PDA Annual
Awards
The recipients of the
PDA Distinguished
Service Award and PDA
Public Service Award
received their awards
on Friday April 5 at
the Board of Trustees
Retirement Dinner at
the Gettysburg Hotel.
Outgoing president Dr. Jim Boyle
presented Dr. Bernie Dishler with
the Public Service Award.
PDA Public Service Award – Dr. Bernie Dishler
I am honored to announce that Dr.
Bernie P. Dishler is the recipient of the
2019 PDA Recognition Award.
Dr. Dishler’s valuable achievements and
high standards have made such a
profound impact, stretching across so
many areas of our profession and our
organization. The Annual Awards
Committee selected Bernie for his selfless
dedication and 30 years of advocacy for
patients to improve oral health care
through legislation to benefit the citizens
of Pennsylvania as well as charitable
efforts to fulfill his vision of expanded
access to care.
Whether influencing or educating
policymakers about the needs of
patients, or investing his time and
demonstrating his personal commitment
to the underserved as a Donated Dental
Services volunteer and a founding
director of the MOM-n-PA dental
mission, Dr. Dishler’s contributions have
made a huge difference to dentistry and
the lives of countless Pennsylvanians as
he has personally worked to find new
ways to provide dental care to the
underserved.
Bernie has served as president of
Montgomery-Bucks Dental Society,
Second District Valley Forge Dental
Association and then Second District
Trustee to PDA, before his term as PDA
president in 2012-2013.
He has served on numerous PDA and
ADA committees and councils, an
impressive slate highlighted by his time
as PDA’s Membership chair. His tireless
advocacy efforts included four years on
the ADPAC Board of Directors in 2012-
2016, and he remains an ADA Action
Team Leader today.
Recently, he has served as chair of the
Pennsylvania Coalition for Oral Health
Steering Committee, leading efforts to
educate the citizens of our state about
the importance of good oral health. His
contributions to the HealthLink Dental
Clinic Board have been another
significant effort toward improving the
health of low-wage earning adults and
veterans in Bucks and Montgomery
counties.
PDA is delighted to name Dr. Dishler as
the 2019 PDA Recognition Award winner,
and Bernie, it is a pleasure to present this
award to you tonight.
Congratulations!