Washington State Department of Health. We can help you: Current Topics. Senate Bill (SB) 5. July 2. 4, 2. 01. The law now allows for the issuance of an initial limited dental hygiene license to an applicant who holds a valid license in a Canadian province that has a substantively equivalent scope of practice. The Canadian licensed dental hygienist must currently engage in active practice. Active practice means 5. Canadian provinces will be reviewed for acceptance as applications are received. Currently dental hygienists from British Columbia may apply for a limited dental hygiene license. The revised application will be posted on our Applications and Forms webpage by Monday, July 1. The long and winding road. California's path to self- regulation was full of twists and turnsby Heidi Emmerling, RDH, Ph. D, and Ellen Standley, RDH, BS, MACalifornia dental hygienists did it! In 2. 00. 9, the Dental Hygiene Committee of California (DHCC) distinguished California as the first state to achieve their own regulatory agency. The self- regulation process has not been a fast track. Thanks to many progressive California dental hygienists who have paved the way, certain key milestones stand out. The following events are considered part of the long history in the formation of the DHCC professional self regulating agency: Early independent practice. Increasing the dental hygiene scope of practice and licensure categories. Joining northern and southern California for stronger advocacy. Acquiring dental hygiene representation on the Board of Dental Examiners. RDHAP licensure including pilot projects. March Fong Eu was one of California's true gems. In the early 1. 94. Fong, who later became California's Secretary of State and member of the State Assembly, began her career as a dental hygienist. Susan Mc. Learan writes that Fong's position on self- accreditation and self- regulation has never wavered. Thus, the vision, discussion, and hard work that goes into becoming professionally autonomous started many years ago. Fong also served as ADHA president in the 1. During her presidential address she stated, .
Never before have dental hygienists had such a wealth of opportunities for their schooling and careers. Gone are the old stereotypes of a hygienist confined solely to a. Degree you'll need: At least an associate's degree. Most programs take approximately two. Dental hygiene is the only profession I know that is controlled entirely by another profession. It is not a simple process to divorce oneself from a dependency which has become part of our professional thinking; yet we must make this first step if we hope to be free. Mc. Learan, who has done extensive research on the history of organized dental hygiene, noted that Krohl opened her own practice with the support of her employers, and the practice was legally confirmed by the dental board. However, three weeks after she opened her practice, the approval was withdrawn. Krohl eventually had to put the names of her referring dentists on the front door of her practice to disguise her ownership. After attending a presentation by Krohl, Anne Wells Hunnicutt was inspired to open her own practice in Santa Barbara. An author of three self- published books on independent practice, she saw her first patient in 1. Hunnicutt practiced for 1. During that time, she treated 3,0. She recently celebrated her 8. Under the regulatory umbrella of the Dental Board of Examiners (DBE), the legislature created the Committee on Dental Auxiliaries (COMDA) in 1. At the same time, a number of states, including California, pursued expanded duties and broadened the scope of practice to meet an increased demand for dental services. Another license category was created, RDH in Extended Functions (RDHEF), providing for such duties as packing retraction cord, taking final impressions, and fitting endo filing points. In 1. 97. 6 a landmark bill was passed allowing California dental hygienists to perform soft tissue curettage, and administer local anesthesia and nitrous oxide under direct supervision. California was among the first states to allow this scope of practice. Now, in order to get a license to practice in California, competency in these duties is a required part of the RDH credential. Maureen Titus explains, . Historically, CDHA was one association. For a number of reasons, in 1. California separated into two state associations. This worked for a number of years. As time passed and legislative advocacy goals were emerging, the two reunited in 1. CDHA, now as one single association, possessed a more unified voice and the strength of a larger membership. In 1. 98. 5, CDHA retained Aaron Read and Associates to enhance the profession's political agenda. Read's group still represents CDHA members as a lobbyist. California also has the Cal- Hy- PAC, a political action committee. This is a separate financial entity supporting CDHA's goals via contributions to legislators and political candidates. Thus, having a single association, a strong lobbyist, and PAC has proven essential to CDHA's pursuit of self regulation, as well as many access- to- care issues. About the same time the California associations reunited, CDHA achieved another significant milestone. In 1. 98. 