District Presidents
Fifth District Dr . Ryan C . Rother I firmly believe that our profession requires us to improve our community that supports both our teams and our practices . Community involvement presents itself in various forms and is certainly not limited to dentistry . However , I am proud to say that my involvement has provided me with a sense of pride knowing that I have helped orchestrate and enact initiatives that will better the working experience for our colleagues , as well as indirectly provide better care for our teams and patients .
My first experience attending a dental continuing education class was less than impressive . As the lights went out to begin the lecture , the heads went down and the content was dull . After dental school , I moved to Central Pennsylvania on a whim . I was not aware of how strongly active the Harrisburg Area Dental Society was until I attended my first lecture . I was simply impressed with the event - from the efforts put forth by the society to the notoriety and expertise of the lecturer - which sparked an interest in further involvement .
My colleagues motivate my service . We all become the average of our peers , and my local colleagues of Central Pennsylvania unquestionably better us all . Because of these relationships , dentistry has been a wonderful profession . It will continue to be so as long as we make progress together with the same mission , vision and values .
The most pressing issue at hand for our profession is to navigate the labor market . Our practices and teams have suffered through a lot since 2020 , but we must continue to be considerate of our loyal patients . They deserve care at a time where it can be challenging to deliver timely care . We must create opportunities that do not exist today for tomorrow . Influencing and helping local schools to expand their class sizes is paramount to sustaining effective and efficient dental treatments .
My advice is to start small . Start simple . Attend a local CE course sponsored by your local dental society . Socialize with your peers . Consider involvement in a committee and see if you like the dynamic .
Sixth District Dr . Julie Barna ( Secretary / Treasurer )
Once I got involved in organized dentistry and started going to meetings , I met the BEST people . If I had stayed in my office I would have missed so much !
When I moved to Lewisburg ,
I received an invitation to a Sixth District Stag Night so I responded yes . When all the guys realized I was female , they had no idea how to respond , but agreed to let me come . You see , our stag night is trap shooting and having a steak dinner . I soon got to be a delegate , when our trustee Dr . George Lopatofsky died suddenly , I was appointed to fill the remainder of the term . Talk about heading straight into the fire !
I have sold my practice and now I just help my friend Dr . John Rinehart a day or so a week , as well as doing claims for Avesis . I still love seeing patients and helping them with their dental needs . COVID taught me I was NOT ready to retire ... I went crazy at home . I also am on the Practitioner Executive Committee for the National Practice Based Research Network , so I get to review all the new studies that are in the pipeline to be released for in office research .
My goals are to live a long healthy life and continue to learn about dentistry . I have many places on my bucket list to travel and want to continue snow skiing out west every winter and finding new wineries to explore and add to my extensive cellar .
When I graduated from University of Pennsylvania , there was no question that I was going to join the ADA and PDA ; there are so few of us dentists in the large scheme of things , when you compare us to the legal profession or the medical profession . If we don ’ t join and stay involved , we can ’ t possibly influence the public and the other professionals to how important dental health is to our overall well-being .
If we don ’ t join and stay involved , we can ’ t possibly influence the public and the other professionals to how important dental health is to our overall well-being .
36 MARCH / APRIL 2023 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL