Hello Illinois Dental Hygienists!

I am excited to announce that the Public Health Dental Hygienist legislation is in place, and the first seven Public Health Dental Hygienists completed their training on March 31, 2020! To learn more about how to become a Public Health Dental Hygienist in Illinois, please visit the PHDH page on our website. 

We are all facing difficult and trying times in dental hygiene today. COVID-19 has put us out of work, and making us really contemplate what the future will hold for us. IDHA is doing all that we can to keep hygienists informed, so that we all have the right information we need when we return to seeing our patients. Please visit our website, or the ADHA site for current updates. ADHA also has a COVID-19 page with information and FAQ’s. You can also submit your own questions directly to them at rdhcovidinfo@adha.net.

During this time of reflection and reminiscing, think about your professional life. Do you have gifts that can make a difference? Would you be willing to assist your association with your talent for event planning? For those of you who are drawn to politics, our legislative and Hy-PAC committees would love to have your help with legislative events. Those of you who enjoy working with kids, would you be willing to donate just 5 to 6 hours per year at health fairs? Somehow there's an impression that involvement in our professional organization is a "time suck", however, I can fervently exclaim this is false! From my observations of each committee member and trustee, there is approximately a 10 hour per year commitment. Some months may be a little busier than others. Do you have that amount of time to share? If you're interested, please reach out to a trustee  or committee member to express your curiosity. Additionally, do you have ideas that you think we should try? Let us know.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to seeing you on November 6-7 at our Annual Session at GC America in Alsip IL!!

Jeanne Bosecker, BSN, RDH
IDHA President 2019-2020