You  may have heard that I’ve slept my way to the top of this organization.  It is true that I have roomed with most everyone in leadership.  I’m actually a sought after roommate because I come prepared.  I bring a nightlight, my own hairdryer and mirror so I can give my roommate more bathroom time and my immersion heater so I can have tea first thing in the morning.

I mention this because I am approaching my year as president the same way…being prepared.  I’ve been reading books about conducting effective and efficient meetings, association management best practices and techniques to engage people in the organization.

I’ve chosen a version of the recycle logo as my theme this year. The designer of the recycle logo, Gary Anderson, wanted it to symbolize continuity in a finite entitiy.  The three Rs stand for  reduce, reuse, recycle.  I’d those letters to symbolize:

REORGANIZE: taking the best practices of ASDHA and create a more efficient association through the use of technology and proven management tools.

RENEW: finding ways to make the association relevant to our members.

REBUILD: finding ways to engage hygienists so they join our community and participate in the association as volunteer leaders and committee members.

At the center of this symbol is the RDH member.  Members are my motivation for wanting to make ASDHA a stronger, sustainable organization we can be proud members of and to foster a greater sense of community.  By working together we can make this a reality and insure continuity—the hands in the logo symbolize this message.

We need to commit ourselves to sharing with our colleagues why we are members of the association and encourage them to join us.  We need to share that the ASDHA has collaborated with the dental association on the American Indian Oral Health Summit and is engaging in dialogue on issues that affect both organizations and the public we serve.  We need to share that the ASDHA is working to expand employment opportunities and provide the educational foundation to be successful in these new venues.

Recently, the ASDHA hosted an Issues Forum to let members tell us their vision for the future of the profession and the direction the association should take as we move forward.  I believe we need to survey ALL hygienists in Arizona to develop a profile of our colleagues so we can better serve their needs making the association relevant to them.  This input will be used to develop a new strategic plan in the coming months.

I’d like to share with you a little of ASDHA’s historical highlights. ASDHA was founded in 1953.

In 1970 Expanded Functions were made legal for hygienists that permitted EF hygienists to scale subginivally.  It took until 1986 for all hygienists to be able to provide root planning, a mere 16 years.

In 1973 ASDHA supported mandatory continuing education for licensure renewal. Not until 1994 did this become a requirement, only 21 years later.

In 1974 hygienists were permitted to practice under general supervision-with the exception of the administration of local anesthesia, which, today, still remains under direct supervision.

In 1994 ASDHA proposed self-regulation. A compromise of the Dental Hygiene Committee to the Arizona State Board of Dental Examiners was agreed upon—it took 6 years before the committee began functioning.

In 2004 Affiliated Practice became law. ASDHA is aware that affiliated practice needs additional refinements to be sustainable and continues working on reimbursement issues.

This year ASDHA is seeking general supervision for local anesthesia administration.  Considering how things have gone in the past, we should be right on target for success, but that will only happen if we work together to achieve this common goal.

I wanted to share some of ASDHA’s history so you could see how far we have come and inspire you to realize the future is ours to design.  We have to thank those in the association who have served the profession for almost 60 years.  They created a legacy of being proactive and seeing the possibilities for the profession.  Now  it’s our turn to assist the evolution of the profession so it comes from hygienists and not other sources.

In closing, I want to share the FABLE OF THE PORCUPINE:

It was the coldest winter ever- many animals died because of the cold.  The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together.  This way they covered and protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions even though they gave off heat to each other.  After awhile, they decided to distance themselves one from the other and they began to die, alone and frozen. So they had to make a choice: either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together.  This way they learned to live with the wounds that were caused by close relationship with their companions, but the most important part of it, was the heat that came from the others.  This way they were able to survive.

MORAL of the story:  The best relationship is not the one that brings together perfect people but the best is when each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others and can admire the other person’s good qualities.  Let’s work together to advance the profession and we will all benefit.

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to serve the profession.  I look forward to working with you as we embark on making ASDHA relevant to the hygiene community and a stronger organization.

Emma Violante, RDH

ASDHA President 2011-12