KDA Today

KDA Today

For Immediate Release

Date: Apr 24th, 2017
Contact: Richard A. Whitehouse
Phone: 800-292-1855
Email: info@kyda.org

And The Winner Is

By the time you read this, it will have been several weeks since Envelopegate − the incident that upset the 89th Annual Academy Awards ceremony. You may no longer remember his name. But, you will, no doubt, always remember the guy who provided the wrong envelope to the presenters for the category of Best Motion Picture. His fifteen minutes of fame exhausted, he will slip into Oscar history as the guy who had one job to do and botched it because he was distracted by his smart-phone.

One guy was not paying attention. The KDA can’t afford to be that guy.

Ten days after La La Land (and then, Moonlight) won Best Picture, the KDA held our third annual legislative day in Frankfort. We kicked off the morning with greetings from key legislative leaders Rep. Addia Wuchner, Sen. Julie Raque Adams, Sen. Alice Forgy Kerr and Sen. Max Wise. KDA leaders Dr. Bill Collins, Dr. David Narramore, Dr. Garth Bobrowski, and Dr. Sharon Turner provided updates on important aspects of organized dentistry related to current legislation and issues impacting the profession in Kentucky. Attendees then visited their legislators and hosted them afterwards at an informal luncheon where the conversation continued. At the end of the day, KDA President Dr. Bill Collins was recognized by the Kentucky General Assembly for his work in organized dentistry and support of initiatives that serve the citizens of the commonwealth.

More legislators attended our event than ever before. The value of this exercise in relationship building was also reflected in the small victories reported by KDA leaders to attendees of the meeting. Best of all, almost every one of the member attendees came prepared to meet with their legislators having scheduled personal meetings in advance. Our lunch drew a record crowd of legislators. We are making progress by paying attention to the changing political landscape!

All in all, it was a great day. But, there was a seat waiting for you. And, an empty seat means our message to legislators could have been stronger. We spend a lot of time these days talking about membership in terms of recruitment and retention. It’s critically important for our success as an organization in terms of influencing public policy to better serve members that we truly represent organized dentistry. That is why it is very important to both recruit and retain membership.

So, here is a thought. We have 2,259 dentists in Kentucky. If you know one who is not a KDA member, you can increase the power of organized dentistry by convincing them to become one and support our efforts to better represent the profession in Frankfort and Washington, D.C. All members could easily recruit one new member and attend our next legislative day in 2018. Our goal should be to fill our room to overflowing. Just imagine. If only one out of ten Kentucky dentists can come together on that day, we would actually outnumber the Kentucky General Assembly. So, please direct potential new members to our website for an application at https://www.kyda.org/join.html.

There is a lot happening at the KDA these days. We are working to improve our service to members every day and communicate to them the information they need in their day-to-day practice. We are mindful of the need to provide greater member value and return on investment. Sometimes that means changing the way we do things. That is why, at our last meeting, the KDA Executive Board decided to discontinue our association insurance plan in favor of an approach that provides members more choices from within this competitive industry. We believe this will provide members a greater breadth of services at a more competitive price. In the future, you will see many more options in our journal and at our annual meeting for all types of insurance available to you from those who support the KDA. Once again, the KDA is paying attention by being responsive to the needs of our members!

But, I would like to direct your attention to the often-overlooked topic of membership engagement. The KDA wants to make it easier for you to practice. We exist so individual members will not be burdened with daily legislative or executive lobbying and the search for better professional business services and products. That is why we believe attendance at the KDA Annual Meeting is also very important to Kentucky dentists.

Attending our annual meeting is a way for members to become more involved in the direction of their profession without taking too much time out of the office. Members can attend the meeting of our house of delegates. They can meet with KDA leaders to learn more about public policy and the legislative agenda. They can also find much needed information, education, and introduction to a variety of new products and services. This year, we are gathering in a setting that allows for a little play as well as a little work – French Lick Resort.

The next big opportunity to get engaged through attending our annual meeting is August 24-27. The preliminary program for our meeting will be released soon. Here is a preview:

On Day One, the keynote for our opening session this year is vice-president of the ADA Practice Institute Dr. David Preble who will speak on the state of the dental market in 2017. We have an all-day course on top clinical tips by Dr. Lee Ann Brady and our William Marcus Randall Awards Luncheon.

Day Two begins with free breakout sessions on the KDA legislative agenda for component members, an update on Medicaid issues, and a multi-dentist practice panel. After a day of high-quality and low-cost continuing education courses, there will be alumni receptions for our Kentucky dental schools and our 2017 President’s Reception. So, bring your dance shoes for a night of old time rock & roll. After, new dentists are invited again to attend an after party with pizza, bowling, and video games.

Day Three and Four bring more great continuing education, as well as the KDA House of Delegates meeting for those interested in important issues related to board governance.

We also have lots going on in the exhibit hall, again this year. Last year, we saw Elvis, Miss Kentucky, and Mr. Sparkle liven up the aisles. Tooth fairies and zoo animals were also sited. This year, there will be even more surprises as we learn about the latest products from our vendors and patrons in a venue you will want to invite both your family and office staff to attend.

We are paying attention to what others are doing as well as to the needs and wants of Kentucky dentists. Most importantly, we are paying attention to our members in order to get them more engaged in their association.

Please plan on attending KDA events like legislative day and our annual meeting. We need dentists more involved in growing organized dentistry. Dentists deserve more wins in Frankfort next session and members are getting greater service and better experiences from their association than ever before. We’re paying attention. But, the question is whether we have members engaged to win.

The answer is in your hands.

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