As the summer comes to an end, the
business of the Middlesex County Dental Society shifts into high
gear. I sincerely hope that everyone had a healthy, restful and
enjoyable summer. President's Message || MCDS Board of Trustees / Committee Reports || Treasurer's Report Detail
State Board News Update || NJDA State Board of Trustees Report || ADA Board of Trustees New Update
Articles || Announcements || Editorial
As the summer comes to an end, the
business of the Middlesex County Dental Society shifts into high
gear. I sincerely hope that everyone had a healthy, restful and
enjoyable summer.
The members of the Board of Trustees have been working diligently in your behalf setting up programs for the upcoming year.
Dr. Nancy Villa, our program chairperson, has put together an outstanding program for our monthly evening meetings. Dr. Philip Engel, chairman of the continuing education committee, is in the process of setting up our all-day continuing education program for the spring. Dr. Ethan Glickman, chairman of the mentor committee, is busy setting up numerous programs for the upcoming year, including the very popular OSHA update course. Dr. Hugh Habas, chairman of the dinner dance committee, has been busy making all of the necessary arrangements for next spring. I want to personally thank the committee chairpeople and all of the committee members for their continuous efforts on our behalf.
For any of you that might be interested in becoming more active in the county dental society, I urge you to attend our monthly board meetings on the second Tuesday of each month at the NJDA building in North Brunswick at 6:30 PM. These meetings are open to the membership and we welcome your opinions and your help. Every volunteer organization is made strong by the involvement of its members. Please join us!
One of my goals this year is to maintain lines of communication with all of our members. Please feel free to call me at 732422-7440 to share your concerns, questions or comments. I look forward to seeing all of you at our upcoming events.
Sincerely,
- Ira S. Rosen, D.M.D.
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- May 12, 1998 -
ATTENDANCE: Bloom, Brunsden, DeSciscio, Engel,
Fahsbender, Fertig, Glickman, Habas, Kahn, Kline, Krantz,
Livanos, Perlmutter, Prabhu, Rosen, Schambra, Silverstein, Villa,
Weiner.
Acceptance of Minutes - April 14, 1998 - Unanimous
NJDA COUNCIL REPORTS
MEMBERSHIP COUNCIL - N. Villa NJDA is about to print a new member
directory. Member dues must be paid to be listed..
NEW DENTISTS-M.Weiner NJDA approved funding for "lunch
chats" with dental residents to discuss member benefits.
Council members will be able to participate at hospitals near
their own region. A course will be sponsored by the New Dentists
Council on June 3, 1998 at the Annual Session. Council members
voted via fax 8-2 opposing the ADA publicity campaign.
PEER REVIEW -Fahsbender Six cases have been submitted to peer
review in the last few weeks. The two most important factors in
winning a peer review case is communicating with your patients
and keeping good, legible records.
ANNUAL SESSION - P Engel The Annual Session will be held at the
convention hall next year to enable it to go back to a weekend
event. A block of rooms will be reserved at the Sheraton. A
shuttle will be available between the hall and the hotel.
NJDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES - Perlmutter The Board of Trustees voted
to oppose hygienists monitoring of nitrous oxide. The application
for relicensure will be modified to enable listing of carry-over
CE credits. NJ dental schools have outside clinics to continue
dentist training, treating primarily Medicaid patients. The
clinic in Northfield is understaffed by students, and the school
wants to hire dentists in the school clinic and are now taking
self-pay/private insurance patients. The school is now
considering hiring dentists for New Brunswick's Chandler Clinic.
NJDA made a recommendation to ADA to discontinue its efforts for
the Direct Reimbursement program. The program is costly and there
has been very little response to it. The NJDA employee manual is
being revised.
NJDA BOARD OF TRUSTEES - Krantz The dental office employee manual
is available from NJDA to all member dentists. A member resource
directory is being created that will include all of the necessary
information for agencies and sources pertaining to a dental
practice, including licensure, CE requirements, x-ray
registration, medical waste, OSHA, etc. Sharps containers must be
labeled with name, address and phone number. Containers on
countertops must be fixed units, otherwise they must be kept
under the counter.
