ODAA - Supporting Ontario dental assistants

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 09, 2010		HOME I LINKS I CONTACT US I LOGIN

ODAA President
Helen Piaskowski
CDA II, CDR

I am extremely honoured to be representing the ODAA as its 63rd President, and I thank you for this opportunity to work with your Board of Directors, affiliates and individual members. I feel confident that I am up for whatever lies ahead for us this year as we continue to reach for our goals.

Just over a year ago, we were enthusiastically preparing for the public consultation process when we learned that our review for the regulation of dental assisting would be delayed to 2011. Unfortunately, with this writing, it appears that we will have to wait longer, as our review has been delayed yet again, until 2013.

Naturally this news is discouraging, but your Board of Directors is already “circling the wagons” and strategizing on how we can change the Health Minister’s opinion, or at the very least, how we can use this new time to our advantage. It’s the challenges we face that make us better, and when we do become a regulated profession, it will have been worth the effort and the time it took to get us there. This delay is a direct result of budgetary restraints in the wake of the recent recession. Stay tuned to our website and the Journal for timely updates on this situation.

I personally feel that challenging myself with new experiences, people and further education has made me a better person, and the ODAA has played a huge role in that. I have always believed in the power of education, be it through our ODAA meetings or by taking a class or two at the local college. I remember after signing up for an accounting class, a friend of mine asked me, “When will it end?” “Hopefully, never!” was my response. I feel completely energized when learning new things, and applying what I’ve learned to my life and/or profession is very satisfying. The ODAA supplies many relevant educational opportunities to our members in a variety of venues, from home-study courses to post-tests to monthly affiliate meetings. I urge you to take advantage of everything we have to offer.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our Past President, Mary Helen Garsch, for all her hard work these past years and to wish her continued success in the future. I would also like to thank Debbie Baker for her years of service on the Board. Along with her hard work and dedication to her profession, Debbie also brought us some much-needed levity at just the right moment.

I look forward to meeting many of you throughout the coming year!

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” BARACK OBAMA