{ outreach in action } by Paul Roberts • Foundation & Outreach Director ALIVE and Well at the MDA


helping every member succeed. We get to ap- ply our unique talents in collaboration with members to provide valuable resources and benefits that serve the greater profession and reward the member for their choice to as- sociate, join, pay dues and volunteer. Value is a term many use to describe that member re- ward. Over time, relationships are built with members, challenges are taken on together, and some colorful memories are made. The association work gets in your blood and makes a job more like a family.


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But it’s not warm fuzzies all the time. So many factors both inside and outside the profession are constantly reshaping how the dentist member finds reward or value. There are generational transitions at work. Economic factors like student debt and the high cost to deliver dentistry make you pause when you see your dues statement. Pain points in workforce and insurance regulations assail you every day. Then there’s cultural factors like busy lives and trying to find common ground to connect with others when members have such diversity in loca- tion, practice modality, season of life, etc.


There’s no room for complacency, and we welcome the challenges to stay relevant and valuable as we work together for the profession. One tool the staff uses to help us through these challenges is the acronym ALIVE.


• We ASK members what they want and need to thrive.


• We LISTEN intently to identify pain points.


• We INNOVATE with new offerings to address these needs.


• We VALUE solutions that deliver results. • We ENGAGE members with excellence.


20 focus | FALL 2023 | ISSUE 3


ssociation work is an interesting gig. In essence, it’s a service role. The MDA staff exist to facilitate and deliver the MDA mission of


It’s never a quick process — with a footprint as large as MDA — but it can work. Allow me to illustrate one exciting recent example and point ahead to more to come.


Without the engagement of new graduate dentists, membership can’t continue to grow and evolve. All the recent research points to this segment having different values and needs. There is a strong desire to connect and help one another. They value mentor- ship and collaboration with each other and patient care for all. These findings led us to survey (ASK) our own younger members for their input. We LISTENED to their feedback for a need to connect and not be isolated. We INNOVATED by launching a new Facebook private group in August, the Missouri New Dentist Network. We are building VALUE as members join and get comfortable. Now our challenge is to ENGAGE for sustained value. Early feedback points to a positive reception and appreciation for this new platform.


This is just one example of change coming down the pike. We have been listening to you on other significant topics like workforce, dental insurance reform and governance. The other articles and photos in this issue detail the extensive efforts on many fronts to grow and enhance the dental workforce in Missouri, including converting part of the MDA basement into an eight-chair EFDA training site. Meanwhile we listen as the phone lines (and email inboxes) light up daily


with members at their wits’ end over insur- ance battles like prompt pay, virtual credit cards and myriad others. Our advocacy team is working long hours to make the most of the upcoming session, but they can’t do it alone. Your PAC giving and, more important- ly, your active participation one day a year at Dental Day at the Capitol (March 6, 2024), are essential to success. Finally, for more than a year, committee and board work has focused on re-envisioning the MDA. How do we improve structure and communica- tions to allow for an easier and more robust level of engagement? We must adapt to keep membership strong and develop leaders.


Personally, I like the change and challenges. It makes me feel ALIVE and I enjoy working with so many talented members who care about the profession’s future. But it takes time to arrive at good solutions, and it takes money and more time to implement them. And it takes time to communicate it all well so members can feel confident and enjoy the rewards of membership. But we all know how time flies so keep informed and join us on the journey because your MDA is ALIVE and well!


Contact Paul at paul@modentalmail. org. Subscribe to the MDA blog, “The Week That Was” to get his insider reporting on MDA activities and programs at modental.org/blog.


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