Last month, the Texas AGD made history with a virtual legislative day where members of the Advocacy Council and Board of Directors virtually met with state legislators to specifically focus on the needs of general dentists. Bills that could impact the dental profession such as network leasing and insurance recoupment, local anesthesia, and teledentistry were discussed in these meetings.
Another first for the Texas AGD was a virtual town hall event, A Report from the Capitol: A Mid-Session Town Hall, on March 31, 2021. Led by Texas AGD President, Dr. Ben Bratcher, the panel consisted of AGD National Trustee and volunteers from the Advocacy Council. Panelists discussed the status of bills in the 87th Legislative Session, how the outcome of the session may affect the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners (TSBDE), and the future of general policy concerns in this live, interactive webinar.
A unique benefit of membership in the Texas AGD is the Advocacy Program which positions Texas AGD as the only association in Texas that exclusively represents the needs and interests of general dentists. The Texas AGD’s mission is to help general dentists succeed and the Advocacy Council accomplishes it by partnering with government entities and personnel to determine solutions to issues that face general dentistry. The Council is very methodical in their approach and follows several strategies to ensure the greatest impact on the legislative process for general dentists. The events of this past year have shown that advocacy is more important than ever, and Texas AGD is there every step of the way advocating on behalf of its members and delivering timely information.
Thank you to our volunteers who participated in these historical events to advocate and represent general dentists in Texas:
Stephen Boyles, DDS, FAGD, Texas AGD Board Member
Ben Bratcher, DDS, MAGD, Texas AGD President
Brooke Elmore, DDS, FAGD, Texas AGD President-Elect
Pat Grisanti, DDS, FAGD, Texas AGD Advocacy Council Member
Partha Mukherji, DDS, FAGD, Texas AGD Board Member
Wayne Radwanski, DDS, FAGD, Texas AGD Advocacy Chair
Katie Stuchlik, DDS, Texas AGD Advocacy Council Member
David Tillman, DDS, MAGD, AGD National Trustee
Francine Johannesen, CAE, Texas AGD Executive Director
David Mintz, Texas AGD Advocacy Consultant
