"Welcome to the Jungle"

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“Welcome to the Jungle”:  This MLMIC presentation is designed to educate dental residents who will soon graduate and transition from training to practicing, as well as new dentists who are in the first few years of their professional journeys.

Brief Description/Objective

It offers an overview of dental professional liability insurance basics, and explores the most frequently occurring claims seen in dentistry – identifying the most common pitfalls that lead to dental malpractice cases. It also explores risk management strategies and tips for best practices to implement in an effort to avoid the pitfalls and claims.

Upon completion of this program, participants should be able to:

• Understand the key differences between Occurrence and Claims-Made professional liability policies
• Identify common claims seen in dentistry
• Understand what leads to dental malpractice claims
• Discuss risk management strategies to help avoid claims.

Speaker:

Al Anthony Mercado, Esq. is Downstate Manager at Mercado May-Skinner and an attorney with MLMIC Insurance Company. Mr. Mercado practices in the fields of medical and dental professional liability and healthcare law. Mr. Mercado litigates cases in both the New York state and federal courts involving professional malpractice and contractual issues. He has successfully litigated cases at the trial and appellate level, and has also prepared and successfully argued appeals in various appellate courts in New York State, including motions to the court of appeals.

As a counselor at law, Mr. Mercado regularly provides practical risk management advice to physicians, dentists, hospitals, and medical organizations throughout New York State on various risk management topics. In doing so, Mr. Mercado provides practical guidance to many medical- legal and regulatory issues. As a speaker, Mr. Mercado is a national presenter on a range of trending medical-legal topics in medicine, dentistry and healthcare law. Mr. Mercado is admitted to practice law in New York State and the Eastern District of the State of New York. He is a graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook (BS, magna cum laude) and Hofstra University School of Law. Mr. Mercado is a member of the New York State Bar Association, AHRMNY, and several county bar associations.

Choose your own adventure: Thinking about Academic, Hospital Dentistry, or joining a DSO? What is the right fit for you?

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Brief Description/Objective
You have many options as you travel along in your career journey.  Learn about various options, weigh the pros and cons of each one, and choose a career path that is the perfect fit for your interests and goals.

Panelists: 

Dr. Patricia Swanson 
Dr. Patricia Swanson is the Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of Predoctoral Prosthodontics at the Department of Prosthodontics and Digital Technology at Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine. Dr. Swanson graduates from University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in  2015 and completed a residency in Prosthodontics in 2021 from Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine.




Dr. Robert Margolin 
Dr Robert Margolin is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry and completed his GPR at Jacobi Medical Center. Dr Margolin was in private practice in the Bronx for 18 years. He is currently GPR program director at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. Prior to that, he was program director at St Barnabas Hospital for 15 years. Dr. Margolin is past president of the Bronx County Dental Society and past editor and president of the New York State Academy of General Dentistry. He is also held various positions in organized dentistry at the state and national level including NYSDA Board of Trustees and ADA CAAP Council.  Dr Margolin is a fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry, the American College of Dentists, the International College of Dentists and the Pierre Fauchard Academy.

Dr. Jerica Cook
Dr. Jerica Cook was raised in Montgomery, Alabama. She attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham for undergrad and continued her education at Meharry Medical College School of Dentistry. She completed a two-year general practice residency program at BronxCare Health System, where she went on to become an attending and serve as the Associate Director of the residency program. She is currently an associate at Concerned Dental Care located in the Bronx. She is currently the president elect of the Bronx County Dental Society, chair of the NYSDA New Dentist Committee, President of the New York Chapter of the National Dental Association, and serves on the NYSDA Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce.

Practice Ownership

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Practice Ownership:  Learn what you need to do to get your personal finance in order and the role a business plan plays in your success as a practice owner. 

Brief Description/Objective 
Does your five-year plan include starting your own practice? If yes, then this webinar is perfect for you. You will learn what you need to do to ensure you are financially ready to go from associate to practice owner and learn why it is important to create a business plan. 

