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2008-2009 Annual Report

Download the 2008-2009 CDHA Annual Report

Highlights:

Research and Policy

• Continued developing the Pathways to Support the Oral Health of Canadians: The CDHA Dental Hygiene Education Agenda draft.
• Continued developing the draft research document, Dental Hygiene at a Cross Roads: Knowledge Creation and Capacity Building in the 21st Century.
• Worked together with a consortium to create the National Competencies document.
• Conducted a survey on independent dental hygiene practices.
• Provided input into external policy documents by participating in the Reaching for the Top report presented by Dr. K. Kellie Leitch, the Minister of Health’s Advisor on Healthy Children and Youth, and the Lung Association’s report entitled Making Quit Happen: Canada's Challenges to Smoking Cessation.

Government Relations and Advocacy

• Submitted a finance brief, entitled Improving Cost-Effectiveness and Program Efficiencies in First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Non-Insured Health Benefits Program, to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance.
• Submitted a proposal to Health Canada for its Sioux Lookout Zone Dental Hygienist Services Program for First Nations and Inuit Health project

Public Awareness and Media Coverage

• Celebrated Oral Health Month, Gingivitis Week, and National Non-Smoking Week.
• Began working on the development of an entirely new website to launch in the fall of 2009.
• Quoted prominently in five Canadian media outlet articles.
• Saw "dental hygiene" mentioned by Canadian media sources in 1,332 articles.

Independent Practice

• Continued adding dental hygienists to the service provider rosters of public and private dental insurance plans.
• Created an electronic database and system that allows dental hygiene practices to submit claims to insurance providers through electronic processing via the internet.

Events and Conferences

• Hosted the first ever CDHA “Navigating the Imagination” Leadership Invitational in Banff, Alberta.
• Hosted the third Independent Practice Workshop at the Toronto Congress Centre.
• Marked the inaugural workshop as an associate member of the Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre, in conjunction with Niagara College, at the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus in Ontario.
• Hosted two student summits.
• Hosted two educators’ workshops.

Education and Professional Resources

• Launched the A Healthy Workplace online course.
• Began working on developing a series of webinars to be delivered to members, researchers, and educators.
• Developed a new public education brochure, Oral Health and Brushing, Flossing and Rinsing – Periodontal disease may be linked to some life-threatening illnesses. You can take steps to reduce your risk.
• Developed an independent practice brochure, More choice. Better Acces.

Partners

• Key corporate partners for the year included Crest Oral-B, SUNSTAR, Johnson & Johnson, Dentsply, and TD Meloche Monnex.