MCDS COMMITTEE REPORTS
PRESIDENT ELECT'S REPORT - I. Rosen There will be a brief board
meeting on June 9th, 1998 followed by committee meetings. The
focus for next year will be as follows: 1. Continuing all
positive steps that we have worked on this year, especially
membership, the newsletter, and the website. 2. Refining the way
MCDS is run through changes in the bylaws and the Rules of the
Board. Dr. Fertig will chair the committee for this. 3. Address
the accumulation of funds in the treasury and focus how money is
spent. Dr. DeSciscio, the incoming treasurer, will chair finance
committee. 4. Restructure the way officers rise through the
chairs. Dr. Engel will chair the committee. 5. It is time for a
dinner dance. Dr. Habas will chair the committee (he did a great
job last time!). Honorees of the dance will be decided.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE -N. Villa
There have been 20 new members this year. MCDS is expecting $8 -
10,000 more in dues this fiscal year .
CONTINUING EDUCATION COMMITTEE - P. Engel
The Seltzer course will be presented next week. 95 people are
registered for the program. There will be four exhibitors. Dr.
Schambra is arranging for the audio-visual equipment. State Board
credits have been approved.
MENTOR - E. Glickman Fourteen people attended the program on medical savings accounts. Another OSHA course will be presented in October for 3 CEU's. A computer course is being scheduled sponsored by Marcy Dental Lab at St. Peter's Hospital.
EDITOR'S REPORT- Weiner Thanks goes out to everyone who contributed information for Sy's obituary in the last newsletter. The newsletter is getting quite large, and there are not yet many sponsors to defray the cost of a growing publication. Soon the website must be utilized for spill-over information. The newsletter will be a showcase for the most important information. There is concern about the number of members who may not have internet access, but hopefully if the website has valuable information that can only be obtained there, more members will be anxious to get access to the web.
PROGRAM -P. DeSciscio 260 people are preregistered for Staff Night. The publicity was tremendous thanks to the newsletter (it appeared in three editions). Drs. Fromkin, Engel, Rosen, and Schambra will do 50/50 tickets. Dr. Huberman will take care of registration. To shorten registration lines, door prizes will be left on the tables and seat assignments will be posted on the entry doors. There will be three $50 gift certificates for door prizes, 50/50 money, and a prize for the person who solves the murder mystery.
DINNER DANCE - Habas The last dinner dance was a great success and will be used as a model for this year's dance. It will be held in the spring and the location to be determined. The dinner dance committee consists of (but not limited to) Drs. Bloom, Prabhu, Livanos, Fertig, Brunsden, Glickman, Perlmutter, and DeSciscio.
OLD BUSINESS - The ADA has a new dues structure. Changes at the state level will be voted on at the Annual Session. We will look at the county dues structure in October with the rest of the changes to the Constitution & Bylaws.
NEW BUSINESS - There was discussion about what
can be done with a practice when a dentist dies. Since according
to state laws a surviving spouse cannot employ an associate
dentist to see patients until a practice can be sold, the value
of that practice can rapidly drop. This issue will be brought up
with one of the NJDA councils, most likely beginning with Relief.
Respectfully submitted, Mark Schambra, DDS
- June 9,1998 -
Attendance: Bloom, Brunsden, DeSciscio, Engel,
Glickman, Habas, Huberman, Kline, Livanos, Perlmutter, Rosen,
Schambra, Silverstein, Villa, Weiner
Acceptance of Minutes-5/12/98-Unanimous
Treasurer's Report: C. Bloom, Treasurer
Previous Balance $50,965.32
Income/Expenses -10.641 .28
Current Balance $40,324.04
NJDA Council Reports:
Annual Session-P. Engel
This year's pre-registered attendance was about the same as last
year, but there was less on-site registration, presumable due to
the mid-week schedule. Next year, the Annual Session will be held
on the weekend before Memorial Day.
Special Olympics-C. Brunsden
There was some negativity last year from the Special Olympics
program which donations tied in with dental visits by patients.
The proposal was redrafted, and this year there will be
billboards showing NJDA as the sponsor of the Special Olympics
and promotional kits will be available to member dentists at no
charge to place in their office. Participating dentists will be
notified of Special Olympics events in their area so they can
participate in dental screenings at these events.
This promotion is a 5-year plan that is currently in its second
year. This program may be picked up by other states, in which
case the premiums will be paid back to New Jersey.