Speaker: 

Robert Malandruccolo, Vice President, NY&CT Regional Manager (Dental Division)
Bank of America Practice Solutions

Robert joined the Practice Solutions (Dental Division) line of business in March 2013 as an Area Manager covering New York and New Jersey.  In 2014 Robert was promoted to Regional Business Development Officer and services Dental clients seeking financing for Healthcare Projects/ Business Endeavors throughout the state of NY & CT. Which include 1st locations, Additional locations, Remodels, Expansions, Equipment, Refinancing Debt and Commercial Real Estate purchases. Robert has over 20 years in the dental industry working previously with the two largest Dental Companies in the market and has helped over 500 dental clients with practice ownership & expansion.

Cyber Security: Crash Course for Dental Practices

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Practice Ownership Tip Sheet

Brief Description/Objective:

Cybersecurity challenges continue to evolve, and all organizations – including dental practices – continue to see increasing disruptions, losses and business delays as a result. But while cybersecurity challenges mount, so do the best practices that can help shield practices from these issues. Join OrbitalFire as we discuss the state of cybersecurity for dental practices, best practices for managing these challenges, and the trends we expect to see in 2023. 

Speaker: 

Reg Harnish CEO, Orbitalfire
Reg Harnish is a nationally recognized cybersecurity veteran, investor, board member, advisor, speaker, author, and CEO of OrbitalFire. Reg is also the founder and former CEO of GreyCastle Security, a former Executive Vice President at the Center for Internet Security, and the former CTO of Autotask. OrbitalFire is a leading cybersecurity services provider focused on simplifying, automating, and ultimately solving security challenges for the underserved – small businesses. Reg is responsible for the company’s vision, strategy, and growth. Reg has been practicing cybersecurity for nearly two decades. His experiences, skills, and sometimes provocative perspectives have established him as a highly respected thought-leader and sought-after keynote speaker in the industry. 

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Objective

Check out an in-depth conversation on employment contracts. We focus on the importance of properly negotiating your first contract. That first contract can impact your future, and so much more. We also explore the pitfalls to avoid and explain why all contracts are negotiable.

Speaker

Matthew Feldman from Feldman Kieffer, LLP

Matthew S. Feldman is a partner in the law firm of Feldman Kieffer LLP, which is among the firms recommended by NYSDA to its members. Mr. Feldman represents business entities, including health care professionals and institutions, in the following legal matters defense of post-payment audits initiated by private and governmental health plans; corporate formations and governance; contract negotiation and preparation; regulatory compliance matters, including HIPAA, Stark Law, and the Anti-kickback Law; quality assurance and professional review activities related to federal and state employment law and regulations; the drafting and negotiation of non-compete agreements; and the preparation of employment policies and handbooks.

Mr. Feldman also handles  professional liability matters before New York Education Department’s Office of Professional Discipline and the Department of Health’s Office of Professional Medical Conduct; corporate transactions, settlements; personal and corporate tax matters; renewable energy sector, debtor/creditor issues; international, health, and employment matters. Additionally, Mr. Feldman defends against employment discrimination suits before the New York State Division of Human Rights (DHR) and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and has represented employers in private labor arbitrations. He maintains a foreign language proficiency in both Arabic and Spanish to benefit his domestic and international clients.

Mr. Feldman obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Rochester before graduating from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs with a Master of International Affairs and a certificate from Columbia’s Middle East Institute. He obtained his law degree and a certificate of concentration in international law from the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law.

Mr. Feldman is a member of the New York State Bar Association and the Bar Association of Erie County.  

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Objective 

Is one of your biggest worries when purchasing a practice how to hire/fire  an employee properly? Do you wonder if you really need an employee manual or written or signed employees benefits and office policies? Are you thinking about setting up  a new website, automating appointment reminders, integrating online scheduling, and digital forms to streamline operations? We will discuss practice management resources to set you up for success!

 

Speakers

Dr. Rachel Hargraves

Dr. Rachel Hargraves grew up in Guilderland, NY. Early on she recognized her passion for dentistry and majored in biology at the University at Albany. She graduated summa cum laude from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. Following graduation, she relocated to Miami, Florida, to complete her AEGD at the Miami Veterans Hospital. She spent several years practicing dentistry in private practice in Pompano Beach, Florida. She is an active member of the American Dental Association, New York State Dental Association, Fourth District Dental Society and Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honor Society. She serves leadership roles as the treasurer, coeditor  of the Newsletter and New Dentist Chair for the Fourth District Dental Society, and is adjunct professor at HVCC Dental Hygiene school. Dr. Hargraves owns  her practice in Ballston Lake, NY.

