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Governmental Affairs Update, Neema Katibai Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The article presents the American Dental Association's federal advocacy achievements during the first half of the 118th Congress. The ADA has made significant strides in influencing policy and regulations across various categories, including workforce issues, dental insurance reform, access to care, student loan debt, Medicaid, practice management, veterans' affairs, health information technology, and public health. Their efforts span from urging legislative action to collaborating with federal agencies and Congress members. These accomplishments showcase the ADA's commitment to advancing dental profession interests nationally.

Mda Foundation: Mission Of Mercy Volunteer Registration Is Open!, Anne Berquist

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The MDA Foundation announces the reopening of volunteer registration for the Mission of Mercy free dental clinic in Flint, Michigan, from June 13-17. The clinic seeks dental professionals and laypeople alike to provide essential dental care to around 2,000 needy individuals. Volunteers can contribute clinical or non-clinical assistance, with opportunities for short-term or extended commitments. COVID-19 precautions are in place, and volunteers receive continuing education credits while profoundly impacting patients' lives.

Market Realities For Rural And Small-Town Practices, W. E. Rupprecht Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article explores the challenges rural dental practitioners face in Michigan, highlighting the struggle to find successors for practice continuity and the impact on patient care. Examining sales data and demographic trends reveals disparities in successful practice transitions, emphasizing the difficulty in attracting buyers to rural areas. The reluctance of potential buyers, influenced by family and professional considerations, underscores the need for strategic solutions. Initiatives by the Michigan Dental Association and innovative approaches such as mentorship and financial incentives aim to address these challenges. The article concludes by urging practitioners to act as stewards and plan for successful transitions in …

Dentistry And The Law: Charges For Missed Appointments And Interest On Past-Due Accounts, Dan Schulte Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This month’s Dentistry and the Law column explores the legal considerations surrounding charges for missed appointments and interest on past-due accounts in dental practices. Dan Schulte, JD, provides insights on implementing policies for collecting patient deposits for missed appointments and the legality of charging interest on overdue accounts. The article emphasizes the importance of complying with participation agreements, obtaining patient consent, and setting reasonable terms. Practical guidelines for policy implementation are provided, ensuring dental practitioners navigate legal complexities while managing practice finances effectively.

Special Insert: Guideline For Delegation Of Duties For Allied Dental Personnel In Michigan, David Foe Ma

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Dental assistants, registered dental assistants, and registered dental hygienists have specific duties they can perform for patients as outlined by the Michigan Public Health Code and the Michigan Board of Dentistry General Rules. Permitted delegated services vary based on a team member’s level of training, licensure, and available supervision by a licensed dentist.

The Journal of Michigan Dental Association provides this pullout insert to guide the dental team. This easy-to-read chart quickly identifies recent changes to the duties each dental auxiliary can legally perform.

We’Re In This Together, So Be The Best Human You Can Be, Michelle C. Dziurgot Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The editorial reflects on the shared human experiences that bind us together, using a travel delay as a backdrop. The author highlights personal growth during a trip to Europe and emphasizes the importance of common bonds among people, whether through travel, education, or shared moments. The narrative urges readers to step out of their comfort zones and be compassionate, contributing to a happier and more connected world.

Staff Matters: Do I Really Need An Employee Handbook?, Jodi Schafer Sphr, Shrm-Scp

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This article underscores the importance of having an employee handbook for even small practices. It emphasizes the handbook as a crucial tool for communicating expectations, providing a defense against employment claims, and ensuring legal compliance. The author advises on essential policies related to legal requirements, "At-Will" status, conduct, compensation, benefits, communication, attendance, and discipline. The article stresses the significance of well-crafted policies to avoid confusion and legal liabilities, recommending professional review before implementation.

The Mda Member Assistance Program: Real Help When You Need It, Lisa Knowles Dds

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This health and well-being feature focuses on the MDA Member Assistance Program, an invaluable resource for dentists navigating the myriad challenges of professional and personal life. The author shares personal experiences and testimonials, highlighting the diverse benefits offered by the program, from mental health counseling to work-life resources. The article emphasizes the program's accessibility, confidentiality, and the wide range of topics it addresses, making it a crucial tool for dentists seeking support and guidance.

Dentistry And The Law: When Must A Data Breach Be Reported?, Dan Schulte Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This dentistry and the law column addresses the necessity of reporting a potential HIPAA data breach involving missing patient records. The author explains the criteria outlined in the HIPAA Breach Notification Rule and emphasizes the importance of a thorough risk assessment. The dentist must evaluate the nature of the protected health information and whether an unauthorized person acquired it. The article details the steps for reporting, including individual notices to affected patients and the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, with distinctions based on the number of individuals affected.

