1. I contacted the National Student Dental Research Group, a component of the AADR, with information about the Charles R. Morris Student Research Award and a request that this information be included in their publications directed toward dental students.
2. Information about the AAOMR was also submitted to RT Image, a radiology journal for students and radiologists, to be included in their April 2007 issue and archived on their website. The issue contained a section on professional radiology organizations for those who are interested in joining.
3. A brief summary of the activities of the AAOMR was submitted to the Newsletter of the IADMFR. Included in the summary were the progress on our website, the agreement we obtained from Elsevier to make electronic versions of OOOOE available at no charge to our Student Members, and a review of the 2006 Annual Session.
4. The Executive Council agreed with the decision to publish the AAOMR Newsletter electronically from now on. A limited number of printed versions will be produced for our members who do not have access to email. The Spring and Autumn 2007 Newsletters were distributed via the internet. The EC also decided to publish the Newsletter on the ORADList and send it to all schools of dentistry as well as to the Executive Directors of the other dental specialty academies.
5. Dr. Barry Pass accepted my invitation to represent the AAOMR at a conference in Washington , DC held by OSHA on Occupational Exposure to Ionizing Radiation. The meeting was designed to address the following issues regarding occupational exposure to ionizing radiation in their industry/occupation: uses of ionizing radiation, controls utilized to minimize exposure and available exposure data and training. Barry was prepared to present the AAOMR positions on such things as selection criteria, the use of rectangular beam limitation, fast film/digital sensors, etc. He will present a report of the meeting at the Annual Session.
6. Dr. Ernest Lam of the ABOMR requested the Executive Council's opinion of an idea proposed at the Dental Specialties Group for the formation of an umbrella dental specialty organization. We were inclined not to support this idea, and this opinion was conveyed to Dr. Lam.
7. I gave the following charge to the Radiology Practice and Public and Professional Relations Committees in April: “Create a brochure introducing the patient to oral radiology and one for dentists outlining what a radiologist can do for them. Prepare drafts of the brochures in time for the Executive Council Annual meeting in December 2007.” Drs. Dania Tamimi and Debra Gander organized the activity on this charge and the committees have produced a brochure, which has been sent to Councilor Don Tyndall and the EC for comment. We will discuss it at the EC meeting in November.
8. I sent letters of thanks to Drs. John Preece and Debra Dixon for their fine efforts on our behalf with the ADA CERP process. The AAOMR was informed that we were granted CERP recognition for the next four years based on the report filed by John and Deb.
9. The Commission on Dental Accreditation sent a request to all communities of interest calling for nominations of general dentists, public members and a specialty dentist for review committee positions and a single open Commission position.  This call is independent from the discipline-specific call previously sent by CoDA. We declined to forward any names, citing the difficulty we have in identifying members to serve on discipline-specific positions.
10. I contacted the ADA regarding the publication of CDT codes. Any organization that wishes to publish the CDT list must apply and pay for a license from the ADA .
11. On behalf of the AAOMR, I signed two letters, written by ADEA, supporting US Senate Bill S. 1066 (Medical Education Affordability Act) and House Bill H.R. 1407 (Higher Education Affordability and Equity Act of 2007).  S. 1066, if passed, would assist dental and medical residents in managing their student loan debt while in residency training, fellowships and internship by extending the economic hardship deferment for the duration of residency training.  H.R. 1407, if passed, would enhance and improve the student loan interest deduction by eliminating the interest ceiling and expanding the income phase-out many more individuals that had to rely on student loans to pay for their education.  
12. In consultation with EC members, I drafted guidelines for advertisements on the AAOMR website, including standards for advertising and technical specifications. The guidelines are included in the Finance Committee Report as Appendix C. I then forwarded the guidelines to nine vendors who had expressed interest in advertising on our website, with an invitation to submit their ads to Dr. Hui Liang for publication.
13. I wrote a letter to Dr. James Bramson, ADA Executive Director, expressing the concern of the AAOMR with the recent resolution passed by the American Medical Association stating that “the diagnosis of disease and diagnostic interpretation of a study or studies for a specific patient constitutes the practice of medicine” and that “non-physician laboratory personnel (must) work under the supervision of or in collaboration with a physician.” The letter specifically mentioned the problem with limiting diagnosis to “physicians” instead of “physicians and dentists” as previously stated in AMA policies. The letter is included as Appendix 1. Subsequently, I was informed that Dr. Bramson had extensively quoted our letter in his letter on behalf of the ADA to the AMA regarding their position.
14. In April I issued a call for all EC officers to update their sections of the AAOMR Operations Manual and send revisions to President-elect Laurie Carter; the President-elect is charged with maintaining and updating the manual. I submitted an updated version of the President section.
15. Based on suggestions from EC members, material for the Announcements section of the website was sent to Dr. Hui Liang, chair of the Electronic Publications Committee. The material includes future dates and locations of our annual sessions, a call for volunteers to serve as committee members and chairs, and a call for contributions to the Radiology Centennial Scholarship fund.
16. Drs. Jie Yang and Dania Tamimi were asked to develop a proposal for a Work Item for an ADA Standards Committee of Dental Informatics Technical Report or White Paper concerning "Practice Factors Influencing the Use of Electronic Communication of Diagnostic Images." The proposal was submitted and was approved at the ADA meeting in September as Proposed ADA Technical Report No. 1060 for Impediments to Utilization of Interstate Digital Imaging Communications for Dentistry: An overview and suggested solutions. This will enable the AAOMR to help guide the ADA in addressing the issue of teleradiology, advancing the concept that the virtual patient is being seen in the jurisdiction of licensure of the radiologist. An ad hoc committee of AAOMR members will be selected to help with the project.
17. The AAOMR placed a quarter-page advertisement in the American Student Dental Association Dental Student Handbook, which is mailed to all dental students in the US . It contains information about scholarships and financial aid, leadership opportunities within ASDA, and options after graduation. Our ad mentioned the exciting possibilities in an OMR career, with an invitation to visit the website for more details. The ad is included as Appendix 3.
18. On behalf of the Department of Testing Services at the American Dental Association, I made a call on the ORADList and in our Newsletter to all AAOMR members asking them to consider forwarding cases to the ADA for inclusion on the National Board Examination. After consultation with the EC, I encouraged Dr. Nikki Vanek, Director of Testing Services, to present a poster at our annual session with information about the format of the cases.
19. I wrote a letter to the California Board of Dentistry to inquire why the CE hours earned by one of our members at the annual session were apparently not counted toward the CE requirements for California licensure. Although I did not get a response from the board, I later heard from our member that the board did accept her CE hours and her license was issued.
20. I requested Larry Wolfgang to attend the ADA CDT Codes Committee meeting in August. He reported that no codes relating to radiology were discussed.
21. I requested Farah Masood to attend the fundraising meeting presented by the National Campaign for Dental Education in her role as our representative to that organization.
22. After communication with Dr. Allan Farman, editor of the OMR section of OOOOE, I charged the Journal Publication Committee with the following tasks:
    1. Designate a member of the JPC as Associate Editor to assist the editor in his duties.
    2. Create an award for meritorious service as a reviewer, with a request to
       1. Develop a name for the award;
       2. Establish criteria;
       3. Determine how the winner(s) will be selected, and by whom; and
       4. Propose the format of the award (plaque, certificate, etc.)
          
          Other issues regarding the editorial board should also be addressed, such as identifying somebody to edit foreign submissions for English grammar, and developing a Special Interest Group at a future Annual Session on how to review journal articles.
          
23. On behalf of the EC, I wrote a letter to Dr. Andie Stringfellow at the University of Oklahoma granting permission for the University to place the AAOMR logo on a plaque listing all the winners of our Student Interest Award. I also forwarded to her an electronic copy of the logo.
24. I received a request from Dr. Axel Ruprecht that the AAOMR extend Honorary Membership to Dr. Tony Protos, retiring editor of Radiology. I requested Dr. Ruprecht to follow proper procedure for nominating people for this status, and asked him to send a letter regarding the nomination of Dr. Protos to the chairs of the Membership and Recruitment and Nominating Committees.
25. I wrote a letter on behalf of the AAOMR to the North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners (NERB) asking for information about the exam the NERB has created in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. The letter is included as Appendix 3. The reply from Dr. Ellis Hall is included as Appendix 4.
26. Executive Director Mike Shrout and I attended the CoDA meeting and the meeting of the Dental Specialties Groups in July. The DSG meeting featured a presentation by Dr. Leach of the ACGME, the accrediting body for medical specialties, as a way of introducing alternatives to CoDA in accrediting dental specialties. The CoDA approved the proposed modifications in the Standards for OMR graduate programs.
27. On behalf of the AAOMR, I wrote a letter to Dr. David L. Turpin, editor of the American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics thanking him for his support of the importance of OMRs in interpreting radiographs including CBCT. The letter is in press and will appear in the journal this autumn. The letter is included as Appendix 5.
28. The AAOMR was invited to participate in the ADA 's Taskforce on CoDA, to be held at the end of October. I requested that the Academy be represented by President-elect Laurie Carter. Dr. Carter has prepared a document that summarizes the consensus of the EC through our email discussion of this issue, and it is included as Appendix 6.
29. Dentsply Rinn agreed to increase their contribution to the Charles R. Morris Student Research Award from $300 to $700, effective this year. I also requested the Indiana University Foundation increase its contribution from $200 to $300. Dr. Margot van Dis informed me that this will probably happen. In total, the Morris award will increase from $500 to $1,000 this year.
30. At the request of Dr. Bob Cederberg, the EC has approved several expenditures for the production of a promotional video that Bob and the Public and Professional Relations Committee are developing.
31. I sent letters to the Kodak Dental Systems contact persons at Carestream Health, Inc., asking them to continue Kodak's long association with the AAOMR. No response was received.
32. I forwarded a President's message, pictures of Chicago and the Millennium Knickerbocker Hotel, and other materials for publication in the autumn Newsletter.
33. I notified the OMR graduate program directors of the policy enacted by the EC that graduate students will have their registration fees for the Annual Session waived ONLY if they register no later than November 9 and agree to staff the on-site registration desk at various times during the session.
34. The AAOMR received a request from Mr. Steven Jambor, a marketing consultant, to lend our support to a request that the ADA either create new CDT codes for the use of optical coherence tomography in diagnosis or allow modification of existing codes to include this technology. Mr. Jambor forwarded information about OCT and a list of publications. After deliberation, the EC decided against this request, citing concerns that the technology may not be useful and that it may be difficult to use and/or interpret. I notified Mr. Jambor of our decision.
35. I requested that Dr. Debra Gander, Secretary-Treasurer of the ABOMR, forward the list of all Diplomates to Dr. Hui Liang for inclusion on the website. Dr. Gander informed me that the board was concerned about including too much information about the Diplomates, so I asked her simply to identify them by their location, so people visiting the site would at least know the names of OMRs in their vicinity. Dr. Gander forwarded this list to Dr. Liang.
36. Dr. Shrout and I attended the CDEL meeting with the specialty boards and academies at the ADA in September, and made a brief presentation of the activities of the AAOMR and our concerns for the future regarding membership and graduate programs.
37. I spoke with Dan Halpert of AADMRT regarding the possibility of a joint meeting with AAOMR in the near future. Dan proposed the idea to his board of directors and they approved it. They are willing to move their meeting to mid November to coincide with our schedule. We tentatively plan to offer a combined meeting of the AAOMR and AADMRT in San Diego in 2010. Members of the EC will meet with Dan in Chicago on November 27 to make further plans.
38. I wrote a letter to all of our members who do not have email addresses telling them that the AAOMR hasn't forgotten them in our move to an all-digital operation, and including a ballot for the election of EC officers. They are given the option of registering for the Annual Session by contacting Treasurer Bill Scarfe directly, without having to pay a penalty. We will also send them copies of the two most recent Newsletters that have appeared electronically, and asked them to forward email addresses if they now have them. There are currently 43 members without email.
39. Dentsply Rinn has agreed to create an annual award in the amount of #2,000 for a graduate student in an OMR program. The award will be effective in 2008. They request that the award be named for Mr. Irwin Rinn, company founder and supporter of dental radiology. The EC has discussed some possible criteria for the award, such as excellence in diagnostic radiology, or to base the awards on the quality of presentation of abstracts at the Annual Session. The Awards Committee will need to be charged with the responsibility of defining the criteria and distributing them to the graduate programs, determining what should be included in a candidate's application (letters from program director, an essay by the candidate, etc.), and establishing a time frame for submissions.
40. The AAOMR received a letter from the ADA requesting comment on a proposed document on Dental Patient Rights and Responsibilities. Members of the EC suggested wordage about the need for the patient to take responsibility for his actions if he refuses recommended diagnostic procedures (including radiographs), and regarding the right of the patient to request a scaled-down version of the ideal treatment plan. The document was forwarded to Dr. Larry Wolfgang of the Radiology Practice Committee for their input. A response will be submitted to the ADA no later than November 14.
41. I have appointed a subcommittee of the Membership and Recruitment Committee that will handle issues related to Corporate Membership. Dr. Ken Abramovitch will chair the subcommittee, whose members will include Richard Centala, Rick Platin, Larry Wolfgang, Gail Williamson, and Paul Andrews (or another representative of Imaging Sciences). The subcommittee charges are:
1. Establish contacts with manufacturers of equipment and materials related to oral and maxillofacial radiology.
2. Recruit the manufacturers as Corporate members:
   1. Forward information about the AAOMR and the benefits for Corporate members (and refer them to the website),
   2. Forward application forms for Corporate membership,
   3. Review the applications and forward the subcommittee's recommendations to the Membership and Recruitment Committee, which will then make the recommendations to the Executive Council
3. Contact the manufacturers to determine the interest in funding one of the Academy's student awards (either undergraduate or graduate) with the possibility of including the manufacturer's name in the award.
4. Contact the manufacturers to encourage them to exhibit at the Annual Session and to place advertisements on the Academy website.

Appendix 1

May 16, 2007

Dr. James B. Bramson, Executive Director

American Dental Association

211 E. Chicago Ave.

Chicago , IL 60611

Dear Dr. Bramson:

The Executive Committee of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (AAOMR) has recently become aware of a resolution recently approved by the House of Delegates of the American Medical Association (AMA) regarding the scope of diagnosis. According to the AMA website, the resolution states that:

“the diagnosis of disease and diagnostic interpretation of a study or studies for a specific patient constitutes the practice of medicine”

and that

“non-physician laboratory personnel (must) work under the supervision of or in collaboration with a physician.”

The AAOMR assumes that this resolution does not intend to exclude dental practitioners from the diagnosis of their patients, using all appropriate diagnostic modalities with which they are qualified to employ. We also assume that the term “non-physician laboratory personnel” is not intended to include oral and maxillofacial radiologists using advanced imaging techniques, such as cone-beam CT scanners, that might not be found in most dental offices. We would reject any attempt to classify such techniques as “laboratory” procedures. It is our belief that the resolution is directed mainly towards laboratory personnel who are not licensed to directly provide health care, with the intention of preventing such individuals from interpreting tests or making diagnoses from such procedures.

However, it is unusual that the AMA did not use the customary phrase “physicians and dentists” as they have in the past. We agree with the opinion of former ADA President Dr. David Whiston, as quoted in the Newsletter of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, that the AMA has erroneously characterized the “diagnostic interpretation for a specific patient” as the “independent practice of medicine.”

The AAOMR would strongly support a response on the part of the ADA requesting clarification from the AMA about the meaning and intent of this resolution.

Sincerely,

James R. Geist, DDS , MS

President

Appendix 2.

Appendix 3.

North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners, Inc.

8484 Georgia Avenue, Suite 900

Silver Spring , MD 20910

Dear Sirs:

I was recently made aware of the fact that the North East Regional Board of Dental Examiners provides an examination in the specialty area of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. This came as a surprise to me and to the Executive Council of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology. As the sponsoring organization for the specialty, we were aware only of the Diplomate examination administered by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, which is the body authorized by the American Dental Association to certify specialists.

On behalf of the AAOMR, I would like to ask for some information about the examination:

•  Who writes the questions for the examination? We assume the examination must be constructed by Diplomates of the American Board, who are recognized by the ADA as specialists in the field. We would question the validity of an exam that was written by non-specialists.

•  Does the examination cover the same content as the ABOMR Diplomate examination? We would hope that the NERB examination would replicate the rigor of the Diplomate examination, which over the course of two days tests candidates in the areas of radiation physics, radiation biology and protection, and radiographic techniques including radionuclide scanning, CT, MRI and others. The board exam also includes a day long component on interpretation of cases in both written and oral formats. Could you tell us how similar the NERB exam is to the ABOMR exam?

•  The information about the examination provided on your website states that part of the exam includes “ (p)resentation of a series of cases completed by the candidate demonstrating specific treatment planning and technical skills.” This sounds like something that would not be applicable for a radiology examination. What is the nature of this component on the radiology exam?

•  What credentials must a candidate present to be allowed to write the examination? The ABOMR requires that candidates must have completed a post-doctoral program in Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology that has been accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.

Thank you for your assistance. I will look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

James R. Geist, DDS , MS

President

Appendix 4.

Appendix 5:

Dear Dr. Turpin:

On behalf of the Executive Committee and membership of the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, I would like to thank you for your thoughtful editorial entitled, “Befriend your oral and maxillofacial radiologist” (Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop 2007;131:697). The increasing availability and use of cone-beam computed tomography presents an opportunity for many dentists to move beyond conventional planar imaging of the teeth and jaws. This technology provides dentists with the capability of generating multiple sets of images useful not only in orthodontic applications but also for such related tasks as visualization of impacted teeth and potential implant sites, evaluation of the status of temporomandibular joints, and examination of orofacial structures for the presence of disease. As you point out in your editorial, with this opportunity comes a responsibility to examine and assess the entire data set that is acquired in a CBCT scan.

The AAOMR is in agreement with the summarized responses to the survey of radiologists conducted by the AAO's Council on Scientific Affairs. We agree that CBCT scans should be interpreted by a qualified professional and that patients do not have the option of limiting the completeness of the evaluation; they cannot waive their right to a thorough and accurate diagnosis. We appreciate your supportive statement that dentistry has specialists who are ready, willing and able to contribute these services to your patients. Oral and maxillofacial radiologists (OMRs) are qualified by education and certified by examination to provide interpretation of CBCT scans and other radiographs of the head and neck.

If your members would like to locate an OMR in their vicinity, please contact Dr. Michael Shrout, Executive Director of the AAOMR, who can provide you with the names of our specialists. You are also invited to visit our website at www.aaomr.org for more information about the AAOMR and the exciting field of oral and maxillofacial radiology.

Sincerely,

Appendix 6

October 22, 2007

ADA Task Force on the Commission on Dental Accreditation

Dr. David Whiston, Chair

RE: Written Commentary from the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology (AAOMR)

Dear Dr. Whiston:

The following points represent the consensus of the AAOMR.

