MDA Board Nominates Officers A
t its August meeting, the MDA Board of Trustees voted to submit the following slate of officers to the MDA House of Delegates: Dr. Jeremy Bowen, President-Elect; and, incumbent candidates, Dr. Lynne Barbour, Speaker and Dr. Jon Copeland, Treasurer. The following summary and interview questions are presented for Dr. Bowen only, as the others are incumbents. At this year’s MDA House of Delegates on November 6, Dr. Tom Stone, Springfield, will begin his term as the MDA’s 153rd president. Find all House information at
modental.org/house.
Dr. Bowen is a native of the Independence area and attended the UMKC School of Dentistry where he graduated with honors in 2007. In addition to the tripartite, his professional involve- ment and memberships include American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry; The Dawson Academy for Ad- vanced Occlusion; Fellow, Pierre Fauchard Academy; and, Fellow, American College of Dentistry. He has served on the MDA New Dentist Committee, been a delegate to MDA House of Delegates, was on the MDA workforce ad hoc committee in 2011, and was MDA Legislative and Regulatory Chair from 2015-19. He is a past president of the Greater Kansas City Dental Society.
Dr. Bowen and his wife, Christine, have two sons (14 and 12) and a daughter (11). The Bowen family loves to recharge by swimming and playing at the park. Dr. Bowen’s hobbies include hunting, fishing, boating and sports. He coaches his son’s competitive football and baseball teams. He has served for more than 25 years as a high school and collegiate foot- ball referee and has officiated as a crew chief in multiple playoff and championship games.
Why do you want to be the MDA President? Dentistry is a great profession I am proud to be a part of. After serving on the Board the last six years as both a trustee and as the LRC chair, I have seen firsthand some of the chal- lenges our profession has faced and currently is facing. I feel dentistry is at a crossroads, and by being president I feel it will be my obligation to help lead the association and the profession to keep it great.
What do you believe are some of the most critical issues facing dentistry today? Student loan debt is at an all-time high for dental
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students. This makes it nearly impossible to start up a practice or purchase one following graduation. Third party intrusion and insur- ance companies are ever-more hindering the doctor-patient relationship as it relates to treatment recommendations. These are just some of issues challenging the profession, and they must be addressed continually.
Legislative advocacy affects many aspects of the dental profession. How would you like to improve MDA advocacy efforts? During my four years serving as the Legislative and Regulatory Chair, I saw intimately the time and energy it takes to advocate for MDA members. We’ve had great success in the past, but that doesn’t mean we can take our foot off the gas pedal. It requires constant ef- fort and resources. I would like to encourage and enable more members to participate in actively working with our legislature and fos- tering relationships with our elected officials. Legislative Day helps our agenda succeed, but its most effective when we have good participation.
What do you feel is most important for the association to communicate the value of membership? The challenges our members have faced during COVID have been great. We had many non-members reach out to the association for help during those times be- cause they saw the priceless value we offered. Our Board and staff worked tirelessly to keep members informed and open for business. We need to continue to communicate the benefits to our existing members and reach out to non-members to increase our market share in the state.
What do you feel are some of the MDA and ADA “best kept secrets” in terms of benefits and services: things you have appreciated that maybe you wish more members knew about or utilized? MDA Staff—Working closely with MDA team, I have seen their dedication and
hard work to get the job done in the best manner possible. Our ED, Vicki Wilbers, leads what I believe the best association staff in the ADA. They are skilled in anticipating and addressing matters important to our mem- bers. MDIS—This insurance company ran as a subsidiary of the MDA is a hidden gem to our association members. Their team continues to offer products and services that truly have our member’s best interests at heart, whereas competing agency’s goals are to make the most commission. No one knows the nuanced insurance needs of the dental profession like the MDIS board and staff.
What are you most excited about for the dental profession? What are you most worried about? The dental profession itself contin- ues to excite me. Being able to continue the proud legacy of it is a great honor. I have been blessed in my practice with advancing technology that enables us to treat patients more effectively and precisely. The infor- mation age of dentistry is awesome. I am concerned about the changes we have seen since COVID. Relationships and communica- tion are key to a successful association. Zoom meetings and social distancing have created disconnect at all levels of society as to how we interact with others. Dentists in our state could have the potential to disengage from association relationships, opportunities and resources the MDA can offer. As new dentists find it ever harder to be in the private practice model, it becomes increasingly vital we remain connected as a profession to maintain the success and quality of care we have been able to share with our patients as we build relationships with each other.
Complete these statements: A casual friend would not know that I … have four dogs! A perfect day is … one I get to share with my wonderful wife Christine, and our three chil- dren, Jackson, Carter and Juliette. Even better if it’s on the lake. f
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