Thank you for being a member of NESO and the AAO. Every day I wake up and am grateful for being an orthodontist. I believe we all have an investment in maintaining the highest level of care for our patients and continuing to improve our practices for the delivery of that care. NESO is dedicated to enhancing each member’s practice and patient care. It is also dedicated to representing our members’ interests with the AAO, regional government entities and the public at large.
The way we communicate our messages to you continues to evolve as more and more “tools” become available. Our website, Facebook page, Twitter and e-blasts are geared to deliver current and relevant information that can assist you with your practice and inform you of what your association is doing on your behalf. The newest tool in NESO’s arsenal is the NESO app. Visit your app store for the free NESO app to download to your Blackberry, Android or iPhone. This has been used the past two years to help members with pertinent information at the Annual Meetings. As we go forward, the app will be used throughout the year as another means to provide and access information.
Communication should be interactive. As volunteer leaders, we not only want to inform our members but also get feedback in return. I would like to introduce NESO’s new Communications Director, Dan Stuart. Dan is one of the many creative and energetic volunteer members who give their time and efforts to this great organization and our profession. I have asked Dan to look into making it easier for our members to respond to any information we send out. We represent you. What you think is important to us.
During the next year we will focus on three priorities. Each reaches to the core mission of our society:
- The first is continuing education for our members. Next fall’s Annual Meeting will be in New York City, November 8-11, an enormously popular meeting destination. There will be two educational tracks for the doctors, a stellar scientific program and a timely practice management program. These lectures will be complimented by a robust track of staff sessions. We are dedicated to enhancing your practice and patient care.
- The second is advocacy. 2012 is an election year in the United States - a very opportune time to work with those in government at all levels to advocate the legislative agendas that are important to all of us. On January 23 - 25 we will again travel to Washington DC to speak to our congressional delegations. The AAO, via the Council on Government Affairs (COGA) and our political action committee, is enjoying some successful results in influencing the political debate. We can’t stop now! We need your help. If you would like to join the debate in Washington DC, there is still time to attend. Contact Kevin Dillard at AAO Headquarters for more information. Dr. Dennis Hiller of New Hampshire, our COGA representative, and Dr. Lisa Howard of Maine, our representative to the AAO PAC, are eager to gain your support.
- The third is to do all in our power to inform and educate all of our members on what their assessment dollars for the Consumer Awareness Program are doing. We all believe it is important for our association to take the lead on educating the public that it is the orthodontist, with specialized training, they should seek out to provide orthodontic care. The AAO has the lead on this program but we will be enhancing their message on a regional level. There is a new tag line the AAO will be branding, “Your Life, Your Smile, Your Orthodontist”. Soon you will be seeing it on all Association- related communications. I hope you will embrace it.
NESO today prides itself on inclusiveness, transparency and forward thinking. We have an outstanding group of experienced leaders and continue to have an influx of talented and energetic young leaders. However, we also want members who are interested in giving back to our great profession to learn about what being a volunteer member of NESO has to offer. Personally, it has been very rewarding from a professional standpoint, but it is the lifelong friendships I have made that have been the real bonus. Come join us. Contact me at drjohn@cfsbraces.com
Finally, I toast one and all. I wish each of you and your loved ones a most happy and joyous holiday season.
John D. Callahan, DDS, MS
2012 NESO President