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In This Issue

Letter FROM The Editor ....................................2

Profiles In Access To Care .................................3

Dues Installment Program ................................4

National Museum of Dentistry..........................5

MSDA Establishes Relief Program ...................7

10th Annual Silent Auction ...............................8

Course Offerings ...............................................9

Classifieds ........................................................ 11

MSDA Wins ADA AwardWE WON!!! The Maryland State Dental

Association won an award from the ADA for the Greatest Percentage of Nonmembers to Membership in their membership category for 2009. MSDA received the award at the Recruitment and Retention Conference held at the ADA headquarters in Chicago on March 19 and 20, 2010. One hundred fifty participants, representing constituent and component societies around the country, were exchanging ideas, networking, listening to top speakers, discussing the problems we face with membership recruitment and retention and being recognized for all the hard work we do for organized dentistry. Maryland’s delegation was well represented by staff members including Frank McLaughlin, Colleen Fowler, Art Cleaver and Kathi Smith; and MSDA members including Dr. Bill Martin, current MSDA president and ADA Council member; Dr. Ann Christopher and Dr. Beth Serafin. One of the perks of attending the meeting, besides visiting the ADA headquarters and staff was getting to stay at the Ritz Carlton at the Watertower Plaza, rubbing elbows with celebrities like Stedman (Oprah’s significant other) and meeting the Cleveland Cavaliers.  F

Frederick Periodontal Associates Offer Tips On Going GreenEfforts to “go green” started small at FPA and have

continuously grown over time. Since taking over the practice in 2007, Dr. Harold Snyder has made it his priority to hold FPA accountable to Mother Earth. It has been a constant learning experience for the practice, and hopefully, this article will inspire, or at least, inform other dental professionals on ways to execute Earth-friendly practices within their own offices.

The first major “green” endeavor FPA undertook was transforming their patient records system into a paperless one. Once all patient records were digitized, the staff noticed how much more concise and organized the filing

system is. Going ‘paperless’ can sound like a daunting task, but there are companies that can reduce the anxiety by providing a service that scans and stores patient records on CDs.

FPA also chose to utilize a ‘paperless’ correspondence method by utilizing email as much as possible. At FPA, patient updates are usually emailed to their general and other specialty dentists. Appointment confirmations are conducted in the same manner. Having a practice email account is free (and it’s easy to establish with most providers) and the responses from both patients and providers are much timelier. All in all, it saves on the costs of labor, postage, printing, mailing and office supplies.

By using digital radiography instead of traditional x-rays, FPA eliminated the production of photochemical wastes such as fixers, developers and cleaners. According to an article written on green dentistry by Plenty Magazine, digital

continued on page 10

Send MSDA A Tweet!see page 7 for details

May 2010 MSDA Newsletter Page 3

Dr. William Martin, III, PRESIDENT

Dr. Robert Wilson, Jr., PRESIDENT-ELECT

Dr. Ricardo kimbers, VICE PRESIDENT

Dr. Cynthia Sclater, VICE PRESIDENT-ELECT

Dr. Richard M. kelley, SECRETARy

Dr. Thomas a’Becket, TREASURER

Mr. Frank McLaughlin, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dr. Tris kruger, EDITOR

Valentia Mundell, MANAgINg EDITOR

Statements of opinion and supposed facts are published on authority of the writer under whose name they appear and are not to be regarded as the views of MSDA unless such statements have been adopted by MSDA. Deadline for all copy is the 10th of the preceding month.

Maryland State Dental Association:6410 Dobbin Road, Suite F, Columbia, MD 21045-4744410.964.2880 . 410.964.0583 (FAX) . www.msda.com

Please Direct All Advertising & Article Submissions To:FatCat Studios, 1616 Shakespeare St., Baltimore, MD 21231410.534.8700 . 410.534.6700 (FAX) . MSDAads@aol.com

For Dr. Harvey Levy, an ideal profession is one that can provide a crossroad between your passions and your need to make a living in the world. Dr. Levy found just that in the fi eld of dentistry. It is the only career capable of fulfi lling his professional passions – working with people, creating three-dimensional art and engaging in the sciences. This perfect match has kept him fueled and enthusiastic over the past 36 years.

Early in his career, Dr. Levy was fortunate enough to attend a two-year residency in Rochester, New York – an experience that greatly infl uenced his decision to accept Medicaid patients. Many of the patients in his training program were medically compromised, mentally challenged or in need of medical assistance.

