October
1998 Newsletter
President's Message ||
MCDS Board of Trustees / Committee Reports ||
Treasurer's Report Detail
NJDA News || NJDA State Board of Trustees Report
Articles || Announcements || Editorial
President's Message
Many of our members in attendance at the
September general membership meeting commented to me that it was
a terrific meeting. For the second year in a row, the officers
and the Board of Trustees decided to modify the format of our
September meeting to provide an extended social hour with wine
and hors d'oeuvres in lieu of a business meeting. This allowed us
time to catch up with many of our old friends after the summer,
and also gave us the opportunity to make some new friends. The
conversations during the social hour were loud and continuous.
This led me to think of the best reasons to belong to the
Middlesex County Dental Society. Perhaps it is the convenient,
high quality, readily available, diverse, continuing education
opportunities. Perhaps it is the comfort in knowing that we
belong to the group that is representing our special interests as
dentists in the political and public arenas. But perhaps the most
important reason is the camaraderie - the ability to share
experiences and learn from each other in a non-threatening
environment - the ability to discuss "the good, the bad and
the ugly" about our profession with a colleague that truly
understands - the ability to speak informally with colleagues
about difficult situations, cases and patients - the ability to
be yourself and speak freely without needing to explain what you
do, why you do it and how much you charge for it - because we all
understand.
I certainly enjoyed the September meeting and look forward to
many opportunities this year to spend time with my friends and
colleagues. In addition to our monthly general membership
meetings, there will be our monthly Board of Trustees meetings
(all interested members are invited to attend), numerous mentor
committee programs and our all-day continuing education seminar.
But perhaps the most enjoyable event of all will be our dinner
dance on Saturday evening, April 17, 1999. An evening of good
fun, food, drink, music, dancing...and camaraderie. I hope to see
you there.
Sincerely,
Ira S. Rosen, D.M.D.
President, Middlesex County Dental Society
MCDS
Board of Trustees Report
-May 12, 1998-
Attendance: Bloom, Brunsden, Clemente, DeSciscio,
Engel, Fahsbender, Fertig, Kahn, Kline, Krantz, Leizer,
Perlmutter, Prabhu, Rosen, Silverstein, Villa, Weiner
Acceptance of Minutes-6/9/98-Unanimous
Treasurer's Report: Previous Balance $40,324.04
P. DeSciscio, Treasurer Income/Expenses + 8,286.77
Current Balance $48,610.81
President's Report-I. Rosen
Dr. Sterritt is stepping down from the Governor's Council on
AIDS and a replacement is needed. This position requires a
commitment of about one Wednesday per month. Interested members
should contact Dr. Rosen.
NJDA Council Reports:
NJDA Board of Trustees-D. Krantz
See full report in the newsletter.
Annual Session-P. Engel
There were about 20% fewer people at this year's Annual
Session, but still came out ten thousand dollar profit was
realized from the exhibitors fees. Next year the Annual Session
will be held the weekend before Memorial Day weekend at the
Atlantic City Convention Center.
Special Olympics-C. Brunsden
Eight corporate sponsors will fund this year's NJDA
sponsorship for the New Jersey Special Olympics. There will be
300 billboards going up around the state showing NJDA's support,
eighty of which will be going up this month. Member dentists will
receive promotional materials to display in their office at no
cost. Voluntary donations will be accepted.
ADA Trustees Report-J. Leizer
The ADA meeting will be held October 24th-28th.
Among the issues to be decided upon are the following:
- The proposed national public awareness campaign, which
will cost members $300/year for the next three years and
the potential impact on membership.
- An independent financial firm recommended that the ADA's
available reserve account be increased to 45% of their
annual operating income to be financially sound. In order
to achieve this, dues would be increased to make this
contribution to replenish the fund according to a
schedule. The proposed schedule is $18 for the first
year, $12 in the second year, and $15 for the third year.
