On April 10, the IDA Board of Trustees entered an agreement with IndepenDENT Dental Solutions (IDS), a group purchasing organization to provide all IDA members with access to lower, contracted pricing for capital equipment, dental supplies and other purchased services.

“IndepenDENT Dental Solutions has been successfully working with three of IDA’s component dental societies for two years,” said IDA Executive Director Doug Bush. “This new arrangement expands the benefits statewide, allowing all our members access to discounted supplies and equipment.”

"We are excited to welcome IDA members to the IDS family," said Brian Heyndrickx, IDS CEO & co-founder, "We have had the pleasure of working with many Indiana dental practices over the last two years and look forward to expanding our support statewide. We are committed to supporting private practice dentists and bringing value to all IDA members individually, and to the society. We look forward to a long and fruitful relationship and the development of many friendships along the way. Together, we can truly make a difference!”

IDS has agreements with a robust network of vendor partners, including Indiana-based Midway Dental, to ensure private practices have access to the tools and support needed to not only survive, but thrive.

Membership is free and on average, members save 23 percent on their supplies alone compared to the previous year. To become a member, IDA members can enroll by completing the IDS New Membership Application.

If you have questions, please contact IDS Member Experience Manager Christine Daum.

Last week Governor Eric Holcomb signed into law HB 1079, an IDA-supported bill that allows dentists with proper training to administer vaccines. This bill, now known as House Enrolled Act 1079, was given emergency status, which means it goes into effect immediately for all Indiana dentists.

HEA 1079 allows Indiana dentists to administer a wide variety of vaccines to patients 11 and older in the dental office. It also modernizes Indiana’s definition of dentistry and prohibits insurance companies from using virtual credit cards (VCCs) as their only method of making claims payment to dentists.

IDA has put together a vaccine administration guide that is being updated continually. Click the link below to view the latest information on administering vaccines.

Dr. Lisa Conard, who maintains a private practice in Lebanon and serves as on the adjunct faculty at the IU School of Dentistry, has been recommended by the IDA Board of Trustees as vice-president elect of the IDA for 2021-22.

At the time of this writing, Dr. Conard is unopposed for the position. If elected by the IDA House of Delegates next month, she will automatically advance to one-year terms as vice president and president-elect, and will serve as IDA president in 2024-25.

Dr. Conard has served on the IDA Board of Trustees, representing the Ben Hur Dental Society, since 2017. She is currently president of Ben Hur. She also serves on various IDA committees and subcommittees, and is a graduate of the Indiana AIR, IDA’s leadership development program.

“My multifaceted involvement with many aspects of leadership in our profession allows me to stay abreast of the changing landscape of dentistry and the diversity of membership that IDA serves,” said Dr. Conard. “I am prepared to preserve the strength of our organization and ensure that future leaders are represented, recognized, and trained to maintain the high-quality standards of dentistry in Indiana.”

At the April 10 IDA Board of Trustees meeting, board members formally voted to endorse IDA Vice President Dr. Steven C. Hollar for Indiana University Trustee. Dr. Hollar received enough signatures in March to appear on the ballot in the June election. Thanks to all who submitted signatures in support of Dr. Hollar's candidacy.

The IU Trustee election will take place throughout the month of June. The IDA will be keeping members updated on how to submit an electronic or in-person ballot in the election. Any graduate of Indiana University is eligible to vote.

IDA vendor partner Plan Forward was featured on Inside Indiana Business to discuss the benefits of dental membership plans. Click the button below or the screenshot to view the interview.

IDPAC is seeking donations for the Midwest Dental Assembly Silent Auction: Any item small or large is greatly appreciated. The IDA Central Office will be collecting donations of items until May 1. Items may be mailed or delivered to our office, and we're happy to answer questions at 800-562-5646.

We are also seeking donations of wine for our Wine Pull. Any type of bottle of wine is welcome. You can donate items in one of two ways:

Thanks for your support of IDPAC! These donations help strengthen our voice and influence in Indiana politics.

In January 2021, the IDA Board of Trustees approved a request to develop a new logo for the IDA. The current logo has served the organization well since 1997, but the Board agreed that the IDA needs a more modern look, with simpler graphics that reproduce consistently across different media. In addition, the current design isn't adaptable to the IDA's many entities (shown below), which creates an inconsistent appearance across our organization.

We will be unveiling our new IDA logo, as well as the new logos of all our associated programs and entities, at the end of the first House of Delegates at the Midwest Dental Assembly on Friday, May 14. Following the unveiling, we will be gradually replacing the logo on our websites, social media channels, publications and other

materials. Stay tuned as we bring a fresh new look to the IDA.

Effective April 1, the IDA Insurance Trust began offering First Stop Health to Trust participants.

First Stop Health is a telemedicine and mental health support program that offers FREE and UNLIMITED visits for all Trust participants, as well as their immediate family members, even if family is not enrolled in the IDA Insurance Trust.

For more information about the IDA Insurance Trust, contact IDA Insurance Services at

Current Trust members who wish to get started with First Stop Health can take the following steps: