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Aim a Little Higher
EDITORIALS
Aim a little higher ■ M e m b e rs o f th e d en tal p ro fe ssio n cam e th ro u g h m agnificently and m unificently in last y e a r’s fu n d raising cam paign by th e A m erican F u n d fo r D e n ta l E d u c a tio n , topping th e $200,000 goal by $18,737. T h e d ental p ro fessio n — inclu d in g d e n tists, h y g ien ists, a ss is ta n ts , and certified d en tal tech n ician s— w as th e larg est single so u rc e o f su p p o rt o f th e A F D E , topping th e d en tal in d u stry total b y a b o u t $40,000. N o w it is tim e fo r a new d riv e and th e re are n ew re a so n s fo r increasin g y o u r su p p o rt to m eet th e goal o f $225,000 set fo r th is year. T h e first in v o lv es a n ew w orking ag reem en t b etw een th e A F D E and th e A D A H ealth F o u n d a tio n to co m b in e fu n d raising effo rts an d g ran tin g fu n c tio n s. T h e H e a lth F o u n d a tio n will c o n tin u e to re c e iv e an d d istrib u te g o v ern m en tal and o th er su p p o rt m o n ies, but will no longer engage in fu n d raisin g activ ities. T h is is a jo b at w hich the A F D E h as ex celled , a ttra c tin g a total o f $1,026,693 in in co m e last year. T h e seco n d an d ju s t as im p o rtan t reaso n is th a t th e fed eral ad m in istratio n is leaving to state
and local g o v ern m en t a n d to th e p riv a te se cto r th e resp o n sib ility fo r m ore o f th e h ea lth c are b u rd en . T h is is reflec ted in P resid e n t N ix o n ’s b u d g et p ro p o sal fo r fiscal 1974, w hich c u ts funds in tw o a re a s in w hich the A F D E is in te rested — d en tal te a c h e r training and d e n tal re se arch . A F D E p re sid e n t A lvin L . M o rris p o in ts out th a t “ th e F u n d is now th e only so u rc e of su p p o rt fo r te a c h e r training, and this heig h ten s our respo n sib ilities to b ro a d e n th e scope o f our te a c h e r training fellow ship p ro g ra m .” A lth o u g h th e N ix o n p ro p o sa ls are d ra stic in th e e x te n t o f the c u ts, his in tent to b e tte r unify fed eral h e alth care d elivery efforts and to e c o n om ize in th a t a re a is a t le a st in th e sp irit o f the fre e -e n terp rise , self-d eterm in atio n , and self-help co n c ep ts to w hich m any dental p ra ctitio n ers su b sc rib e today. T h e d e n tists w ho do su b scrib e to th e se phil oso p h ies should w elcom e the challenge to dig a little d e e p e r into th e ir p o ck ets this y e a r to help m ake th e system w ork.
JADA, Vol. 86, May 1973 ■ 923
Aim a little higher ■ M e m b e rs o f th e d en tal p ro fe ssio n cam e th ro u g h m agnificently and m unificently in last y e a r’s fu n d raising cam paign by th e A m erican F u n d fo r D e n ta l E d u c a tio n , topping th e $200,000 goal by $18,737. T h e d ental p ro fessio n — inclu d in g d e n tists, h y g ien ists, a ss is ta n ts , and certified d en tal tech n ician s— w as th e larg est single so u rc e o f su p p o rt o f th e A F D E , topping th e d en tal in d u stry total b y a b o u t $40,000. N o w it is tim e fo r a new d riv e and th e re are n ew re a so n s fo r increasin g y o u r su p p o rt to m eet th e goal o f $225,000 set fo r th is year. T h e first in v o lv es a n ew w orking ag reem en t b etw een th e A F D E and th e A D A H ealth F o u n d a tio n to co m b in e fu n d raising effo rts an d g ran tin g fu n c tio n s. T h e H e a lth F o u n d a tio n will c o n tin u e to re c e iv e an d d istrib u te g o v ern m en tal and o th er su p p o rt m o n ies, but will no longer engage in fu n d raisin g activ ities. T h is is a jo b at w hich the A F D E h as ex celled , a ttra c tin g a total o f $1,026,693 in in co m e last year. T h e seco n d an d ju s t as im p o rtan t reaso n is th a t th e fed eral ad m in istratio n is leaving to state
and local g o v ern m en t a n d to th e p riv a te se cto r th e resp o n sib ility fo r m ore o f th e h ea lth c are b u rd en . T h is is reflec ted in P resid e n t N ix o n ’s b u d g et p ro p o sal fo r fiscal 1974, w hich c u ts funds in tw o a re a s in w hich the A F D E is in te rested — d en tal te a c h e r training and d e n tal re se arch . A F D E p re sid e n t A lvin L . M o rris p o in ts out th a t “ th e F u n d is now th e only so u rc e of su p p o rt fo r te a c h e r training, and this heig h ten s our respo n sib ilities to b ro a d e n th e scope o f our te a c h e r training fellow ship p ro g ra m .” A lth o u g h th e N ix o n p ro p o sa ls are d ra stic in th e e x te n t o f the c u ts, his in tent to b e tte r unify fed eral h e alth care d elivery efforts and to e c o n om ize in th a t a re a is a t le a st in th e sp irit o f the fre e -e n terp rise , self-d eterm in atio n , and self-help co n c ep ts to w hich m any dental p ra ctitio n ers su b sc rib e today. T h e d e n tists w ho do su b scrib e to th e se phil oso p h ies should w elcom e the challenge to dig a little d e e p e r into th e ir p o ck ets this y e a r to help m ake th e system w ork.
JADA, Vol. 86, May 1973 ■ 923