MCDS Committee Reports:
Past President's Report-C. Brunsden
The vision for the future is to better utilize the President
Elect and Vice President positions. Dividing up responsibilities
will help the continuation of the great ideas that are developed
by placing the responsibility with a member of the executive
board.
Membership Committee-N. Villa
There have been 26 new members this year. The drop list will come
out July 1, 1998 and a new directory will be published after that
time.
Continuing Education Committee-P. Engel
94 people attended the Seltzer course (67 dentists and 27 staff).
There were six exhibitors who paid $575 for the table. Many of
the corporate sponsors remarked on the excellent program and how
it was run.
Mentor-E. Glickman
The next OSHA seminar has been scheduled for Thursday, November
5, 1998. Details will follow in upcoming newsletters. Also, many
vendors from the Annual Session were interested in offering
future programs to the dental society. Follow-ups will be made
with those interested parties.
Editor's Report-M. Weiner
The next issue of the newsletter will be out in September,
hopefully before Labor Day. In July an updated active member list
will be received from NJDA for the mailing list.
Website-R. Silverstein
Sy's memorial web page is on the site now. Photos that were
printed in the newsletter were scanned and added.
Program-N. Villa
Six Of the eight programs have been set Up for the 98-99 program
year. A final list Will be ready for publication shortly.
Corporate Sponsorship The Corporate Sponsorship Committee has
been narrowed down to the responsibility of one person, who will
handle all sponsorship for the newsletter, courses, dinner
meetings, etc. Dr. Jeff Chustckie will supervise this now.
Old Business
The dinner dance committee will meet immediately following the
Board of Trustees meeting. All past officers will meet with new
officers to pass on information.
New Business
An award is given annually to the Middlesex County College dental
hygiene student with the highest G.P.A. A motion was made to
rename this award the Middlesex County Dental Society/Sy Symanski
Award for Excellence. The vote was unanimous.
Respectfully submitted,
Bruce Huberman, DMD
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June1, 1998
Charles H. Bloom D.M.D.
Previous Balance: $50,965.32 (5/1/98)
Income/Expenses: $8,811.54/-19,452,82 (5/1/98 - 5/31/98)
Current Balance: $40,324.04
Profit & Loss Statement 5/1/98Through 5/31/98
Income (Total) 8,811.54
Expenses
Staff Nite $12,312.30
Staff Nite Entertainment 1,400.00
April MCDS Meeting 2,243.50
Speaker Fee 500.00
Phone 90.14
Plaques 296.83
Name Badges 18.63
Gifts for Staff Nite 200.00
Newsletter 1,831.82
AV Equipment (Rental for Seltzer Course) 487.6
Secretarial Fees 72.00
Total Expenses: 19,452.82
Total Income/Expense -10,641.28
September 1, 1998
Peter L. DeSciscio, DMD, FAGD
Previous Balance $40,324.04 (6/1198)
Income/Expenses: $ 14,802.59/$6,515.82 (6/1/98 - 8/31/98)
Current Balance: $48,610.81
Profit & Loss Statement 6/1/98 -8/31/98
Category/Description:
Income/Expense:
Income (Total) $14,802.59
Expenses:
MCDS Board Meeting $ 1,943.81 (Catering)
Printing 94.95 (Staff Night Program)
AV Equipment 12.99 (Repairs)
Seltzer Course 2,471.50 (Catering)
Phone 89.27
MCDS Dinner/Dance 1,500.00 (Deposit)
Component Liability Ins. 313.30
Secretarial 60.00
Refund 30.00 (Staff Night)
Total Expenses: $ 6,515.82
Total Income/Expenses + $ 8,286.77
Respectfully submitted,
Peter L. DeSciscio, DMD, FAGD
Treasurer
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At the June 3, 1998 meeting of the State Board of Dentistry,
the Board adopted a proposed rule which would allow dental
hygienists to monitor the administration of nitrous oxide
analgesia. The rule will become effective upon publication in the
New Jersey Register.
The recently enacted automobile insurance reform law requires
state licensing boards, such as the State Board of Dentistry, to
establish standards of care/protocols for the treatment of
automobile accident victims. This process has begun, and the
State Board of Dentistry will have to develop and adopt such
treatment protocols in the near future.