- Other dues increases would include a $2 increase for
programs and a $62 increase for the next three years for
asbestos abatement in the Chicago ADA building.
New Dentists-M. Weiner
Dr. Weiner and Dr. Prabhu are having resident's lunches at
Robert Wood Johnson and JFK to encourage residents to join the
association, attend meetings, and to get on the newsletter list.
The Council will be sponsoring a lecture for New Dentists,
“Office Lease Negotiations” which will be co-sponsored
with the Mentor Committee.
Children's Dental Health Month-C. Brunsden
This year's program is titled, “A Great Smile is Always
in Fashion”. Activities will include the school poster
contest, Nurse's Night, and “A Day at the Circus”.
Peer Review-J. Fahsbender
Three cases have been examined. Two were resolved, and one is
still active. There will be articles contributed to the
newsletter about topics that often come up in peer review cases.
New certified peer review members are needed; there is a
certification meeting in October. Interested parties should speak
with Dr. Fahsbender.
Budget Committee-J. Perlmutter
A proposed budget was discussed in August and will be
presented to the NJDA Board of Trustees and will be voted upon at
the House of Delegates.
MCDS Committee Reports:
Membership Committee-N. Villa
The drop list was reviewed, and 19 members were listed. Some
may be erroneous, and these members will be contacted to inquire
about their status.
Continuing Education Committee-P. Engel
An all day course will be presented for dentists and staff on
April 21, 1999 featuring Gary Takacs on “Getting
Paid-Changing Strategies for New Times”. This will be tied
in with the April 20th dinner meeting, where
information will be given to the members on staff related issues.
Gary Takacs will be arranging the corporate sponsors at the same
rate as those that came to the last all-day course. A motion was
made and seconded to send a deposit to retain Gary Takacs for
this lecture. Vote was unanimous.
Mentor-E. Glickman
The next OSHA seminar has been scheduled for Thursday,
November 5, 1998 at St. Peter's Hospital.
Editor's Report-M. Weiner
All courses will be combined with the regular program on the
front of the newsletter. The Princeton Insurance ad will continue
to run through the end of the year. All items for the October
newsletter must be in by September 15th so that it
gets mailed by October 6th.
Website-R. Silverstein
More pictures are needed for the website. Also, items that are
not in the newsletter are welcome to be published on the
web-site.
Program-N. Villa
The dinner meeting program is printed in the September
newsletter. The September meeting will offer an extended cocktail
hour without a business meeting. Any announcements will be made
at the dinner hour. The March lecture has been designated as the
Sy Symanski Lecture for the year.
Corporate Sponsorship-J. Chustckie
Last year's sponsors have already been contacted for this
coming year. A meeting will be arranged prior to the next board
meeting to discuss pricing and multi-event packaging. Everyone
involved in sponsorship will attend. Also, Dr. Chustckie will
need one or two people to help with sponsorship tasks. Dr. Ross
Kline volunteered.
Dinner Dance-H. Habas
The dinner dance committee met over the summer, and the
Brunswick Hilton Atrium has been reserved for April 17, 1999 for
this event. There will be more advertising and information about
the dance starting in October's newsletter.
New Business
Budget-After review of a three-year treasury report, we found
that we are keeping pace with our expenses. In the past year,
there were several one-time additions to the account, including
the Sy Symanski Lecture fund. It was recommended that a five-year
treasury report be reviewed in two years to reevaluate our
finances and dues structure.
Constitution & Bylaws-Numerous changes were discussed,
which will be presented to the board and then the membership for
approval.
Library Tapes-There are three additions to the St. Peter's
video library; a multi-volume set on esthetic dentistry by Larry
Rosenthal, a video on the anesthesia wand, and a CD-ROM by Dr.
Steven Seltzer.
Good & Welfare
Congratulations to Dr. Bruce Huberman on the birth of his
daughter, Max T. Huberman, on September 7, 1998.