1. AAOMR, among many, if not all other ADA-recognized dental specialties, feel strongly that the revision of the Review Committees (RCs) along the lines suggested by the USDOE was not well received because it diluted the input of the content experts during the conduct of program review. We agree that the presence of four Public Members on the Commission and one Public Member on a RC provides the requisite “Sunshine” that the public is entitled to and is empowered to insist on. That being said, we firmly believe that the RCs are currently content expert-deficient. Counter proposals to limit the number of public members have not been approved. This has certainly been a hot topic during Dental Specialties Group (DSG) meetings the past few years. The AAOMR respectfully requests that CODA reexamine and either redress or add in additional content experts to the RCs. The current structure totally undermines the input of the specialties on the specialty review committee.
2. This is a timely opportunity to determine a joint stand for the DSG on the future of ADA support of CODA. What is the role of the DSG? It needs to be made explicit and have value and teeth or it is meaningless. There is a pervasive opinion that an anti-specialty sentiment in the conduct of CODA business has arisen in recent years. This is an excellent opportunity to address the lack of support of dental specialties afforded by CODA. An action item at this time would be to have the DSG itemize the numerous CODA decisions in recent years which have undermined the recognition of existing specialty disciplines so that this can be examined in block form in the light of day. These decisions would include, but are not limited to granting accreditation to atypically funded orthodontic programs, granting accreditation to non-specialty advanced education programs not approved by the Council on Dental Education and Licensure. We believe the current uproar about accreditation of non-specialty programs is limited and accept CODA's explanation that they are acting in the best interests of dental education and the public trust to ensure that academic programs such as oral medicine and dental anesthesia are educationally sound. However, CODA foray into these areas will have to be accompanied by strictly supervised and monitored activity, possibly at the State Dental Board level, to ensure this same public we are trying to protect prevents individuals in non-specialty areas from misrepresenting their educational training, their specialty status or the state of recognition of any certifying examinations they may have taken.
3. AAOMR's position is that immediate dissolution of CODA by the ADA would be unrealistic and counterproductive in the discussion of reforming some of CODA's current practices and problem areas. Over the past several years, there have been several discussions of developing an umbrella organization of the specialty organizations, but after the initial enthusiasm wanes, it becomes apparent that there are some stark differences between the interests of some of the specialty groups and not as much common ground as first suspected.
4. AAOMR is concerned that in recent years, CODA has strayed very far from its origins with ADA and CDEL. Recognition of specialty areas and recognition of disciplines of advanced dental education is now completely in the hands of CODA. Perhaps the ADA 's former hard line stance on recognition of such groups of programs is what led to the current landscape. The current situation in which CODA makes all of its decisions in defiance of the ADA and is also unacceptable. CODA claims they base their policies and decisions on guidelines put forth by the Federal Department of Education. This may be an exaggeration of convenience. Some investigators have claimed that CODA is a USDOE accrediting body, but that USDOE does not dictate to its accrediting bodies (such as CODA) what groups the CODA is to accredit. This advisory function for CODA belongs to CDEL and the HOD of the ADA . Consequently, CDEL must define its identity in the accrediting process as an advisory group for CODA. If CODA continues to exhibit this defiance and honor this liaison, the ADA/CDEL may want to petition the USDOE and request that another and new agency become the accrediting body for dental education programs. The ADA funds ~60% of CODA's annual budget yet CODA has, in the past few years, made accreditation decisions counter to recommendations from CDEL and the HOD. We request that if the current CODA demeanor continues, CDEL develop a strategic plan on seeking alternative accrediting bodies for dental educational programs. Our preference is that the parties involved make efforts to revert to doing business as it what designed in the first place. If it appears that differences cannot be resolved and that a different accrediting agency is needed, steps must be taken to ensure that GME funding and Medicare reimbursement would not be negatively impacted.

Respectfully yours,

Laurie Carter, D.D.S., M.A., Ph.D.

President-elect, American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology

PRESIDENT COMMUNICATIONS

1. The AAOMR was invited to send a representative to an ADA conference on recruitment and retention of members in the tripartite system. We declined on the grounds that this meeting does not address any concerns of the Academy.
2. I received an invitation from Dr. Todd Thomas, who is writing a book entitled, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons. He was interested in procuring stories from our leadership to include in his book on life lessons for leaders and requested that we announce his invitation on our website. Upon consultation with the EC, I declined to post his invitation.
3. The AAOMR received an invitation from Dr. Preston Miller, President of the Institute for Teaching and Learning, to have one of our members enroll in a course the Institute is presenting on how to transition practicing specialists into academics. Since OMR has no shortage of members in academia, and in fact since our problem is just the opposite (encouraging radiologists to enter private practice), I declined to participate.
4. I received a request from Dr. Kenneth Kromash in Chicago as to where he could locate a nearby OMR. I gave him the name of Dr. Richard Monahan.
5. I received a letter from Mr. Kevin Jones of Global Mergers, Inc., asking if the AAOMR would be interested in a partnership in which his merger and acquisition services could be offered to our members at a discount. In consultation with the EC, I informed him that we were not interested.
6. The AAOMR received an invitation from ADEA to nominate members for a variety of committees. I declined, since none of the committees had any bearing on OMR.