In response to an inquiry from a licensee, the Board also decided
that a licensee can operate a practice in the name of a deceased
licensee for up to six months, after six months, the name of the
practice should be changed to reflect the current ownership.
In response to a written question, the State Board determined
that a dentist may charge a patient for preparing and submitting
a predetermination form to a third party payer.
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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.
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The ADA Board of Trustees voted to propose an $82 ADA dues
increase for 1999, including $2 to offset a proposed budget
deficit, $18 to begin increasing the Association's reserves to
the recommended level, and $62 to fund the additional renovation
of the Chicago ADA Building. The $62 portion of the increase
would be in effect for a period of three years.
Additional programs that will be considered by the 1998 House of
Delegates, including the Proposed Public Awareness Campaign, have
financial implications that could further impact ADA dues for
1999 and beyond.
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HOW TO SELL YOUR PRACTICE AND PAY NO TAXES
After many years of toiling at the chair, the dental practitioner wants to cash in on the hard work, sell the practice and use the money for retirement. Unfortunately, many are in for a rude awakening, says Philip Kempler. DMD, in the May 1998 Composite, newsletter of the Contra Costa (CA) Dental Society.
Dentists may be shocked that the practice isn't worth nearly what they thought, Kempler says. With the advent of HMOs and PPOs and the way market conditions have changed, the value of dental practices has fallen over the last 10 to 12 years, says Kempler. In general, he says, practices are worth 30-40 percent less than they were 15 years ago.
Dentists may also be amazed at what is involved in selling a practice. Today's buyer is well informed, well represented by accountants and lawyers. Worst of all, when the practice finally sells, they are hit by a large tax bill. Currently, 20 percent of the sale is taxed as capital gains, the rest as ordinary income, Kempler notes. State and federal taxes usually average about 35% of the sale.
Kempler says dentists can avoid completely not only income taxes on the sale but estate taxes as well. The alternative is the Charitable Remainder Trust, a trust that has no yearly maintenance fees and no complicated tax returns. You control the funds and receive a guaranteed income for the rest of your and your spouse's life.
You transfer the practice to the trust, explains Kempler, then, as trustee, you sell the practice at full market value, paying no taxes. Then you can invest the proceeds in income-producing assets. When the second spouse dies, the remaining trust assets go to charity. Hence the name Charitable Remainder trust.
Not only do you receive an income, but the assets continue to grow tax free, he notes. And you get a tax deduction for donating your practice to the trust. Although this may sound too good to be true, Kempler says this is how it works - no tricks, no hidden costs, no black magic.
Kempler says it is vitally important to choose the right professionals to help manage assets, especially a dental practice. Selling a practice involves much more than just placing an ad and finding a buyer. A dental broker should be well-versed in all aspects of the practice sale. If your broker doesn't at least suggest alternatives to you, maybe you're using the wrong people, says Kempler.
Reprint from "Dental Editor's Digest" Aug. 1998
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It's Time for Another
Dinner Dance
Saturday
April 17, 1999
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As we begin another productive year at MCDS, we should use our local success to point out what is missing on a national level with organized dentistry on the subject of communications.
The NJDA Capsule, the NJDA and MCDS Websites and the MCDS Newsletter have effectively communicated member benefits and important issues to its' constituents with a favorable usefulness to cost ratio. However, the ADA bombards us with so much "junk mail" and endorsements that we are preprogrammed not to expect any useful information out of anything that has an ADA seal on it in our mailboxes. As a result, the usefulness to cost ratio of ADA mailings is reaching a pathetic level.
We in MCDS are lucky enough to have Harmon Katz and Joel Leizer inform us of legislative happenings on a national level, but what about components and state societies that do not have this advantage. A suggestion would be for the ADA to stamp a big red "IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: ADA WORKING FOR YOU" on the envelope of a quarterly update from ADPAC to be sent to members.
Due to their overabundance of mailings, the ADA is going to have to work harder to help us find the mailings that are worth reading through. With the huge sticker price of the proposed "National Public Awareness Campaign" hanging over our shoulders, it is time to consider whether the ADA has shown effectiveness and fiscal responsibility in communicating with its' constituents before undertaking such an extensive and expensive campaign.
- MITCH WEINER
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