Updated 11/5/2009
SNDS President: by George J McAlpine DDS MS
As I write this report, 2009 is coming to a close and we are looking forward to 2010 and, hopefully, a better year. At the ADA meeting in Hawaii the mood seemed somber and I thought the attendance was disappointing. Many of the usual vendors weren’t there and the ones that were there had scaled back significantly. As I spoke with friends from around the country it seemed that, almost universally, things were not good. Some practitioners in more rural areas seemed to have dodged the bullet but those practicing in larger cities have seen their revenues drop 30 – 40% or more. Las Vegas definitely seems to be one of the harder hit areas. Those of us that have established practices are weathering the storm but the newer graduates are having a much more difficult time as evidenced by the number of offices that have recently closed. On top of all this is the question of what effect, if any, will Health Care reform have on the dental profession? No one seems to know at this point. According to the “government”, there are some signs that the economy is turning around, but it’s hard to see yet it in Las Vegas.
In reflecting on the close of 2009, a few things come to mind that we as members can be proud of.
We are in a relatively solid financial position considering the current status of the Las Vegas economy. We have remained very conservative in our investments and will continue to do so.
Our committees are running smoothly. Dr. Joe Wineman has done an exceptional job chairing the Peer Review Committee. We are very fortunate that he has agreed to continue in this position until we can prepare his replacement. Dr. Franson Tom is doing a great job with Dentist Health and Wellbeing Committee. Mahalo! Dr Damian Betancourt has worked hard to get the Membership Committee up and running. These leaders and all of those who serve with them on their committees have spent a lot of time on our behalf, with little recognition. Thank you one and all for your service to our profession.
Dr. Evangeline Chen has done a superb job lining up our CE and has been able to keep the costs down while still bringing in nationally known speakers. As always, members should take advantage of the exceptional value our CE series offers not to mention the mini CE series that we’ve added at no additional charge.
I’d like everyone to recognize the great work done by our executive director Bob Anderson and his assistant Wendy Hammond. We couldn’t do it without you! Thank you! We are in negotiations with Marché Bacchus to host our annual Christmas party. This will be a fabulous venue, centrally located, a great wine bar and an exceptional chef.
We are about to start our annual toy and gift collections for the families of those Nellis soldiers stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Last year’s collections tripled our first year’s efforts, and this year your teams and even patients will be able to participate. Details will be publicized soon.
As we begin 2010, it is important to regain our momentum to keep our organization strong. There is great value in membership and we need to continue to spread the word and bring our peers into the fold. Membership in SNDS brings great opportunities to network and it, also, helps us realize that we’re all in the same boat.
Our goal for 2010 is to further improve communication with our members and to aggressively address the needs of the membership. We must continue to grow and this is a daunting task in this environment. If you have suggestions or ideas on how to achieve these goals, please let me know. We will continue to work on your behalf to make SNDS work for you.
Upcoming Events:
Dr. Henry Gremillion, on January 22, 2010, and Dr. Perng-Ru Liu on March 19, 2010, will our 2009-2010 CE series. If you did not buy the series but would like to see these two great speakers, call Bob or Wendy at the office(733-8700) and sign up.
