COUNCIL ON ORTHODONTIC PRACTICE
Dr. GAYLE GLENN
The Council on Orthodontic Practice met January 23-24, 2004 in St. Louis, MO. A conference call was held March 29, 2004.
Office Design Manual
The proposed new version of the Office Design Manual will be web-based (CD-ROM and on-line), replacing the printed binder form. The ADA's Office Design Manual was reviewed for content and format.
COOP Sponsored Conferences
Orlando 2004 Annual Session: "Growth, Vision & Transition for Orthodontist CEO's" was a full-day program on Friday, April 30, 2004, moderated by Randall Berning. Other speakers included Dr. Clark, Dr. Domer, Dr. McDonald, Dr. O'Neil and Ms. Beth Barrett.
Orlando 2004 Annual Session: "Staff Training: Advancing and Renewing Teams" (S.T.A.R.T) was held Saturday, May 1, 2004. The program featured an initial General Session, followed by break out sessions for administrative staff, clinical staff, treatment coordinators, and doctors. Dr. Rebecca Poling, Lori Garland-Parker, Debbie Best and Cathy Sundvall presented the program designed to teach staff trainers how to train others. The session was captured on Digiscript for distance learning purposes.
San Francisco 2005 Annual Session: "Practice Transition Seminar" will be Friday, May 20, 2005, as a full-day ticketed event. Possible moderator and speaker is John McGill.
2006 "Orthodontist as CEO": This will be a stand-alone conference similar to the 2003 conference held in Tampa, Florida. This conference will be held February 9-12, 2006 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Informed Consent
A sub-committee is currently working with AAOIC on revising the form.
Practice Opportunities/Alternatives Program
Katie Repking, the Practice Opportunities Coordinator gave a report, highlighting the increased number of matches since last year. She reported that 46% of the Orthodontic Programs have completed their Practice Alternatives Presentations. She plans to contact mentors and constituent representatives to determine their interest in continuing to give the presentations. Proposals for on-line vs. face-to-face training for presenters were discussed.
School Nurse Program
COC and COOP collaborated on this project designed to educate school nurses on the basics of dealing with minor orthodontic emergencies. COC developed "Handling Orthodontic Emergencies at School", which is posted on the AAO public web site.
Staff Development and Human Resources
A formal staff training program was discussed. The VISION is "to provide a comprehensive training program for the complete orthodontic team." Modules are proposed to include 1) Orthodontic Assisting, 2) Treatment Coordinator, 3) Orthodontic Administration, 4) Orthodontic Laboratory Tech, and 5) Sterilization Tech.
The sub-committee will interview various staff training vendors. They will determine whether to recommend use of an existing product/vendor or creation of a customized program exclusive to AAO.
The Orthodontic Staff Training Resource Syllabus was available for members and staff at the Member Services Booth during the 2004 Annual Session.
Brochures
Tobacco Use Brochure - A new brochure was designed informing patients of the adverse effects of smoking and tobacco use on orthodontic treatment. Production pending.
Oral Cancer Screening
The Oral Cancer Screening Video from the University of Pittsburgh has been added to the AAO Library. The ADA launched the third phase of its oral cancer awareness campaign last fall.
Women in Orthodontics
A Women Orthodontists' Luncheon was held in Orlando during the 2004 Annual Session on Saturday, May 1st. Karen Moawad facilitated an interactive program for attendees. This initiative supports the AAO Strategic Plan to "address issues/challenges facing the diverse population of orthodontists" and "develop and deliver programs based on membership diversity and community needs."
Special Needs Patients
Articles submitted by Dr. David Musich appeared in the BULLETIN. This is a very broad category, and most offices handle such situations on a case by case basis. A Supplemental Orthodontic History Questionnaire was submitted for discussion. The Research Family is being surveyed to assess member interest and needs in this area.
Referring Dentist Education Program
Members from COC, COIT and COOP participated in a conference call on January 22, 2004 to discuss the development of methods of informing general dentists about orthodontic services. The group proposed an educational outreach CD-ROM that members can use when communicating with referring dentists. This CD would contain 3-4 short presentations on topics of interest to general dentists (such as Dr. Vincent Kokich discussing restorative dentistry or implants), with an accompanying Power Point presentation. The concept was approved by the 2004 HOD.
The next COOP meeting will be August 27 & 28, 2004 in St. Louis, MO.
(Closing Note: Thank you for the opportunity to serve as the SWSO Representative on the Council on Orthodontic Practice. I thoroughly enjoyed my association with the members and activities of this AAO Council.-Gayle Glenn.)