I am so happy to be returning to the GLAO to volunteer as the Ohio Director. I know that TJ Robinson did a great job in this role, so I have big shoes to fill, so I’ll do my best to keep you posted on what's going on in the Ohio corner of the GLAO.
Shortly after taking on this role, I had the privilege of being invited to speak at the Cleveland Society of Orthodontists meeting in October. It was great to be with Ohio orthodontists, and to give them an update on what's happening in the AAO and our constituency. In addition to updates on upcoming meetings, I focused my time on our advocacy efforts since I will also be serving as an AAO PAC Captain for Ohio. I first warned them that when they see my name come up on their phone...I might be hitting them up for money! I then went on to explain that normally, asking people for money is a difficult thing to do. But in this case, I believe so strongly in the quality and effectiveness of our AAO advocacy team...and what they do for us...that it's actually an easy ask. My "boss" in this endeavor is our talented and dedicated supporter of the PAC- GLAO PAC representative Phil Beckwith. Phil has a ton of expertise in this area, so I feel like Luke Skywalker getting to learn from Yoda!
The second initiative I attended as Ohio Director was to participate in the AAO's first ever state advocacy day (see photo below).. It was held Columbus Ohio November 8. On that day, with the help of our Ohio lobbyists and support from the AAO advocacy team, we were able to meet with lawmakers from the Ohio Senate, the Ohio House, and our Attorney General Dave Yost. We shared our concerns about direct-to-consumer aligner treatment models. While we are all aware that there is drama happening around some of the companies as their business models struggle, we also know that these types of companies may come back again in some form or other that threatens patient safety for profit. In addition, we discussed the importance of access to "quality" orthodontic care, emphasizing that mail-order aligner care is not the same as orthodontic care by a trained orthodontic specialist (with in-person exams, x-rays, and a consultation with informed consent), who can successfully balance the need for in-person appointments with ethical, appropriate use of teledentistry.
In closing, I look forward to working with the talented board of officers of the Ohio Association of Orthodontists and their executive director in the coming years, and to reconnecting with GLAO friends. Please feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions or concerns on all things Ohio, any advocacy questions, or to donate a suitcase of cash (or any amount!) to the PAC. ;)