bites & briefs
MISSOURI MEDICAID AUDIT AND COMPLIANCE LAUNCHES NEW WEBSITE
The Missouri Medicaid Audit and Compliance (MMAC) Unit has a new website, which can be found at
www.mmac.mo.gov. The MMAC Unit is responsible for auditing providers and participants to ensure compliance of the Medicaid Title XIX Program in Missouri. The MMAC Unit is charged with the responsibility of detecting, investigating, and preventing fraud, waste and abuse.
MDA MEMBERS INDUCTED INTO ACD
Three MDA members were inducted as Fel- lows of the American College of Dentists this October in Las Vegas. These included Dr. Cheryl Haley, Ozark; Dr. Gerald Ogilvie, Blue Springs; and, Dr. William Seaton, St. Louis. Congratula- tions to these doctors for this achievement.
FALL BIRTHS WELCOMED BY MDA MEMBERS
We’re pleased to learn of births to MDA mem- bers, including Dr. Lori Adell, Sikeston (UMKC 05) who welcomed Kambry Lorin Adell August 22; Drs. John and Jennifer Boain, Florissant (both Creighton 06) who welcomed Braxton Adam Boain October 22; and, Dr. Danielle Riordan (UMKC 2010), St. Peters who wel- comed Grace Marie Riordan October 18.
MDA MEMBER DR. PRABU RAMAN ON ADA TMD PANEL AT OCTOBER ANNUAL SESSION
At the 2011 ADA Annual Session in Las Vegas, Dr. Prabu Raman, Kansas City, was part of an expert panel to explore facts and opinions on the diagnosis and treatment of temporo- mandibular disorders in the second and final installment of the 2011 Open Clinical and Science Forums. The first forum met Tuesday and looked at the safety and effectiveness of dental restorations. Dr. Raman, is immediate past president of the International Associa- tion for Comprehensive Aesthetics. See news release at
www.ada.org/session/6431.aspx.
GIVE KIDS A SMILE JOINS FACEBOOK
Next February, Give Kids A Smile (GKAS) celebrates a decade of providing oral health screenings to hundreds of thousands of under- served children each year. More than 12,000 dentists and their volunteer dental teams have great stories to tell, and now they can share stories and photos on the GKAS Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/GiveKidsASmile.
8 focus | NOV/DEC 2011 PBS AIRS SERIES ON MIDLEVEL PROVIDERS
On Nov. 15-16, PBS “NewsHour” aired a two- part series on national dental disparities that focused on costs, coverage and barriers to access. The ADA was interviewed and stressed why prevention is so critical to oral and overall health. Part two of the PBS series covered the Alaska Dental Health Aide Therapist (DHAT) is- sue, specifically the concept that some believe midlevel providers are an innovative solution to the perceived dentist shortage. Although some elements of the reporting were not ad- equately highlighted, such as the magnitude of charitable care provided by dentists and their teams, the PBS special was able to shed light on the fact there is a need for oral health intervention in America and there is much work to be done to remove barriers to access. Both segments can be watched in at the PBS website at
www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/ july-dec11/
dentalcare_11-15.html.
PEW LAUNCHES DENTAL HEALTH CAMPAIGN
The Pew Children’s Dental Campaign has launched its Campaign for Dental Health, with the stated purpose to educate the public about the importance of oral health and the need for states and communities to invest in such proven prevention modalities as water fluoridation. The web site
www.ILikeMyTeeth. org will be one of the campaign’s outreach tools. At the same time, the website highlights “The State of Children’s Dental Health: Making Coverage Matter”.
MDA MEMBERS ACTIVE IN RECENT LEGISLATIVE OUTREACH
Drs. Ken Weinand, Rob Tait, and Merle Nun- emaker, Greater Kansas City, met with U.S. Representative Emmanuel Cleaver in Kansas City to discuss dental issues and deliver a check from ADPAC. Representative Cleaver is chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, and while mayor of Kansas City was instrumental in fluoridating the city’s water supply. Dr. Nunemaker, who is the MDA Legislative and Regulatory Committee Chair, also was present at a recent American Student Dental Associa- tion (ASDA) luncheon at UMKC where MDA sponsored lunch and Representative Ryan Sil- vey and Senator KiKi Curls spoke to students about legislative issues. MDA presented a legislative leadership award to Rep. Silvey for his efforts to pass dental carve out.
ADA HELPS MEMBERS UTILIZE YOUTUBE FOR COMMUNICATIONS
The ADA has several new YouTube Channels for open use by members. The channels fea- ture the “ADA Dental Minute” public service announcement videos that are posted on
ADA.org and distributed to television stations around the country. These cover a variety of topics including the basics of oral health care, lifestyle and overall health tips, information on dental procedures, dental product over- views, background on the roles of the dental team, and a host of other topics for consumer audiences. You can use the videos in your websites, digital communications and social media efforts. Visit the ADA YouTube page at
www.youtube.com/americandentalassoc and see the detailed instructions for using YouTube at
www.ada.org/EPUBS/assets/ememo/ADA_ Social_Media_YouTube.pdf.
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