“I’ll always remember my roots and where I received my training, that remains an integral part of me,” said Dr. Levy. “I evolved as a dentist treating patients in desperate need of adequate dental care, and I feel an obligation and desire to continue to serve them today.”

Together, Dr. Levy and his three partners work diligently to ensure that no patient is neglected because of fi nancial, medical or mental handicaps. Approximately 15% of his patient-base receives medical assistance, and every week, one half-day is set aside exclusively to treat those with special needs. Over the past 30 years in his Frederick practice, Dr. Levy and his team (which includes Dr. David Somerville, Dr. Niraj Patel, and Dr. Sunanda Bhushan, as well as a caring and competent staff) have been visited over 30,000 times by special-needs patients. The dental needs of 1100 of those patients were so severe, that Dr. Levy and his partners had to treat those patients in an operating room at the hospital or surgical center.

The secret to his successful management of these patients? According to Dr. Levy, patients get the highest quality care in the operating room because the dentist is working on a non-moving target. In addition, medical assistance will always pay

the hospital bill. If you’re concerned with patient management issues commonly associated with Medicaid and special needs patients, Dr. Levy encourages you to consider offi ce sedation or hospitalization as an option. Dr. Levy frequently teaches seminars and workshops on oral sedation for special-needs patients at state dental meetings, to increase dentists’ knowledge and comfort level.

Treating Medicaid patients, particularly those with special-needs, may not be directly profi table, but the caretakers of these patients come in themselves and provide referrals. Furthermore, Dr. Levy feels that these patients provide him with a unique satisfaction, gratifi cation and good will that nurture his soul. He stresses that it’s not only about the money, but the hugs, thank-you notes and other displays of gratitude encourage everyone in Dr. Levy’s practice to continue to reach out to those in need of assistance.

“When our special-needs and medical assistance patients are pain-free, infection-free and healthy between the nose and the chin, we feel we’ve done our job. If you choose to treat them, you, too, will feel good about your contribution.”

Dr. Harvey Levy practices general dentistry in Frederick, MD. He has earned eight fellowships, both Mastership and Lifelong Learning Service Recognition in the Academy of General Dentistry, and four diplomate certifi cations. After graduating from Tufts Dental School in 1974, Dr. Levy completed a two-year residency in Rochester, NY and was a GP residency full-time instructor at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. He is Chief of Service at Frederick Memorial Hospital and was awarded their Good Samaritan Award in 2002. His work with special-needs patients earned him the 1986 AGD Humanitarian Award, the 2002 ADA Access to Care Award, and the honor of being a 2002 Winter Olympic torch runner. For more information on Dr. Levy and his practice, visit DrHLevyAssoc.com. F

PROFILES IN ACCESS TO CARE: Dr. Harvey Levy

MARK YouR CAlENDAR!

September 24-26, 2010 Ocean City, Maryland

1414 Prince Street, Suite 202 · Alexandria, VA 22314 · Ph: 703-820-8618 · www.teamplace.com · info@teamplace.com

Registered Dental Hygienists • Certified Dental Assistants • Front Desk • Office Managers • Dentists Lab Technicians • Patient Coordinators • Financial Personnel • Clerical Staff • Practice Administrators

Hiring Options: Direct Hire • Temp-to-Perm • Temporary Placements

Do You Need a Spot Filled?

2nd Annual Match@msda:Dental Employment ‘Speed Interviewing’

(An Employment Networking Opportunity)

The MSDA is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual Match@msda: Dental Employment Speed Interviewing event. We will be hosting the event on Thursday, June 3, 2010 at the MSDA Headquarters, from 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. for members who are looking to hire associates or prospective buyers. The attendees will be “matched” with members and new graduates who are looking for associate positions and other practice opportunities. All attendees must have a current and active license to practice dentistry in Maryland.

The format of the evening will be as follows:

l Registration, appetizers and casual mingling will begin at 6:00 p.m. At 6:30 p.m. theprogram will begin, tailored after the concept of speed dating, where attendees will spend 5-7 minutes “getting to know each other.” This time is not meant to be a formal interview, but rather an opportunity to see if there is any interest or “chemistry” to arrange further contact.

l Those looking for associates should bring several copies of a one-page outline including the name, offi ce address, phone numbers, email, a description of the position and brief description of your practice. Those seeking positions should bring several copies of a one-page CV.

We hope this “fun” format will make it possible for all to meet many prospects and perhaps lead to a future employment relationship.

For further information or to register to attend, please contact Art Cleaver at 410.964.2880 or 800.766.2880 or Art@msda.com. F