At the 2018 Oregon Dental Association’s recent House of Delegates meeting, September 8th, James McMahan, DMD, took office as the 126th President of the Oregon Dental Association. To review a list of others installed by the 2018 House of Delegates, click here. A complete 2018 House of Delegates recap will be included in the October/November issue of Membership Matters.

Let the Oregon Dental Association guide you on your journey in continued excellence and leadership growth.  Apply today to be part of the 2019 Leadership Academy!  This program provides you with a unique backstage pass to ODA offerings and experiences, while developing and enhancing your leadership and interpersonal skills. Customized to each participant, depending upon the indicated area of interest, the Academy guarantees a deeper understanding and growth where it matters most to you!  Apply or nominate a colleague today!  Applications/Nominations are due by December 7, 2018.

The 18-member Rural Health Coordinating Council (RHCC) was established by the Oregon legislature in 1979 at the same time the Office of Rural Health was created. Its purpose has historically been to advise the Office of Rural Health (ORH) in carrying out its statutory duties. This group concentrates on rural access, incentives and other related policy areas. If you are interested in serving, please reach out to ODA Government Affairs Director Jen Lewis-Goff for more information and assistance in applying.

The ODA is continually working to better integrate dental health care into primary care. We know that as dentists, you often see patients more frequently than their other providers do, creating opportunities and touchpoints to help improve overall health. We'd like to hear your stories, examples and thoughts on how dentists can work to improve Oregonians' health.  Click here to take the survey now!

In the effort to learn more about our members each month, we will include a poll question in the ODA Insider. Share your thoughts on the question and find out the member results in the next ODA Insider and upcoming Membership Matters issues. Complete the poll below and stay tuned for the results! Check out the August poll results here. 

In the last year, we have introduced a new regular feature in our Membership Matters magazine – Through the Loupes. This feature is designed to spotlight individual members and councils and committees in their work and contributions to organized dentistry, their communities, and beyond. Check out our most recent member spotlight – Steven Knapp, DMD.

Are you a provider serving Medicaid patients? Enrollment with OHA was required by August 31, 2018, to ensure prescriptions for your patients can be filled and paid for seamlessly. OHA will only pay for pharmacy claims when they include the National Provider Identifier of an ODA-enrolled prescriber. Verify your enrollment and learn more here.

House Bill 4143, passed during the 2018 Legislative Session, was targeted at the opioid epidemic in Oregon. As part of that bill, all prescribers active with the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) were required to register with the PDMP by July 1, 2018. Learn more information and access the registration portal.

The Oregon Health Authority recently announced increases in certain Medicaid Fee-for-Service dental procedure reimbursement rates, effective February 1, 2018. Review the newly approved changes here. 

Save the date to join your ODA colleagues in a day of advocacy at the state capitol educating yourself, legislators and their staff on critical issues impacting dentistry, including oral health care policy and funding, workforce, education and training.

The 2019 Oregon Dental Conference® is the 127th Annual Session of the Oregon Dental Association (ODA) and marks the association's ​22nd year at the Oregon Convention Center. The conference is the concurrent meeting of the ODA, the Oregon Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (OSOMS), the Oregon State Association of Endodontists (OSAE), the Oregon Society of Periodontists (OSP), the Oregon Academy of General Dentistry (OAGD), the Oregon Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (OAPD), the Oregon Dental Assistants Association (ODAA), The Oregon Dental Executives' Association (ODEA), the Oregon Dental Hygienists' Association (ODHA), ​and the Oregon Association of Dental Laboratories (OADL).