Keith Washington

Keith Washington is the VP of Products for ProSites and has over 30 years of software product management and development experience. Keith has a degree in Accounting from the University of Maryland and has led product transformations at many successful companies. Keith started in Product Management at Intuit’s TurboTax division where he led a transition to web-based tax software. Later, he became the VP of Product Management at a leading Financial Planning software company and most recently worked at Active Networks, the largest SaaS event management company in the world.

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Objective

When should you buy a practice? Should you buy an existing practice or build one from scratch? Maybe practicing as an associate is a better fit. What about being part of a large group practice?  Dr. Salierno shares tips on how to conduct careful research before deciding the next stop in your career journey. This includes weighing the advantages and challenges to ensure  the best fit for setting yourself up for success.

  

Dr. Chris Salierno

Dr. Chris Salierno is a general dentist from Long Island, New York. He graduated from Stony Brook School of Dental Medicine in 2005. He  has served as president of the American Student Dental Association, chair of the ADA New Dentist Committee and  president of the Suffolk County Dental Society.

He lectures internationally on clinical dentistry, practice management, and leadership development. He was a practice owner of Broadhollow Dentistry for over 10 years. In 2017, he became a chief development officer with the Cellerant Consulting Group. He has been the chief editor of Dental Economics since 2014. Now, Dr. Salierno is the first-ever chief dental officer at Tend. Since its successful launch in October 2019, Tend has rapidly grown to over 250 team members across seven locations throughout New York City, serving close to 25,000 members.

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Objective

Learn about key issues affecting the profession with four great panelists and special guest Senator Andrew Gounardes. Get an overview of the legislative process and learn how you can  get involved. This webinar is hosted by the NYSDA New Dentist Committee in collaboration with NYSDA leaders and the Empire Dental Political Action Committee (EDPAC).

The Empire Dental Political Action Committee (EDPAC) is the bipartisan voice of thousands of New York State dentists. Together, it helps elect candidates to state office who understand the importance of dentistry and dentistry’s unrelenting commitment to improving oral health care in New York State.

Speakers

State Senator Andrew Gounardes

State Senator Andrew Gounardes represents New York’s 22nd State Senate District, which includes the neighborhoods of Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, Gravesend, Gerritsen Beach, Manhattan Beach, and Marine Park.  He was elected to the State Senate in November 2018. Born and raised in Bay Ridge, Senator Gounardes’ passion for public service began as an aide to former City Councilmember Vincent Gentile, and as a Legislative Aide for Investigations in the United States Senate.  Prior to being elected, he served as Counsel to Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and a trustee of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System, one of the largest municipal pension funds in the country. As an attorney and community advocate, Senator Gounardes’ experience taught him that no one can accomplish anything good by themselves: It takes a community willing to unite, organize, and stand together to help our neighborhoods thrive.

Dr. James Wanamaker

Dr. James Wanamaker grew up in Camillus, New York. He began his education at Christian Brothers Academy then continued to Le Moyne College. He graduated cum laude from Le Moyne College in 2012 with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Business Management.

Dr. Wanamaker earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine in 2016 with a concentration in pediatric dentistry. While at Buffalo, he served in multiple roles in organized dentistry, including chair of the Council on Advocacy for the American Student Dental Association. Following dental school, he completed a post-doctoral General Practice Residency at SUNY Upstate Hospital and the Syracuse VA Hospital. He has completed additional training in Invisalign, advanced dentistry at the Dawson Academy, and surgical implant placement at the Brighterway Institute. Dr. Wanamaker lectures across the country for IgniteDDS.com, a dental education company.

