Children will get greater dental care because the health reform options are seeking to cover all children in the United States today. Funding will possibly be offered for professionals within the industry seeking to further their education in the field of dentistry too; this means more qualified dentists to treat more individuals who receive coverage via the healthcare reform bill.
In a recent study from the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Buffalo (Shibly O; Effect of tobacco counseling by dental students on patient quitting rate J Dent Educ. 2010 Feb;74(2):140-8), it was discovered that once dental professionals received appropriate training in tobacco counseling cessation protocol for their patients they can be effective in motivating patients to quit smoking.
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Prof. Joycelyn Dillon, Chair of the Dental Hygiene Dept. at New York City College of Technology, has been accepted as a Fellow to the 11th class of the American Dental Education Association Leadership Institute. This year-long program is designed to develop the nation's most promising individuals at academic dental institutions to become future leaders in dental and higher education.
Fellows emerge from this program prepared for expanded roles, with greater self-knowledge and with a personal vision for their careers. City Tech will benefit from mentoring and contributing to the growth of an outstanding dental educator.
Prof. Dillon was also awarded the Colgate-Palmolive Company Allied Dental Educators Fellowship in the ADEA Leadership Institute which provides a $4,000 honorarium to be used for the ADEA Leadership Institute.
She is the only dental hygienist selected for the current year.
Congratulations to Prof. Dillon
At 7am on December 24th, the Senate passed H.R. 3590, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The passage of the legislation marks another hurdle in the effort to pass sweeping health reform legislation in Congress. The House passed its health reform bill in November and now Senate and House leadership will reconcile the differences between the two pieces of legislation, setting the stage for final passage of a health reform bill.
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is committed to keeping the dental hygiene community informed on health reform matters that impact the profession. Both the House and Senate bills contain significant oral health provisions that are not often mentioned in media coverage of health reform.
ADHA respects that there are many opinions on health reform within the dental hygiene community. This update is not intended to sway recipients in one direction or the other on the issue, but is offered as a means to update dental hygiene professionals about the oral health provisions contained in the Senate bill (H.R. 3590) and the House bill (H.R. 3962).
ADA Launches Community Dental Health Coordinator Pilot Program at Temple University
CHICAGO, Nov. 24, 2009-The American Dental Association (ADA) has signed an agreement with Temple University to train new dental team members as part of a pilot program to improve the oral health in underserved communities. The Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) is a member of the dental health team who works in communities where residents have limited access to dental care to improve their oral health.
The CDHC provides a limited range of preventive dental care services-including screenings and fluoride treatments. However, of greater importance to these communities, the CDHC will help patients navigate the health system and access care by a dentist or an appropriate clinic and engage in educational activities to improve community members' oral health habits.
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On Saturday, November 7, the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. The landmark vote marks one step in the efforts of Congressional leaders and the Obama Administration to pass comprehensive health reform legislation.
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) is committed to keeping the dental hygiene community informed on health reform matters that impact the profession. ADHA respects that there are many opinions on health reform within the dental hygiene community. This update is not intended to sway recipients in one direction or the other on the issue, but is offered as a means to update dental hygiene professionals about the oral health provisions contained in H.R. 3962 and to offer an overview of ADHA’s engagement in the process thus far.
Health reform legislation in the House and Senate touches on many facets of the health care delivery system. The following offers a brief overview of oral health provisions contained in H.R. 3962:
Governor declares H1N1 to be a State Disaster Emergency
In response to requests for assistance from local governments across New York State including New York City, Governor David A. Paterson today issued Executive Order 29 declaring a State Disaster Emergency, which will provide additional personnel and flexibility to local governments as they work to implement a statewide vaccination campaign to protect New Yorkers from H1N1 influenza.
“The nationwide H1N1 vaccination campaign represents the first time in 33 years that the United States has attempted to conduct a mass vaccination campaign of this proportion for influenza,” Governor Paterson said. “Local governments are reporting that the current public health workforce is not sufficient to thoroughly execute a vaccination campaign of this magnitude. Those local governments and health care providers specifically requested that we issue this emergency declaration to give them flexibility to use additional personnel and resources in New York’s vaccination campaign.”
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