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Member News
Welcome to our newest members! Please reach out to these new members and welcome them into the ODA community.
Thank you to all of you who attended the ODA's Regional Event: CE on the Ranch at Brasada Ranch! We had a wonderful few days of continuing education, social events, and relationship building with sponsors and exhibitors. Join us next year at Salishan on November 7 & 8, 2025. Do you have an associate or colleague who may be interested in joining the ODA? There’s a current campaign which allows qualifying non-members the ability to lock in their 2025 membership at 2024 rates by enrolling in the 12-month auto-renew program. In addition to locking in 2024 rates, the non-member receives complimentary membership for the last quarter of 2024. This is a great way to understand the tangible benefits (wellness, finance, career, and CE) of membership as well as experience the tripartite community by attending local fall events. Contact Heather Langdon at hlangdon@oregondental.org for more information. Together We Thrive! Do you know someone who should be considered for the 2024 Tom Tucker Humanitarian Award? Please send all nominations to leadership@oregondental.org before December 1st. We can’t wait to celebrate this his year's recipient at the 2025 Oregon Dental Conference. Find out more information including award criteria and see past winners on the ODA website, here. Let the Oregon Dental Association guide you on your journey in continued excellence and leadership growth. 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 area(s) of interest, the Academy guarantees a deeper understanding and growth where it matters most to you! Nominate yourself or a colleague to join our 2025 class! Find out more information, here. 
Your membership is an investment in your success, our profession, and public health. This investment also fuels our efforts in legislative advocacy, helps you elevate your skills, and assists you in cultivating invaluable connections to broaden your network and engage with our community. Please watch the mail for your dues statement and remit payment or pay online. As a reminder, ADA introduced a new login process to make it easier to access your account online. You will no longer use your ADA member number for login. Instead, your email address and password will grant you access to your ADA account, including ADA.org. If this is your first time signing on, you will need to reset your password by choosing the forgot password option. Learn more at ADA.org/LoginFAQ. We look forward to serving you in 2025! ODA Executive Director, Barry Taylor would like to visit your study club to talk about the value ODA membership and our plans for 2025. If you are a member of a study club, please reach out to Barry at btaylor@oregondental.org to make arrangements for a visit. We are looking forward to a great 2025, and we want to increase membership engagement. Effective July 1, 2024, the Oregon Wellness Program (OWP) will reduce the number of free counseling sessions available to medical and dental professionals from eight annually to three visits. Learn more on the ODA website here. 
Compliance & Legislative Corner
While 2024 general election saw the country swing toward the right at the federal level, the balance of power in both chambers of Oregon’s legislature remained nearly unchanged. All statewide offices in Oregon will continue to be held by Democrats, and five of Oregon’s six congressional districts will send members of the same party back to D.C. The one congressional seat that saw a change this year was the election of Democrat Janelle Bynum, who unseated incumbent Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer in CD-5. The ODA was pleased to see that the two dentists who currently serve in the legislature, Rep. Hai Pham and Rep. Cyrus Javadi, were reelected to their seats. Two of the three statewide ballot measures passed, including Measure 115, which allows the legislature to impeach elected state executives. Measure 118, which proposed a three percent increase in the corporate minimum tax with revenue distributed as direct payments to Oregon residents, failed, as did Measure 117, which would have established ranked choice voting for federal and state offices in Oregon. Both local municipality fluoride measures, one in Hillsboro and another in Lebanon, failed. The ODA was disappointed to see voters reject these measures, given the extensive, science-based data that shows how unfluoridated water supplies can lead to unnecessary cavities, pain and dental infections. We know that the issue of fluoride is become a larger issue at the national level, and the ADA is closely monitoring those conversations and the developing narrative around fluoride. The ADA has developed talking points on fluoride that may be helpful for those who are receiving questions about the safety and efficacy of water fluoridation. If you receive inquiries from media about fluoridation, please reach out to Brett Hamilton (bhamilton@oregondental.com) so our team can help provide talking points and resources for responding to growing misinformation about this issue. Many dental practices that meet certain requirements must file beneficial ownership information reports by Jan. 1, 2025, before facing penalties. Dental practices must file under the Corporate Transparency Act, which was established to mitigate money-laundering operations, if they employ fewer than 20 people or if they generate less than $5 million (gross receipts) in revenue annually. Failure to file a report can result in civil penalties, including fines of up to $500 per day until the violation is fixed, or criminal penalties, including fines of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment for up to two years. Read more. As the dust settles from the elections, it is time to shift our attention to 2025 Legislative Session, which will begin January 21st. ODA has a robust Legislative Agenda, and we need your engagement. Although it might sound like a broken record, there is no substitute for the voices of those working with patients and running dental offices every day and who can advocate for patients’ rights. The ODA is building its team of dental advocates, and we need YOU to get involved in the legislative process! Remember, this is your association and you can have some control of your destiny. Advocacy can take many forms, depending on your comfort level, experience, and expertise. As a member of the ODA Legislative Action Team, you may be invited to write a letter to legislators, attend Dental Day at the Capitol, or write an op-ed for a local publication, among other opportunities. Sign up HERE or email ODA’s Director of Government and Regulatory Affairs Brett Hamilton at bhamilton@oregondental.org and express your interest directly. Join ODA’s Legislative Advocacy Team! With several years of private practice and 40 years of research and teaching under his belt, OHSU School of Dentistry Dean Ronald Sakaguchi is deeply passionate about continued learning and has brought that passion for helping others to learn to his work in educating the next generation of dentists. After being appointed Dean in October 2020, Dr. Sakaguchi has brought that same innovative, forward thinking, and student-centric approach to his work with the School of Dentistry. Without hesitation, he says his favorite thing about his role at OHSU is getting to work with students. https://www.oregondental.org/members-in-action/dr.