Advocacy Spotlight: 2024 Regulatory Reminders, Neema Katibai Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The Advocacy Spotlight column delves into critical regulatory reminders for dentists in 2024, emphasizing compliance challenges and potential disruptions to practice. Key areas covered include licensing, amalgam separator renewal, electronic prescribing, and Beneficial Ownership Information reporting. The article stresses the importance of staying informed about evolving regulations to ensure seamless practice operations.

J Mich Dent Assoc February 2024

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Every month, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists!

• The February issue previews the 2024 Annual Session in Lansing, highlighting 61 courses, 48 speakers, and Michigan’s largest dental exhibit hall
• A Feature article on The MDA Member Assistance Program: Real Help When You Need It
• News You Need, including The MDA announcement of John Tramontana as the new CEO/executive director
• The MDA Student Debt Resource Center
• Updates on the MDA website refresh
• Celebrating National Children’s …

Mda Foundation: What A Difference A Smile Makes, Anne Berquist

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The 2023 round of scholarships awarded by the MDA Foundation totaled $31,000, more than twice the amount awarded in 2022. As a recipient of the MDA Foundation's Dr. George L. Bletsas Scholarship, Maya Scott, now a dental student, is dedicated to advocating for underserved minorities. Scott's journey into dentistry was shaped by her personal experiences with dental care and her desire to address health disparities. Growing up in challenging circumstances, orthodontic treatment transformed her smile and ignited her interest in dentistry. Her scholarship facilitates participation in dental missions and eases living expenses. With aspirations for general dentistry in underserved areas, …

Containerization Of Seafarers In The International Shipping Industry: Contemporary Seamanship, Maritime Social Infrastructures, And Mobility Politics Of Global Logistics, Liang Wu

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation discusses the mobility politics of container shipping and argues that technological development, political-economic order, and social infrastructure co-produce one another. Containerization, the use of standardized containers to carry cargo across modes of transportation that is said to have revolutionized and globalized international trade since the late 1950s, has served to expand and extend the power of international coalitions of states and corporations to control the movements of commodities (shipments) and labor (seafarers). The advent and development of containerization was driven by a sociotechnical imaginary and international social contract of seamless shipping and cargo flows. In practice, this liberal, …

Innovative Virtual Wellness Interventions At An Academic Medical Center: A Pilot Feasibility Study, Ritika Baweja, Michael Hayes, Aditya Joshi, Raman Baweja

Journal of Wellness

Introduction: There is generally a concerning likelihood of burnout in healthcare workers. Given the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare workers, our institution identified the need for wellness interventions to foster adaptive functioning and mitigate burnout. The purpose of this pilot project was to assess the feasibility of virtual holistic interventions like meditation, art, laughter therapy and dance and their impact on overall well-being of physicians and advanced practice providers (APPs).

Methods: A series of 12 virtual sessions (art therapy, dance therapy, mindfulness-based practices/meditation and laughter therapy) were offered to providers over a 6-month period. Participants completed an online survey reporting …

Henderson Named One Of The Most Influential People In Legal Education, James Owsley Boyd

Keep Up With the Latest News from the Law School (blog)

Indiana University Maurer School of Law Professor Bill Henderson has once again been recognized as one of the most influential people in legal education, but he’s not the only one with ties to the Law School on this year’s list.

The National Jurist ranked Henderson #18 on its list. Kellye Testy, a 1991 alumna of the Law School and president and CEO of the Law School Admission Council, is ranked second.

Toward Equal Access: A Model For Lay Advocacy Programs Serving People Who Are Deaf Or Hard Of Hearing, Melissa Bell

JADARA

Advocacy programs are prevalent among state government agencies that specialize in serving persons who are deaf or hard of hearing around the United States. The work is crucial to ensuring equal access and equal opportunity, yet the lay advocacy profession is not yet formalized with certification, ethical standards, or training programs for advocates serving this population. Research was conducted to advance efforts to maximize these programs’ effectiveness by compiling components of an ideal model for lay advocacy programs. Directors from state agencies that specialize in serving this population around the country refined the model and described the structure of their …

Climate Risk, Insurance Retreat, And State Response, Mark P. Nevitt, Michael Pappas

Faculty Articles

Climate change is fundamentally destabilizing the private insurance industry, with many high-profile insurance companies exiting states in the face of catastrophic, climate-­induced risk. This rapid "insurance retreat" represents a major market signal in response to climate-exacerbated risks. Private businesses are making actuarial decisions, assessing that some locations are just too vulnerable to insure. At the same time, this insurance retreat also poses a policy challenge for states as they react to the mounting insurance gaps left by exiting private insurers.