Dr. Wanamaker sits on the Skaneateles Rotary Board, Syracuse Salvation Army Young Leaders Advisory Board, Empire Dental Political Action Committee Board, 5th District Dental Society Board of Governors. He is chair  of the New Dentist Committee for both the New York State Dental Association, the 5th District Dental Society and American Dental Association. Dr. Wanamaker previously sat on the Board of the Onondaga County Dental Society and the Empire Dental Administrators Board.

In 2020 Dr. Wanamaker was inducted as a fellow of the American College of Dentists.  He  is also a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry.

Dr. Richard Andolina Sr.

Richard F. Andolina, DDS was born and raised in a small town in upstate New York.  He graduated from The Ohio State University and received his DDS degree with thesis honors from the University of Buffalo in 1980.  Following completion of a hospital based general practice residency in Buffalo, he moved to Hornell, NY, a small town near his hometown and established a general dental practice

Dr. Andolina's passion has always been with his profession.  His involvement in organized dentistry began shortly following the establishment of his practice.  He has served in every position at the Seventh District Dental Society, becoming its president in 1999.  Dr. Andolina has been involved in the New York State Dental Association (NYSDA) since the early 1990’s, serving as State President in 2016.  He has also been heavily involved in NYS advocacy and is now the vice chair of NYSDA's Political Action Committee, the Empire Dental Political Action Committee (EDPAC). 

Dr. Michael Breault

Dr. Michael Breault has been an active volunteer in organized dentistry and EDPAC for many years. Dr. Breault has served the profession with distinction and honorable service for many years. He is a respected member of the county, district, state and national dental associations.  His leadership as NYSDA president during a difficult period of transition exemplifies his distinguished service. 

Dr. Breault is a graduate of Georgetown University School of Dentistry. He practices in Schenectady with Dr. Michael McGovern and teaches at the dental residency program at the McClellan Street Campus of Ellis Hospital.

Roy Lasky

Mr. Lasky has M.A. in Political Science from SUNY-Albany and worked as a Research Analyst for the New York State Legislature prior to joining NYSDA as Director of Government Relations and a managing consultant for EDPAC. During his tenure NYSDA has grown to be recognized as  one of the state's more prominent  health care related lobbying groups.  Working with hundreds of volunteer dentists, he helped build EDPAC into one of the larger political action committees  that raises funds to contribute to candidates for public office who respect the profession and the public it serves.  Most recently, he oversaw NYSDA's successful effort to remove the COVID-related restrictions imposed  on dental offices by the state. At the same time, he successfully lobbied for the passage of a bill to require entities providing teledental services to adhere to the same rules and regulations as do traditional private dentists.

Dr. Gina Dorfman graduated from the University of Southern California in 2000. She is a practicing dentist and the founder of Dentistry for Kids and Adults, a busy family practice just north of Los Angeles, CA. She is a Co-founder of the paperless dental software company, YAPI. Dr. Dorfman is also a published author and an experienced public speaker. She has contributed to many dental publications and has spoken at many live events throughout the years.

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Tip Sheet No. 3

Learn ways to set yourself up for financial success—refinancing student debt, life insurance, and retirement planning.

Early planning is critical for financial success. Should you refinance your loans? When is a good time to starting thinking about retirement?  How do I start?  How do you manage COVID-related cost increases associated with running your practice? This webinar will address all the financial questions.

Speakers

Alex Macielak

Alex Macielak is the Director of Business Development for Laurel Road. He has over 10 years of experience in the student loan industry and has helped thousands of borrowers determine their optimal repayment strategy. Alex has a degree in Economics & Finance from Bentley University.

 
Gina Goodreau

Ms. Goodreau is second vice president of Specialty Insurance Markets for Protective Life Insurance Co., which administers the ADA Members Insurance Plans issued by Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Co. Exclusively available to ADA members, these insurance plans include life, disability income protection, office overhead expense and supplemental medical. Protective Life does not provide legal, tax or investment advice. Please consult your own financial professional.

Benjamin Lake CFA, CFP^®

Ben works with clients and their families to develop and execute financial plans designed to achieve their financial goals. He also implements and monitors investment portfolios tailored to clients’ goals and risk tolerance.

