Eligible dentists and dental students in California can apply online by Feb. 12 for a student loan repayment of up to $300,000 or a practice support grant — also up to $300,000 — through the Medi-Cal Physicians and Dentists Loan Repayment Program known as CalHealthCares.

An expedited licensure application review process is now available for individuals in specific categories who apply for a professional license through California licensing boards, including dentists, RDAs and RDAEFs who apply for licensure through the Dental Board of California. 

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last December issued guidance indicating that employers may encourage or possibly require COVID-19 vaccinations, but policies must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Sunstar Americas Inc. has expanded its voluntary nationwide recall on its prescription oral rinse. The FDA on Dec. 28, 2020, published an updated announcement expanding the expiration period from Dec. 31, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2022.

The CDA Foundation is accepting applications through March 31 for the 2021 Dental Materials and Supplies Grant, which awards selected nonprofit organizations in California with dental materials and supplies necessary for dental operations and health services. 

Find answers to questions that were asked during CDA's January 12 Virtual Membership Meeting about the vaccine.

The federal COVID-19 relief package signed into law Dec. 27 provides $900 billion in pandemic aid, including $284 billion in new funding for the Paycheck Protection Program and $20 billion in new funding for the Economic Injury Disaster Grants and Loans Program.

Charles E. Wilson, DDS, CDA past president, died Dec. 23, 2020, at his home in Fairfield, California. He was 96 years old. Dr. Wilson was a respected leader in the dentistry profession who oversaw and contributed to monumental milestones throughout CDA’s history and organized dentistry.

Recently completed audits of selected health care entities for compliance with HIPAA rules found that most of the entities met the timeliness requirements for providing breach notification to individuals but failed to comply with other provisions of the HIPAA Privacy, Security and Breach Notification Rules.