-ronald-sakaguchi As a reminder, beginning Jan. 1, 2024, dental insurers in Oregon are required to allow providers to opt in to receiving payment reimbursements via credit card, rather than having to opt out. Thanks to ODA’s advocacy team, this new law will save dentists thousands in unexpectedly low reimbursement rates. To provide clarification regarding the law, you may access a new FAQ, here. The law applies to all new contracts, renewed, or extended contracts entered into or contracts that had significant changes made after January 1, 2024. If you renewed your contract before January 1, 2024, the new law does not yet apply to your contract. Contact your provider networks to learn more. A rule added optional additional functions for Dental Therapists including intravenous access, phlebotomy, and blood draw with successful completion of a Board approved course effective May 1, 2024. There were also 10 other rules amended including dental implant training requirements, nitrous oxide permitting, minimal sedation, and additional functions for dental hygienists and dental assistants. More information about these rule changes can be found on the OBD home page: https://www.oregon.gov/dentistry/pages/index.aspx. Starting in 2025, the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), Oregon’s Medicaid program, plans to roll out a set of Incentive Payments for dental providers. The incentives will reward for preventative care and increasing access for Medicaid members. The following two options will be available in 2025:
OHA will host webinars this fall/winter on these incentives. Please watch for more details in the coming months! If you have questions or feedback, please contact OHA at Actuarial.Services@odhsoha.oregon.gov. 
ODA Member Perks
The Winter Webinar Series will kick off in January 2025. Designed to allow you the opportunity to receive CE before the deadline for licensure on March 31st, each webinar will focus on an Oregon Board of Dentistry required course and is free to members. Registration coming soon!
Winter is here, and it’s time to get outside and explore the beauty of Oregon! Better yet, head to the Columbia Employee Store for all those last minute holiday gifts. We're excited to partner with Columbia Sportswear to bring you this ODA members only experience and invite you and up to four guests to shop the Columbia Employee Store November 29 - December 29, 2024.* The Columbia Sportswear Employee Store offers 40-50% off retail prices and features all the latest products from the Columbia Sportswear Company family (SOREL, Mountain Hardwear, prAna, and of course Columbia Sportswear). Plus, It’s Golden Ticket Time - Save 20% off select styles plus an additional 10% on your entire purchase! Please watch for your email for your member pass and additional details. Get ready for our Black Friday Daily Deals, where amazing savings await you every day! Enjoy incredible discounts that make it easy to find the perfect gifts—or treat yourself. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to score unbeatable prices on the hottest items of the season! Shop now and make this Black Friday one to remember! For a limited time, take an EXTRA 10% OFF Premium Think, November 11th through November 23rd with coupon code: THINKPARTNER at checkout. For EXTRA savings, use coupon code: HOLIDAYOFFER Earn BIG with MyLenovo Rewards Shop Now: www.lenovo.com/us/en/ada The world moves fast – and your ADA UPS® Savings Program has the tools you need to help your dental practice move even faster. They’re here to help you push envelopes and ride the edge of what’s possible. They’ll be right by your side with everything you need to keep blazing forward. Let UPS® help make your practice unstoppable. Members enjoy the following savings every time you ship:
Sign up for a new account or enroll your existing account. Already have an ADA UPS® Savings Program account? Re-enroll by calling 1-800Members (1-800-636-2377) and give them your association Acronym, ADA. Ask for Greg Brown, our dedicated Member Benefits Consultant (if possible). Now through the end of the year, Volvo is offering ADA members $2,000* off the purchase or lease of any 2024 or 2025 vehicle, including Certified by Volvo pre-owned models. Never pay full price for a cruise again. Avid Traveling, endorsed by ADA Member Advantage, removes the markups other suppliers put on travel, providing exclusive access with up to 30% off retail rates. You will never find a better valued deal elsewhere. If you do, Avid Traveling will match it, guaranteed. Tap into a pool of top talent: Post your open positions on ODA’s Dental Career Center Connect and gain access to a vast pool of talented dental professionals actively seeking new opportunities. Our platform is the go-to destination for the brightest minds in dentistry. Looking for a change in your career? Discover a world of possibilities with our extensive job listings catering to every aspect of the dental field. Whether you’re a seasoned dentist, a passionate dental hygienist, or an aspiring dental assistant, find your perfect match with just a click. Visit the career center at https://careers.oregondental.org/. Catch up on the latest ADA webinars and on-demand video learning opportunities on your own schedule. From managing your practice to caring for your staff or your own mental health, new events are added regularly. See all digital events here. Many CE opportunities are free of charge. Dental Community News and Events
Help drive change in dentistry and be supported to excel in your career by joining one of our New Dentist Learning Networks. Crafted by new dentists and leading experts, these study groups will help you fulfill licensure CE requirements, take your clinical skills to the next level and connect with other dentists like you from around the globe. Earn 12 CE credits. Networks begin in January 2025. Register today. The 2025 Oregon Dental Conference is just around the corner! Join the ODA at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, OR April 3-5, 2025 for exceptional CE courses, the chance to shop the exhibit hall, and to catch up with your fellow dental professionals! Please check our Oregon Dental Conference website regularly for new developments and updates. http://www.oregondentalconference.org. 
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