VDA Legislative Update from President Dr. Marlon Goad

We’re in the middle of one of the busiest and most consequential legislative sessions for dentistry and oral healthcare in Virginia in recent memory, and we have a lot of work to be done in the next few weeks. I want to start by thanking all of the VDA member dentists and dental students who have been engaged in the legislative process, which started long before lawmakers gaveled in this session.

We have heard very clearly from our members for many years that they need more tools to address the allied dental workforce shortages that are impacting their ability to see patients in a timely manner. We have been working tirelessly to address the bottleneck at Virginia's dental hygiene education programs that are failing to meet student, employer, and, most importantly, patient demand for preventive services. We will continue to do so.

This impact is being felt by people in our communities, whether they’re seeking care in private practices or safety net clinics: Too many patients are coming in for treatment of conditions that could have been addressed sooner if we had the workforce to see them. 

The measures being considered by the General Assembly this year can put us on a trajectory to better address dental disease early, as well as to fund expansion of the key institutions that educate our licensed dental workforce. Thank you to those of you who have volunteered your time to support these measured policies, as well as preserving the adult dental Medicaid benefit that puts dental care in reach for hundreds of thousands of Virginians.

Whether we’re in a solo or group practice, none of us practices alone, and these measures will allow experienced dental team members to further grow in their careers and skills, and allow more Virginians who are aspiring to begin or advance in their careers in dentistry to achieve that goal.

I ask you over the next few weeks to do a couple things:

• Watch for action alerts as we continue to approach milestones in the legislative process. Legislators carefully track and value messages that come from dentists in their communities, whether it’s alerting them to a bill or thanking them for their support.
• If your team members have questions about the legislation, help them understand what the bills will and will not do, and that there continues to be a legislative and regulatory process that will play out in the coming weeks and months. The VDA team will continue to post updates as they are available at vadental.org and through The Fulcrum Podcast. 
  

Below is a brief update on where our bills stand. We have had a very promising start but a long road ahead to see them through. Thank you for your membership and for the privilege to serve as your VDA president. 

Dr. Marlon Goad