Board of Trustees Update
Dr. Hugh R. Phillis, NESO Trustee

Since my report in the August 2007 issue, the AAO Board of Trustees has met in St. Louis two times and we attended the ADA meeting in San Francisco. Each meeting manages to have a busy agenda covering a wide variety of topics. The one thing that strikes me repeatedly is the degree of future focus the Board maintains. “Pro-active” and “ahead of the curve” are the buzz phrases of the day that describe those that try to stay in front of the wave of change that carries organizations and society forward. I am impressed how the AAO tries to ride in front of or at least on top of that wave in their decision making. It is all too common for organizations to be reactive to the wave that just crashed on top of them. Often our structure and the bylaws were designed to be solid and durable with little thought for the flexibility and nimbleness that is needed to respond to a rapidly changing environment. One of my goals as Trustee is to be a conduit for those strategies to NESO that are helping the AAO be that responsive organization.

These strategies are necessary to cope with the issues of the day and those that we see are coming in the future. With the Presidential election fast approaching, we all are aware that the governmental issues of health care, energy policy and education may have a very different look in the coming years. The AAO is working diligently to develop policies and positions to protect the health and welfare of our patients and the businesses of our members. We are currently working on refining, publicizing and developing support for our positions on S-CHIP, dental specialty accreditation, ergonomics, Pay for Performance, standardized technology nomenclature and coding. If any members ever had a doubt about needing to have a voice in Washington to support our positions, a review of this list shows it is ill-founded. Supporting our Political Action Committee (AAOPAC) with a donation does not mean you have to be political, just that you want to support the AAO in trying to protect the public and your business interests. If any of your patients or their parents are legislators, please think of serving as a contact for that person. Nothing is more effective than a personal contact when trying to deliver a message to a legislator.

Finally, one of the most impressive experiences with the BOT so far has been our Spokesperson Training with Tripp Frolichstein that took place during the August meeting. As health professionals, we are often interviewed for our opinions on a variety of topics related to dentistry and orthodontics. Here are some reminders from Tripp:

• Remember “home base”; it is your single most important message in your communication. Our home base is, “orthodontists make a positive impact on our patients’ lives.”
• Know your audience, remember who they are, try to see things from their perspective when you speak.
• Skip extraneous stuff that may be important to you, but is of no interest to the audience.
• Be positive. Describe who/what you are rather than what you are not.
• Use “you” statements rather than “I” statements.
• Use humanized numbers; for example, 1 in 5 versus 20 %
• Remember, “No comment” = presumed guilt.
• Most sound bites are 23 words or less and written “sound” bites 15 words or less

Here is our 23 word salute answering, “What to orthodontists do?”

“Orthodontists help improve patients’ lives by creating a healthy, beautiful smile. We do it as highly trained specialists, in a caring atmosphere with the latest technology.”

I think such a training seminar would be very worthwhile for our NESO Board. Our ability to deliver our message to various audiences is just as important as our ability to move teeth.

Again, it is my pleasure to serve. Any and all comments or suggestions are gladly accepted. Contact NESO@aaortho.org

 
AAOF Update
Dr. Nicholas Barone, NESO Representative

Awards: In various locations in the U.S. and Canada, there are certain orthodontic records that should be preserved for orthodontic educational purposes as well as controls for research and growth studies. These materials include legacy materials which are untreated longitudinal records stored in various locations that are deteriorating with time, and because of their nature may never be collected again. Preserving at least a representative sample of these orthodontic records is a Foundation funding priority second only to the support of junior faculty. More information on the status of this undertaking is expected to be announced prior to the Annual Session.

Nearly $7 million contributed to orthodontic education

Since 1994, due to the earnings of the Endowment Campaign (A CASE FOR THE FUTURE) the AAO Foundation Awards Program has contributed to orthodontic education and research as follows:

• $6.6 million in funding, primarily in support of junior faculty, including:
  • 123 fellowship awards
  • 149 research awards

• Over 1,000 gifts in support of orthodontic residencies.

• At the 68 graduate orthodontic residency programs in the U.S. and Canada, there are 15 department chairs and/or program directors who were supported by the AAOF early in their academic careers.

• 80% of junior faculty supported by the AAOF remain in full-time academics after five years.

• On the AAOF Web site, there are Final Reports from more than 200 peer-reviewed, funded proposals.

Research & Marketing Plan: In early 2007, the AAOF Directors and an equal number of non-Directors met for the purposes of revising the fundraising portion of the Foundation’s overall Strategic Long Range Plan (SLRP). One of the outcomes of this process was the call for the creation of a new Research and Marketing Plan that would ultimately lead to re-focusing/re-branding the current campaign, A CASE FOR THE FUTURE. The Board is scheduled to receive a preliminary report on this at our meeting in March.

Donor Advised Fund: The Board has taken steps to create a donor advised fund to benefit primarily the specialty of orthodontics and the profession of dentistry, similar in design and function to a community foundation, i.e., this planned giving alternative allows a donor to take an immediate charitable deduction for the amount of the funds provided for the establishment of such a fund and yet over time has some considerable say in which direction the actual distributions are made. Arrangements are being made for a brief program on this new offering at the Foundation Breakfast on the Monday of the Denver Annual Session.

Professional Courtesy/Grateful Patient: Many AAO members find that they can redeem their pledges to the AAOF Endowment by means of a “Grateful Patient/Professional Courtesy Donation”made in their honor perhaps by someone to whom they have extended professional courtesy, e.g., a referring dentist or a family friend. In this scenario, orthodontic treatment is offered in the usual fashion, and the check, which is made payable to the AAO Foundation by the grateful patient, is sent to the AAOF. The orthodontist and the grateful patient will need to discuss the tax advantages of such as gift so that both understand who might be allowed to take the tax deduction. For more information, go to the AAOF Web site either through the AAO member site or directly at aaofoundation.net and link to “Endowment Campaign” and then to “Grateful Patient/Professional Courtesy.”

AAO Foundation Benefit Golf Tournament:

Register now for the 2008 AAO Foundation Benefit Golf Tournament is scheduled for Friday, May 16, with a shotgun start at 10:00 a.m., at The Ridge at Castle Pines, located just south of Denver, i.e., go to the AAOF Web site and click on “Golf Tournament” link at the top of the home page.

If you should have any questions, please call Robert Hazel, AAOF EVP, at 800.424.2841, ext. 546, or me at your convenience.