New York Dental Hygienists’ Association (NYDHA) Student Delegate 2018-2019

The New York Dental Hygienists’ Association, Inc. (NYDHA), is a chapter of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA), and is the professional association for dental hygienists in New York State. NYDHA serves members of the dental hygiene profession as well as the public. Their goal is to provide services to all hygienists in both clinical and non-clinical settings. Their work is based on implementing high standards for dental hygiene education, licensure and practice. They achieve this through legislative activity, ongoing education of dental hygienists and collaborative endeavors with regulatory agencies and other professional associations.

In the fall of 2018, I was selected for the position of NYDHA student delegate and given a seat on the House of Delegates floor during all meetings. My responsibilities in this role included attending all scheduled annual session forums, attending all sessions of the NYDHA House of Delegates at the Annual Session (at the NYDHA Empire Conference from November 2-4, 2018), attending reference committee hearings, voting in the House of Delegates and electing officers, studying NYDHA’s Annual Report, Bylaws and Policy Manual as well as the Delegate’s Manual and responding to all questions and topics relevant to business at hand and abiding by the majority decision when the the matter was decided by correct parliamentary procedure.

Being selected as a student delegate for NYDHA was a great honor because not only was I able to positively represent City Tech’s dental hygiene department, but I also represented all dental hygiene students across New York State. I completely support the advancement of the the art and science of dental hygiene and believe that there should be adequate access to and delivery of quality preventive and therapeutic oral health care services in a cost effective manner to everyone in the state of New York. Through education and public outreach (which are two areas that I am already very passionate about) we as dental health professionals can absolutely create awareness of the benefits of preventive dental hygiene services. Additionally, mutual support and respect among various dental care providers is essential to attain the common goal of improving access to dental care, which would then lead to better oral health of the public.

*Acknowledgement: I would like to formally thank Professor Matthews, RDH, MS, who is also the current NYDHA Vice President of Professional Development, for always encouraging and supporting all of my endeavors in being an active member within my professional organizations. Her role as the faculty coordinator of SADHA is what inspired me to have a greater presence within my community and to strive to be the “voice” of the dental hygiene department. Thank you for your continuous positive reinforcement, leadership development and for providing me with so many opportunities that truly molded me throughout my journey as a dental hygiene student.