PDJ: Do you have specific initiatives
that you want to see through during
this year?
DR. INCALCATERRA: One of my most
passionate issues is providing dental care
to underserved veterans. When I was on
the ADA Council of Government Affairs
I found out that most veterans cannot
access the VA System for comprehensive
dental care. As a site visitor for CODA,
I went to a VA hospital program in New
Jersey and saw this first hand. At our
Harrisburg MOM-n-PA event, I met a
young veteran whose entire posterior
dentition was decayed beyond repair.
How can we let those who put their lives
at risk for us and served our nation suffer
with dental pain?
We started a program in the Lehigh Valley
Dental Society where 20 practices agreed
to take in at least one needy veteran
and provide all of their care free of charge
or at cost for lab fees. We are fortunate to
have the Lehigh Valley Health Network
Veteran’s Assistance Office to screen these
men and women, but I am trying to see
if we can roll this out on a statewide basis.
I’ve asked our Access to Oral Health
Advisory Group to come up with possible
solutions to this issue.
It is also important that we engage our
future dentists in our organization. I’ve
met with the ASDA leaders, one of whom
is the President of that organization and
attends Penn Dental School, to create a
better relationship with them. I have
assigned six student slots on our key
committees and advisory groups so that
they can have a say in the future of their
organization. I’ve also met with the Dean
of Temple Dental School to determine
how we can work more effectively
together. We have some plans in place
already that will help not only the
students, but possibly our rural dentists
who have trouble attracting dentists to
purchase their practices.
Finally, I started a Diversity and Inclusion
Task Force so that we can determine how
to make our organization more responsive
to others. Our association is relatively
homogenous and we do not reflect the
make-up of the students graduating from
our dental schools. We need to be sure we
are a welcoming organization that works
for the benefits of all of our members.
PDJ: What is your leadership style?
How do you approach a problem or an
issue you want to solve?
DR. INCALCATERRA: It’s tempting to want
to do everything yourself. That’s what we
do in our private practices for the most
part – but we also have a team alongside
us to make our jobs easier. I approach that
in my leadership style as well. Certain
things I do myself, but this is too big a job
for one person. I communicate regularly
with the board and keep them in the loop.
Gathering at the the Lehigh Valley Health Network Department of Dental Medicine dinner last December.
(L to R) Dr. Charles Kosteva, Dr. George Kirchner, Dr. Incalcaterra, Dr. Edward Piorkowski and Dr. John Ziegler.
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JU LY/AU GU ST 2019 | P EN N S YLVA N IA D EN TA L J O UR N A L
I rely on my board and officers to be
creative with ideas to benefit our
members, and I empower our committees
and advisory groups to come up with
possible solutions. Developing future
leaders is critical to our organization and
we need to rely on our work groups and
our district and local societies to encourage
leadership advancement.
“ Developing future
leaders is critical to our
organization... ”
PDJ: Can you discuss some of the
issues – whether membership-related
or others – that are going to drive
PDA and the long- term future of the
organization?
DR. INCALCATERRA: My experience on
the ADA’s CGA revealed that many states
are facing a new model of delivering
dental care – dental therapists. These are
young people who are trained in a
three-year educational program that
allows them to provide basic dental care
to patients in the community. There are
private foundations that are driving this
model and I want our members to be
aware that one day they may approach
our legislators and convince them that this
is the answer to the access to care issue
in Pennsylvania. That is why I decided to
hold a PDA Congress in October.
The Congress is designed to do a number
of things. In the morning our key PDA
workgroups will meet to discuss three-
year measurable but flexible goals so that
PDA can prepare for the future. Then all of
our members will be invited to lunch, and
immediately after lunch there will be a
panel discussion on the pros and cons of
dental therapists. I want our members
and students to become knowledgeable
about the educational requirements and
scope of practice of dental therapists, and
to learn how other states have reacted to
this issue. Afterwards I will take a straw