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| 2010-11 CDHA President Sandra Stramoski, RDH, MSDH |
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| Empowerment!
What an exciting time and place to
be – here in Connecticut, where the profession began, right in Bridgeport with
our own Dr. Alfred Civilion Fones, standing on the brink of a new era in health
care. I am so lucky to be a part of a profession which was ahead of its time in
knowing the importance of prevention, and how to be proactive in preventing
disease.
As president of CDHA I
am proud to serve you in the place where dental hygiene began – right here in
our own backyard! I invite you all to feel the sense of Empowerment.
What comes to mind when you hear that word? To invest with power, to
authorize – that is the textbook definition. And it fits. When we empower others, or even ourselves, we
are saying ,“You have the ability, the strength; the fortitude to carry out your
responsibilities.” When I relate it to my profession, the word has many
meanings. We are dental hygienists – I think first about our patients. We empower our patients every day to care
for themselves, their appearance, and their health. How gratifying is it when a
patient returns, and our recommendations made a difference not just in their
oral health, but in how they view themselves. That’s empowerment. And you do it
every day.
My primary role in the profession right now is as an educator, but we know we are ALL educators. It is in our nature to
pass on what we know for the betterment of others. If education is not
empowerment, I do not know what is. Whether we are educating our patients about
their oral health, or mentoring a new graduate on getting that first job, or giving
the new employee the tips and tools on navigating their new territory in the
office, or inviting a colleague to a CDHA component meeting, we are them to giving them opportunities to grow and
to succeed. That’s empowerment!
CDHA’s has made great strides in our legislative efforts over
the last few years. We have found that advancing our profession is less about a
dramatic march on Capitol Hill, and more about a personal phone call or email
to our political leaders, an offer of support to those who stand behind access
to quality dental care, and a personal promise to those patients we serve
everyday who cannot afford the care they desperately need. It is about forging
the relationships with the dentists and assistants we work with every day and
reminding them we are on the same team when it comes to caring for people who
trust us. When we take the dream of working as a dental team to create better
patient health through our legislative efforts – that’s empowerment!
Empowerment is about rolling up our sleeves and doing
something that makes a difference in our corner of the world – our clinics and
practices, our community, our state. We
have an exciting year ahead – filled with the challenges of taking charge of
our own careers and our own profession. Let’s ask ourselves – what can we do to
empower others?
Sandra Stramoski, RDH, MSDH
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