Respectfully submitted,
Ira S. Rosen, DMD
On behalf of
Bruce Huberman, DMD, Secretary
Treasurer's
Report
October 1, 1998
Peter L. DeSciscio, DMD, FAGD
Previous Balance
(9/1/98) $40,324.04
Income/Expenses
(9/1/98 - 9/30/98) $14,802.59
-6,515.82
Current Balance
(9/30/98) $48,610.81
Profit & Loss Statement
9/1/98 Through 9/31/98
Income:
Total $14,802.59
Expenses:
MCDS Board Meeting (Catering) $1,943.81
Printing (Staff Nite Program) 94.95
AV Equipment (Repairs) 12.99
Seltzer Course 9Catering) 2,471.50
Phone 89.27
MCDS Dinner Dance (Deposit) 1,500
Component Liability Ins. 313.30
Secretarial 60.00
Refund (Staff Night) 1,831.82
Total Expenses $6,515.82
Total Income/Expense $8,286.77
NJDA
News
State Board of Dentistry Report
The State Board did adopt a proposed regulation
on fee sharing and fee splitting which will affect arrangements
with management companies, marketing plans, employed dentists and
others. The State Board was asked about independent contractors.
It was stated that a dentist can share fees with employees and
with partners but cannot share fees with independent contractors.
Additional information on this subject will be published in the
next Capsule.
Executive Director's Report
Mr. Cocuzza informed the Board that we recently
met with representatives from the Dodson Group. Dodson is the
parent organization that operates Casualty Reciprocal Exchange
(CRE) which is the underwriter of NJDA's endorsed worker's comp
insurance. They informed us that there was a recent decision by
the New Jersey Supreme Court that ruled that insurance coverage
exists under the employer's liability section of a worker's
compensation policy for claims of workplace sexual harassment
when the harassment results in bodily injury. Since the ruling,
there have been seven claims filed with Dodson, four of which
involve dentists. Due to the need to reserve properly for these
claims, you can anticipate an increase in the premium in the near
future.
Legal Counsel's Report
A new PIP fee schedule is expected to be
published in June
NJDA
Board of Trustees Report
Components societies are not allowed to separately post
minutes of the State Board of Trustees Report. You can now find
the reports at http://www.njda.org/member/board_minutes/index.html.
Articles
PEER REVIEW. . .
NJDA Working For You
By Dr. John Fahsbender
Each month an article addressing the Peer Review
system will appear, to better answer some common questions
regarding this valuable service. What is Peer Review? It has been
a program instituted since 1974 whose purpose is to serve both
the profession of dentistry and the public. It may involve a
dentist/patient problem, or a dentist/third party payer problem.
Its objective is to handle these problems in a fair, speedy and
objective manner. Peer Review deals with only two areas:
1. Appropriateness of Care: Was the service provided by the
dentist necessary?
2. Quality of Treatment: Did the treatment rendered by the
dentist adhere to a series of guidelines and parameters as to
what constitutes acceptable care?
Each dentist on the committee is a volunteer. They are selected
based upon their willingness to serve, their objectivity, their
area of specialty and their experience level.
Peer Review is binding arbitration. It is voluntary. The decision
arrived by the committee is binding under the laws of New Jersey.
Both the patient and the dentist sign consent forms agreeing to
resolution through the committee. They then waive their rights to
settlement in a court of law.
Next Month: MEDIATION- The First Step.
Be Careful What You Say . . .
"Yes, the President should resign. He has lied to the
American people, time and time again, and betrayed their trust.
He is no longer an effective leader.
Since he has admitted guilt, there is no reason to put the
American people through an impeachment. He will serve absolutely
no purpose in finishing out his term. The only possible solution
is for the President to save some dignity and resign."
William Jefferson Clinton -1974
on President Richard M. Nixon
. . . BREAKING NEWS . . .