This Article analyzes insurance retreat, its attendant policy challenges, and the lessons that can be drawn from state responses. It …

Criminal Recordkeeping, Andrew K. Jennings

Faculty Articles

Business managers must create and keep records for decision-making. Yet doing so presents an obvious problem for those who manage illegal businesses: their records would make for powerful evidence in the hands of prosecutors. That problem raises a question—why would one knowingly create and keep such records when their mere existence risks detection and sanction? The answer, in short, is that the interaction of illicit activity’s complexity and continuity compels recordkeeping. A business, including a criminal one, cannot be managed without adequate information about its operations, obligations, and condition. Just how complex and long-lived its affairs are will drive the …

Human Capital Disclosure & Corporate Governance: The New Evidence, George S. Georgiev

Faculty Articles

This Article explores the evolution of human capital disclosure—firm-supplied information about various workforce-related matters—as a factor in contemporary corporate governance. Regulatory and nonregulatory developments from recent years have upended longstanding practices and generated extensive new evidence. Most notably, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted a human capital management (“HCM”) disclosure mandate in 2020, which, though long overdue, was criticized from the outset for its modest scope and lax design. In the meantime, courts have taken a renewed interest in board of directors’ oversight responsibilities in a number of areas, including HCM, while labor’s power has unexpectedly increased in some …

Why Do Banks Fail Together? Evidence From Executive Compensation, Deniz Anginer, Jinjing Liu, Cindy A. Schipani, H. Nejat Seyhun

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

Recent bank failures have elicited extensive interest about the causes, focusing on incompetence of bank executives, policymakers, bank regulators and supervisors and even uninsured depositors. Yet, before we can prescribe solutions to bank failures, we need to identify the correct causes of the underlying problems. We argue that the problem is not so much with incompetence of executives, depositors, or regulators per se, but rather with managerial incentives.

We provide both a conceptual basis as well as empirical evidence to show that bank executives have incentives to increase systemic risks in order to maximize the benefits of bank bailouts. Consequently, …

Minutes Are Worth The Minutes: Good Documentation Practices Improve Board Deliberations And Reduce Regulatory And Litigation Risk, Given As The 21st Annual Destefano Lecture, Leo E. Strine Jr.

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

This Essay, originally the basis for the 21st Annual Albert A. DeStefano Lecture on Corporate, Securities & Financial Law given on February 27, 2024, at Fordham University School of Law, addresses the importance of good corporate minuting and board documentation practices. Using lessons from Delaware cases where the quality of these practices has determined the outcome of motions and cases, this Essay identifies effective and efficient practices to better address this decidedly not sexy, but unquestionably essential, corporate governance task. The recent Delaware cases underscore the importance of quality and timely documentation of board decision-making, the material benefits of doing …

Corporate Esg Falls Short: Systemic Anti-Black Racism And Inequality Should Be Addressed Through A Cumulative Integrated Approach, Ferrell L. Littlejohn

Fordham Journal of Corporate & Financial Law

In the 1896 case Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court endorsed the “separate but equal” doctrine, essentially codifying racial segregation. This decision guaranteed that systemic racism would permeate every fabric of society despite the abolition of slavery. Recently, many corporate institutions have pledged to actively support the fight against systemic racism through their environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) initiatives. Corporate stakeholders have actively advocated for these initiatives, particularly in response to recent scholarship revealing the significant involvement of capitalist institutions in historical slavery, and the continued perpetuation of anti-Black racism. Nevertheless, such initiatives, for example, internal diversity, equity, and …

When Ballots Are Blank: Write-In’S Serving Local Government And The Implications For A Healthy And Vibrant Democracy, Thomas J. Ruter

School of Business Student Theses and Dissertations

Our democracy depends on having a supply of candidates running for elected office, but in some instances, no one wants to run. This phenomenological study asks what the effects on a healthy and vibrant democracy are if ballots are blank and the seat is filled through write-in or appointment. Rooted in democratic theory, this study explores small, rural city elections where write-ins won election. Understudied, local governments are responsible for decisions affecting the lives of millions of people each day. Workforce scarcity, the alienation of young Americans from politics, government bashing, nasty campaigns, threats of physical harm, and other barriers …

Setting The Foundation For A Lifetime Of Oral Health, Samuel Blanchard Dds, Ms

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

In this Children’s Dental Health Month article, the Michigan Academy of Pediatric Dentistry emphasizes the crucial role of relationships and trust in pediatric dentistry. Highlighting the significance of collaborative efforts between dental societies, the commentary discusses the impact of professional connections on patient care. The author shares personal insights on transitioning in their career, underscoring the value of cultivated relationships. The age-1 dental visit is highlighted as a powerful preventive measure to establish rapport and empower parents with oral health knowledge. The article emphasizes the enduring benefits of building connections in promoting lifelong oral health.

