MDS and GSDM Come Together to Lobby for Dentistry at Beacon Hill Day 2017
On Wednesday, April 5, 2017, dentists and dental students from around New England descended on Beacon Hill for Beacon Hill Day 2017; an annual event coordinated by the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS) where dental professionals come together to learn more about issues of concern to the dental community and to lobby their state legislators to take action on those same issues. Several students from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (GSDM) took part in the events of the day.
Beacon Hill Day 2017 was the largest in MDS history, as more than 250 participants met with every Senate office and half of the House of Representatives. The student participants are each paired with two dental professionals from the Massachusetts Dental Society (MDS). Each group spoke with the legislators and their aids about five different bills important to dental education and dentistry.
The five bills under consideration:
- 199 – An Act Relative to Dental Licensing Exams
- 583/S. 506 – An Act Relative to Financial Services Contracts for Dental Benefits Corporations
- 584/S. 505 – An Act Relative to Medical Loss Ratio for Insurance Corporations
- 2197 – An Act Relative to Dental Service Corporations
- 2820/S. 142 – An Act Relative to Graduate Education for Certain Professionals
Representative John Scibak, a recent guest speaker at GSDM as part of our Patient Seminar Series, is the sponsor of three of these five bills.
The day began at the Omni Parker House Hotel, where students and members of the MDS participated in the Morning Issue Briefing. The MDS governmental affairs team explained the Society’s legislative agenda and effective techniques for communicating with legislators.
“We had the opportunity to talk to the Chief of Staff for Representative Jeffrey Sanchez, and the Legislative Administrator for Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz alongside Massachusetts Dental Society President Dr. Raymond Martin. They discussed matters concerning Delta Dental, Midlevel providers and ‘live patient’ Dental Licensure Examinations in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” said Dr. Kady Rawal, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Restorative Sciences and Biomaterials. “It was a day of important discussions with regard to various policies affecting oral health and its professionals in our state. The residents had a great platform to voice their opinions in these matters and experience oral health advocacy in action.”
GSDM faculty, students, and residents who participated in Beacon Hill Day 2017: Dr. Myron Allukian Jr., Eman Aljoghaiman DScD 19, Adeem Alofi DScD 19, Lina Bahanan DscD 19, Molly Conlon DMD 19, Dr. Kady Rawal, Saurabh Mankotia MSD 18, Helen Stamatouras CAGS 17, and Asia Yip DMD 19. The group was also able to catch up with former GSDM ASDA First Delegate Dr. Mike Mayr DMD 16.
“I am very proud of the students who attended Beacon Hill Day 2017,” said Dean Jeffrey W. Hutter. “It is important that our students are actively engaged in the legislative process. I hope they remain vocal with legislators throughout their dental careers so that oral health remains an important topic to law makers.”