Page 17 - Bulletin Vol 28 No 1 - Jan. - April 2023 FINAL

News |

In Our Society | News - Advocacy (con’t.)

• Vaccination. In October, dentists were given the nationwide authority under the Public Readiness and
Emergency Preparedness Act to administer monkeypox (now known as mpox) vaccines.

• HRSA appoints chief dental officer. The ADA advocated for Health Resources and Services Administration
to install a chief dental officer and in May, the agency complied. The position oversees a range of programs
that treat the underserved and train dentists.
• States prioritize dental insurance reform. Last year, 22 state dental societies received ADA state public
affairs funding to engage in state dental insurance issues. All told, there were 14 new laws in eight states

enacted last year to improve the position of dentists and/or patients with regard to dental insurance.
• ADA Dentist and Student Lobby Day. The 2022 event — the first in-person ADA national advocacy event
in three years — educated 400 dentists and students on advocacy and legislative issues and included more
than 300 meetings with members of Congress.
• Oral health literacy win. Successfully advocated for a Maryland bill that established the University of
Maryland Center for Health Literacy as the state’s consumer health information hub.

• CDHC outreach. Assisted the Indian Health Service with integrating the ADA’s Community Dental Health
Coordinator program into their continuing education distance learning platform.

EDPAC Participates in Political Fundraiser at UBS Arena

The Empire Dental Political Action
Committee (EDPAC) is the bipartisan
voice of thousands of New York State
dentists. Together, it helps elect candi-
dates to state office who understand the
importance of dentistry and dentistry’s
unrelenting commitment to improving
oral health care in New York State. On
Wednesday February 22, 2023 they
participated in a fundraiser for the NYS
Democratic Assembly Campaign
Committee at the UBS Arena during a NY
Islanders game. While at the event our
NYSDA representatives had the ear of
the Speaker of the NYS Assembly, Hon.
Carl E. Heastie, who represents District
L to R: NYSDA Vice President Dr. Prabha Krishnan, NCDS NYSDA Trustee Dr. Frank Palmaccio,
83 in the Bronx. Speaker of the NYS Assembly Carl E. Heastie, and NCDS EDPAC Chair Dr. Michael Shreck

Nassau County Dental Society ⬧ (516) 227-1112 | 17