Silver Diamine Fluoride As A Caries Management Option For The Young Child, Giovana Anovazzi Medeiros Dds, Msc, Phd, Chia-En Tsai Dds, Ms, Nita Singh Dds, James R. Boynton Dds, Ms

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Dental caries is among the most-common childhood diseases around the world, and neglected caries can result in pain, infection, and can have a negative cascading impact on a child’s overall well-being. Definitive care of these lesions involves restorative procedures and/or extractions, but these treatment options require some level of child cooperation, which can sometimes be a challenge with very young children.

Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a non-invasive treatment intended to arrest the caries process. SDF is a liquid solution that contains a high concentration of silver and fluoride ions and has been used as an alternative agent for treating …

Pediatric Dentists’ Considerations Concerning Obesity-Related Education For Parents Of Young Children: Who Should Educate About What, How And When?, Arianne Swanson Dds, Ms, James R. Boynton Dds, Ms, Larry B. Salzmann Dds, Yu-Ju Yang Dds, Marita R. Inglehart Dipl. Psych., Dr. Phil., Dr. Phil. Habil

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

This study aimed to explore pediatric dentists' perspectives on obesity-related interventions for parents of young children. A web-based survey was administered to 210 American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry members. Findings revealed that respondents considered it important for various healthcare professionals, especially pediatricians and nurse practitioners, to engage in obesity-related parent education. Strong consensus existed on educating parents about the link between early childhood caries and diet, soft drink and fruit juice consumption, and healthy snacking. The study also found positive attitudes correlated with increased engagement in objective weight determination, data collection, and diet/nutrition counseling.

J Mich Dent Assoc January 2024

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Every month, The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association brings news, information, and features about Michigan dentistry to our state's oral health community and the MDA's 6,200+ members. No publication reaches more Michigan dentists!

The January issue sets the foundation for Children’s Dental Health Month in February, the reader will find the following original content:

• A cover commentary on Pediatric Dentistry
• A feature article on “Silver Diamine Fluoride as a Caries Management Option for the Young Child”.
• A feature on “Considerations Concerning Obesity-Related Education for Parents of Young Children”.
• Professional advice commentary on “Staying Focused on a Moving Target: Coping …

Advocacy Spotlight: Telehealth Regulations For Dentistry Established, Neema Katibai Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The article discusses the rise of telehealth in the last three years and its implications for dentistry, focusing on recent rulemaking by the Michigan Board of Dentistry. The regulations address key aspects such as definitions, informed consent, scope of practice, and prescribing medications. Dentists must comply with HIPAA and state/federal privacy regulations when using telehealth. Notably, the rules restrict teledentistry delegation to allied personnel after an in-person visit within 24 months. The article emphasizes the importance of understanding and following these regulations for legal telehealth use, reimbursement, and malpractice coverage. The Michigan Dental Association advocates for sensible teledentistry laws to …

Dentistry And The Law: Know The Facts About Noncompete And Liquidated Damages Agreements, Dan Schulte Jd

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

Navigating dental employment agreements involves understanding the enforceability of non-compete and liquidated damages provisions. While these aim to protect the employer's business, courts may scrutinize their reasonability. In Michigan, noncompete terms of two years or less are generally deemed reasonable, and the restricted area must align with the patient base. A $15,000 liquidated damages amount per patient might face challenges, as it should relate reasonably to actual damages. Courts may also consider equitable factors and the employer's adherence to the agreement. Both employers and employees benefit from reasonable restrictions, avoiding potential legal disputes.

Mda Foundation: 2024 Promises Great Things From The Mda Foundation, Anne Berquist

The Journal of the Michigan Dental Association

The MDA Foundation is making significant strides in supporting dental and hygiene students and the community. In a recent announcement, 12 scholarships totaling $31,000 were awarded, thanks to donor generosity. The Foundation's upcoming Sparkling Smiles Celebration will provide an opportunity to meet scholarship recipients and acknowledge donors. The primary focus in June will be the Mission of Mercy event in Flint, aiming to offer essential dental care to up to 2,000 individuals. Volunteers are encouraged to participate, and financial support can be pledged online. Ongoing efforts include fundraising for the Karen Burgess Scholarship Endowment and the upcoming MDA Foundation golf …