The Sweet Smell of Victory for NJDA
Good news on the legislative front! The Prompt
Payment Bill cleared the Assembly Banking Committee. NJDA
prevailed in spite of a strong Insurance Lobby. This Bill
mandates insurance companies pay claims within 30 days (17 days
for electronic claims), any irregularities must be reported
within 14 days. The Bill will be posted in a Senate subcommittee
chaired by Senator Sinagra and should receive favorable
attention.
Harmon R. Katz, ADPAC
The Paradox of Our Age . . .
We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers;
wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more but have
less; we buy more but enjoy it less. We have bigger houses and
smaller families; more conveniences but less time; more degrees
but less sense; more knowledge but less judgement; more medicine
but less wellness. We have added years to our life not life to
our years. We've been to the moon and back but have trouble
crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We've learned to
rush but not to wait; we have more acquaintances but fewer
friends. We build more computers to hold more information but
have less communication. We have become long on quantity but
short on quality.
Source: St. Louis Dentistry, August/September 1998
Excerpt from District #4 ADA
Rep. Dr. Hank Finger's
Report to Members
The Board-generated resolutions being forwarded
to the house still include a proposed dues increase of $82,
including $2 to offset a deficit in the proposed 1999 budget, $18
to begin increasing the Association's reserves to the level
recommended by an independent consulting firm, and $62 to fund
the renovation (including asbestos removal) of
Association-occupied areas of the headquarters building that have
not yet been renovated. Of course there also will be a separate
resolution on the proposed public awareness campaign that has a
major financial implication. The national member survey on this
proposal is almost completed and we will discuss all these
financial issues at length at the September caucus because I have
some serious concerns about impact on membership.
Announcements
It's Time for Another
Dinner Dance
Saturday
April 17, 1999
In Memoriam
MCDS Executive Council and Membership extend
their condolences to:
Dr. Martin Kaminker and Dr. Roger Parlow
on the passing of their fathers
NJ Department of Labor Offers On-Site
Consultation Program
The NJ Department of Labor's Division of Public
Safety and Occupational Safety and Health offers a host of free
services to help New Jersey employers provide a safe and healthy
place to work.
Our On-Site Consultation program helps medium-sized private
sector employers identify and correct potential safety and health
hazards - at no charge to you. Upon your request, occupational
safety and health consultants will inspect your company's
facility or work site. Consultants do not issue citations or
penalties for violations found; however, the employer must
correct any hazard within a specified period of time. Under the
Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP), our
safety and health consultants can help you obtain an exemption
from routine OSHA inspections.
We can advise you how to develop health and safety programs and
form safety and health committees.
To learn more about the On-Site Consultation program, call
609/292-0404 or 609/984-0785, or FAX your information request to
609/292/4409.
Don't Forget
A valid ADA membership card from a MCDS member
is all that is needed to access the extensive video collection
located at St. Peter Hospital Library.
(Hundreds of current dental videos are available).
CDC Posts Oral Cancer
Prevention Recommendations
"Preventing and Controlling Oral and
Pharyngeal Cancer: Recommendations from a National Strategic
Planning Conference" is now available at the web site of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), http://www.cdc.gov/necdphp/oh,
under "What's New." A limited number of hard copies are
available by calling CDC at 1-700-488-6073.
The report is based on a conference held two years ago in Chicago
and cosponsored by the ADA and the CDC. The conference, which
resulted in a 60point action plan on how best to stem and treat
oral cancer, led to a follow-up meeting in 1997, at which
participants in an Oral Cancer Roundtable listed 10
recommendations that should be given priority in implementing a
national plan for preventing and controlling oral cancer
Source: ADA ONLINE New Daily, September 1, 1998
WELCOME
NEW MEMBERS
CHARLES AVRUTIK
CARL CHAITYN
AUGUSTINE JOHNSON
SUSAN KRUTYANSKY
SUHAIR RAHIM
VINCENT ROMANO
ARVINDER SINGH
RICHARD STERN
EDWARD SUCHORA
IRINA TRAKHTMAN
