The Honor of Serving

As I was being installed by Dr. Valentine, a quote by Warren G. Harding came to mind. He said, "I am a man of limited talent from a small town. I don't seem to grasp that I am president."

Well, I have grasped it now; and I, indeed, am extremely honored to be installed as president of the California Dental Association. Very few dentists have the opportunity to serve in this role. I am grateful to all of you -- my colleagues, my family and my friends -- who have supported me and placed confidence in me through all the years of my involvement in organized dentistry. I thank you so very much.

Challenge equals opportunity, and CDA is there today. The California Dental Association has faced many challenges since unification of the Southern California Dental Association and the California Dental Association in 1973. For the following 24 years, that fledgling organization grew into one of the premier professional organizations in the country.

The association has always had the vision and tenacity to recognize new directions and pursue its goals. Achieving them was not always easy, but as Napoleon said, "Victory is won by the most persevering," and that exemplifies CDA.

Dr. Sekiguchi faced and endured major challenges this year. He is to be greatly admired and truly appreciated for the dedication and sacrifice he put forward for this association. Gene, this association owes you thanks almost beyond expression. Thank you.

I now have the responsibility to lead this association up that hill of change and transition as the search begins for a new executive director. The business of the association for the benefit of our members and the public we serve will go forward in a planned, proactive manner. Dr. Sekiguchi is doing a yeoman's job in working with the executive staff to administer the operation of the association as we proceed through this interim period. CDA staff is very dedicated and talented, and I have full confidence that the association will remain an example of excellence as we transition through this period.

The theme of this year's strategic planning session was "communication, trust and commitment." These three premises embody what CDA must mean to our membership. I believe in these ideals and will see that CDA builds on them during my presidency.

Change in dentistry has accelerated during the past several years. Dr. Miller said two years ago that, "Change is coming in modes of practice, communication with members, the public, third parties and the government, in education and systems of licensure. Change can be painful for those who are inflexible and unwilling to negotiate. For them, the future represents a frightening place."

How right he was! The increase in managed care plans is incredible. There is ongoing pressure for fragmentation and independent practice of auxiliaries, as well as pressures from regulatory agencies and movements toward common licensure. These are all major challenges about which CDA must be proactive. The leadership will respond by providing direction for these challenges and representing the interests of dentistry before the appropriate agencies.

The issue of change may not be comfortable for all dentists, but these changes are real. Licensure, continued competency and diversity are and will be ongoing issues this association will need to address. The demands for licensure change are being studied across the country. CDA will be a player in this dialogue. CDA must represent all dentists. With the changing diversity of our state, an emphasis on encompassing and welcoming cultural differences is a priority for CDA. This is truly a grassroots member effort, and I encourage each of you to help enrich your component through diversity.

CDA undertook a very comprehensive and proactive legislative agenda this year. The strategy and effort proved to be very successful. Next year will bring additional challenges, one of those being MICRA. CDA cannot rest on its laurels, and I assure you that our government relations agenda will remain full next year.

Coalition building will take a prominent role in delivering dental care to the underserved and solving access problems. CDA is and will be forming more coalitions through the efforts of our special projects director. CDA will work closely next year with Oral Health America on sealants, spit tobacco, mouth guards and special athletes special smiles programs. Fluoridation and donated dental services programs are other examples of the necessity of coalitions and the cooperation needed to achieve results. CDA's components have numerous instances in which coalitions have been formed to provide access to care. Please keep up these wonderful endeavors.

As CDA moves forward to examine new and somewhat controversial concepts, we may very well stumble and have to retreat a bit to heal and find a new path. This happened with a good, forward-thinking idea that ran too fast. The concept was continued competency. A voluntary self-assessment tool is the appropriate path for now. The expansion of this concept can be saved for future development as needed. As Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, "It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another, but above all try something." So it is with continued competency.

CDA has an impressive record of achievements, but in addition to the aforementioned challenges, we must continue to seek new horizons. To do that, we must look hard at old traditional programs for their continued relevancy so we can expand to new programs. For that reason, CDA will do an operational audit of the entire association to provide membership with the most cost-effective organization possible. This process will start upon hiring the new executive director. The results should be presented to the 1998 House of Delegates.

CDA's subsidiaries have been very successful, providing not only quality services, but also dividends to augment the operation of the association. Due to their success, dues have been stable for more than 10 years. As CDA moves into new challenges, funding sources will need to be identified, and the audit will be important in that development.

The CDA Holding Company has not grown to its full potential. I intend to guide that growth this year. For CDA and its for-profit subsidiaries to remain competitive in the marketplace, the information technology area needs to be expanded and upgraded. The ongoing expansion of TDIC into new products and states along with the impressive Esquire Place project and the possible formation of new member services opportunities from TDC will allow the Holding Company to expand its business responsibilities.

CDA needs to maintain excellence, not just provide the basics. A longtime favorite of mine, W.C. Fields, said, "Ah, yes, my little chickadee, we lived for days on just food and water." CDA will provide more than food and water to our members and will excel at superior customer service.

I believe the vision for CDA has been established by the impressive leadership of my predecessors. To coin a phrase, "To be the best that you can be" exemplifies what I expect of CDA. The foresight to build a solid asset base and develop sound profitable subsidiaries that provide quality services and products to the membership speaks to the proud history of the family of CDA.

This association is stronger for having made the hard and difficult decision to preserve the heart and soul of CDA. I thoroughly understand the past and I am committed to taking a cohesive CDA family into the future. In closing, I again want to sincerely thank you for the honor of serving as your president.