4, the first dental hygienist, Evelyn Pangborn, was appointed to the DBE. As with CDHA's other accomplishments, this was also some time in the making. Prior to Pangborn's appointment, the DBE, which oversaw dental hygiene licensure and practice, was composed of eight dentists and four consumers. Predictably, the appointment of a dental hygienist was not popular with the dentists serving on the board. Although it was only one vote and did not promise to sway any decisions, it was the beginning steps to having a dental hygiene voice at the regulatory table. Q: What is required to become a dental hygienist? A: Dental hygiene is a regulated health profession in Canada; therefore to become a dental hygienist, one must demonstrate one’s knowledge and abilities (competencies) in Dental Hygiene in order to be registered. Career Definition A dental hygienist is a licensed, preventive oral health professional and member of the dental health care delivery team. The dental hygienist provides educational, clinical and therapeutic services and. In addition to associate degree programs, some colleges and universities offer bachelor level degrees in dental hygiene. Bachelor degree programs cover similar areas as do associate degree programs, but typically go into more depth and require completion of a. While we have selected sites that we believe offer good, reliable information, we are not responsible for the content provided. Furthermore, these links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by NetCE, and none should be inferred. Pangborn served for nine years. Other dental hygienists who followed were Genevieve Klugman, Katie Dawson, Tricia Osuna, and Joyce Yale. The dental hygiene position on the DBE (now termed the Dental Board of California) has been vacant for several years. The vacancy is still awaiting the gubernatorial appointment. Having a dental hygienist on the DBC set the precedence for dental hygienists to have a voice in their own licensure and regulatory issues. HMPP #1. 39 and HMPP #1. The pathway to RDHAPMichelle Hurlbutt and Kristy Menage Bernie clarified the following sequence of events in their RDHAP Power. Point presentation: The Health Manpower Pilot Projects (HMPP) Act (1. California legislature as a vehicle to demonstrate and evaluate new or expanded roles/delivery alternatives for health- care professionals. These eventually lead to the RDHAP (Registered Dental Hygienist in Alternative Practice). HMPP addressed more than dental hygienists; it also included such professions as nurses, physician's assistants, and emergency medical technicians. HMPPs are administered by the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD). There were actually two HMPP studies for the purposes of increasing access, demonstrating the ability of a dental hygienist to manage a practice, developing curricula to prepare practitioners in their new role, and producing data supporting the efficacy and safety of unsupervised dental hygiene practice. While CDHA was initiating independent practice concepts, Dental Hygiene Associates Incorporated (DHAI) was created to serve as the administrative body and vehicle to collect funds to finance HMPP #1. It was necessary to create this not- for- profit foundation for fiduciary purposes. According to Glenda Flora, Toby Segal spearheaded the formation of DHAI. This new category will bring more people into the dental health care delivery system. Judy Boothby, Toby Segal, Laurelyn Borst, and Nicki Smith, were among the hygienists in the first class. In 1. 99. 0, legal challenges terminated HMPP #1. Another HMPP was submitted and approved the same year: HMPP #1. Under #1. 55, two more classes were completed. Several bills for the RDHAP license were sponsored in the California legislature, one failing by merely one vote. Ultimately a bill was signed, and in 1. RDHAP license became a reality. In addition to the challenge of getting the bills passed for the new license category, the next step was to get programs approved and implemented. CDHA was proactive in supporting and financing curriculum development of the RDHAP programs. West Los Angeles College was the first on- site program with the first class graduating in August 2. University of the Pacific was the first online program, graduating their initial class in December 2. There are currently over 3. RDHAPs in California. Diane Azevedo, who was in the second HMPP class, writes of her journey, . Just remember, don't be discouraged. The DHCC did not sail through the first time it was introduced. Katie Dawson reports that for a period of six years, CDHA sponsored three similar bills. The first two were vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger, and the final one was signed into law on Friday, June 1. Although that Friday the 1. Dawson reminds us that the formation of the DHCC is a culmination of more than a decade of work by CDHA, spearheaded by Jo. Ann Galliano. Others instrumental in the success of the formation of the DHCC are Senator Don Perata and legislative advocates Terry Mc. Hale and Aaron Read. The DHCC, instead of being a subcommittee of a dental board, reports to the Department of Consumer Affairs. According to Dawson, . In other words, like nurses and other professions, we won't be regulated by our employers. The other two dental hygiene members are Miriam De. La. Roi and Cathy Di. Francesco. In addition to the four dental hygiene members, three members of the public hold seats. Two open positions remain - one dentist and one additional consumer who have yet to be appointed by the governor. Because the DHCC has a more equitable representation of RDHs, and they are not reporting to dentists, California dental hygienists possess more control of the profession. For this reason, as extensive hearings suggest, dental hygienists are able to advocate for the profession and better serve the consumers. Noel Kelsch writes, . The profession is responsible for formulating standards for independent practice, for the definition of the appropriate scope of its professional practices, and for the development of individual and institutional standards for the delivery of services to the public. A number of other states considered legislation related to board composition/duties. Furthermore, there are currently more than 3. This has been the road to California's self- regulation. Minnesota's workforce models are another professional achievement. In celebrating each state's success and learning about the process of those successes, we are able to continually raise the bar of professionalism and autonomy. Authors' note: The authors wish to acknowledge California's many progressive dental hygienists, including Susan Mc.
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