Before joining Altfest in 2018, Ben was a Co-Portfolio Manager and Investment Strategist at Lake Partners Inc., where he was involved in managing client portfolios, developing asset allocation strategies and macroeconomic research. Previously, Ben was an Associate at Casey Quirk & Associates LLC, a management consulting firm. Ben also worked as an Analyst at Pacific Epoch, an investment research firm in Shanghai, China.BEn is a CFA® charterholder and a member of the CFA Society of New York. He is also a CFP® professional.

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Learn how to identify burnout or depression, as well as ways to
manage stress in your daily life.

It is not new news that dentists are prone to professional burnout, anxiety disorders, and clinical depression. COVID-19 has added layers of other issues -- practice owners concerned about their staffs’ safety; associates concerned about job security; and the list goes on and on. But what can we do as a profession to identify, cope, and manage these challenges? This webinar will help attendees identify burnout or depression and offer guidance on where to seek support as well as ways to manage stress in your daily life.

Speakers

Matthew Shapiro

Matthew Shapiro is the Associate Director, Public Affairs for the National Alliance on Mental Illness-New York State (NAMI-NYS), the state chapter of NAMI, the nation’s largest grassroots organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and family members impacted by mental illness.

Matthew is the host of the NAMI-NYS produced video series Perspectives and is a frequent guest on Capital Region television and radio programs (such as Capital Tonight, Capital Pressroom and the AMC Roundtable) to discuss mental health issues. He has also presented at numerous national conferences and conventions. Matthew serves on several prominent state and national steering committees.

Matthew is the recipient of the 2019 NAMI Richard T. Greer Advocacy Award, 2020 STARR Coalition STARR of Excellence Award for Advocacy and the 2017 NYS Association for Psychiatric Rehabilitative Services Family Partner Award. 

Dr. Dennis Bohlin

Dr. Bohlin received his DDS at Columbia University in 1978 and completed his residency at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in 1979. He has been in private practice in Manhattan ever since. Dr. Bohlin has expertise in implants and their restoration and all phases of general and cosmetic dentistry.

Dr. Bohlin has special interest and advanced training in substance use disorders and lectures at all five dental schools in NY on addiction and substance abuse in dentistry. He has served on the New York State Dental Association Committee on Chemical Dependency since 1985.

He is a member of the American Dental Association, New York Dental Association, American College of Dentistry and the New York Academy of Dentistry.

Dr. Bohlin lives with his wife Rosemary, and they were blessed with nine wonderful children and ten adorable grandchildren.

J. William “Bill” Claytor, Jr., DDS, MAGD

Dr. Bill Claytor graduated from the University of North Carolina (Adams) School of Dentistry and completed a two year General Practice Residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. He received the Academy of General Dentistry’s coveted Fellowship and Mastership, and most recently the prestigious AGD Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition Award. He also earned a certificate in Chemical Dependency Counseling from Union College.

Dr. Claytor is a consultant and Board Member of the Dental Well-Being Advisory Committee of the American Dental Association in Chicago. He is a panelist for the 2021 Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Acute Dental Pain of the American Dental Association’s Center for Evidence-Based Dentistry. He is Associate Director, North Carolina Caring Dental Professionals. Since 2016, he has provided the continuing education course, “N. C. Dental Opioid Update Course” each year for dental license renewal in North Carolina. In addition, he lectures throughout the U.S. on the Opioid Epidemic, the Marijuana Dilemma, Burnout, Perfectionism and Addiction, and gives webinars for the NCDS and ADA on Marijuana, the Opioid Epidemic, Stress and Burnout During the Covid Era, and Perfectionism. In the past, he has lectured at the Southeastern Conference on Addiction and Behavioral Health, the Annual Session of the Colorado Dental Association, the Tennessee Wellness Foundation, and most recently, the ADA’s Dental Health and Wellness National Conference in Chicago on these topics.

Dr. Claytor writes for several dental publications and online magazines about digital dentistry, endodontics, cone beam technology, and is a contributor for “Ask Bill” on www.digitalenamel.com, where he addresses current and relevant issues facing dentists today, including substance abuse, perfectionism and professional burnout.

Dr. Bill Claytor and his wife Lisa enjoy life with their two children, William and Jennifer, and their Jack Russell Terrier, Bailey.