MAKE SURE YOUR DENTIST IS AN ADA MEMBER!: ADA Members Adhere to Strict Code of Ethics and Conduct. You should make sure you are SEEING AN ADA MEMBER DENTIST! Visit ADA Find-A-Dentist to Find One Near YOU

Ninth District Headquarters Office - Hawthorne, NY

2026 Ninth District President

Dr. Bharat Joshi

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY!

3 EASY WAYS TO PAY 1 ONLINE: nysdental.org/renew 2 MAIL: Return dues stub and payment 3 PHONE: 1-800-255-2100

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NYSDAPAC

NYSDA’s fully owned and operated Political Action Committee. With your support, NYSDAPAC will strengthen our political influence and ensure your voice is heard statewide and beyond.

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2026 Member Benefits Guide

Explore Your Member Benefits — The 2026 Member Benefits Guide is now available! See everything NYSDA offers and get a quick overview with our At-A-Glance one-pager.

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Member Assistance Program (MAP)

Life comes with challenges—but your FREE, confidential Member Assistance Program (MAP) is here to help. Available to you, your household, and your staff, MAP offers one-on-one short-term counseling plus resources for mental health, stress management, financial wellness, and life coaching. Download the app today to get started.

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Welcome to the Ninth District Dental Association

The Ninth District Dental Society was formed in 1909 and renamed to the Ninth District Dental Association in 2002. We have a membership of over 1500 dentists in 5 counties: Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange and Putnam.

In its quest to serve both the public and the profession, the Ninth District embodies the highest ideals.

The mission of the 9^th District Dental Association is to serve and support its members and the public by improving the oral health of our community through Advocacy, Continuing Education and Camaraderie.

The 9th Board approved creating a High School Career Day video to promote the dental field as a whole! Here's the link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kk10wFBk5MXT4CeitvzzCSXKPrVFzz73/view?usp=drive_link

Please share it with any Principal or Guidance Counselor you may have a relationship with!

Come join your colleagues!

Don't forget to Register!! OPEN TO ALL MEMBERS!

9th District Social

Wednesday, May 27, 2026
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm

ST. ANDREW'S GOLF CLUB
10 Old Jackson Avenue
Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706

There will be a buffet, passed hors d'oeuvres, an open bar, vendors and lots of fun FOR ALL MEMBERS!

Register

Co-Sponsors:

Altfest Personal Wealth Management

Bank of America, Practice Solutions

Danziger & Markhoff LLP

DDSMatch

Singular Anesthesia Services

We Hope to See You There!!

Renuka Bijoor, D.D.S., M.P.H.

Bharat Joshi, D.D.S.
President

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Issues Regulatory Update

Apr 28, 2026

April 28, 2026 | Issue 991

In This Week's Issue: USPSTF nominations; dental services webinar; safety culture webinar; infection prevention training innovations

AHRQ Seeks Nominations for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force

AHRQ invites nominations of individuals to serve as members of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which develops evidence-based recommendations on clinical preventive services that help improve health outcomes nationwide. AHRQ is seeking clinicians and researchers with expertise in evidence-based medicine, clinical prevention and primary care, including but not limited to specialties such as cardiology, oncology, OB/GYN, pediatrics, family medicine, and health economics. Self-nominations are welcome. Nominations must be submitted electronically by 11:59 p.m. on May 23, 2026. Learn more and apply.

Register for May 6 Grand Rounds: Medicare Coverage for Dental Services Webinar

Join the AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) Program Grand Rounds webinar on Medicare coverage for dental services. This session will present findings from an AHRQ–CMS interagency collaboration examining the relationship between dental services and health outcomes tied to Medicare-covered care, including implications for the Physician Fee Schedule. Speakers will review current evidence on the impact of dental care on health outcomes, with a focus on patients undergoing cancer treatment and those with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Topics include the role of pretreatment dental care in reducing complications such as oral infections, mucositis, and osteonecrosis in cancer patients, as well as the association between oral health and CKD outcomes. The webinar also will address evidence gaps and key policy considerations related to Medicare coverage of dental services. Register for the webinar, scheduled for 2-4 p.m. ET May 6. Learn more about the Grand Rounds series.

Building Patient and Workforce Safety Culture Webinar: Recording Available

The National Action Alliance for Patient and Workforce Safety, a collective effort of federal agencies and private partners, aims to improve the safety of patients and the healthcare workforce to catalyze change by applying known harm reduction strategies and sharing best practices and lessons learned. The National Action Alliance envisions a future with safe care everywhere and zero preventable harm for all. On Jan. 27, AHRQ’s National Action Alliance staff hosted “Making Safety a Core Value: Building the Foundation,” the first webinar in a series spotlighting the findings from the Best Practices to Strengthen Safety Culture, Leadership and Governance report and change package. Moderated by Martin J. Hatlie, J.D., of Patients for Patient Safety U.S., the event featured real-world insights from three leading healthcare systems on how they operationalize safety as a true organizational core value. This topic aligns with its mission to pursue a total systems approach to improving safety that aligns with the first element of the National Action Plan to Advance Patient Safety’s four foundational elements of safety: culture, leadership and governance; patient and family engagement; workforce safety; and learning health system development. Access other previous webinars and register for upcoming events on the National Action Alliance: Webinars page.

A Fresh Way To Engage Long-Term Care Teams in Infection Prevention

Infection prevention training can be evidence based and engaging. A new escape room-style game in the AHRQ Toolkit for Improving Skin Care and MDRO Prevention in Long-Term Care brings a collaborative, story-driven tabletop experience to post-acute and long-term care settings, transforming how staff learn and apply essential practices. In the tabletop game, players respond to changes in a resident’s skin condition and work with environmental services staff, a physician, an infection preventionist, and the resident. They reinforce core topics such as skin assessment, hand hygiene, contact precautions, enhanced barrier precautions, and environmental cleaning. Across four themed rooms, teams solve puzzles and crack a code to advance. The game highlights the role every staff member plays in infection prevention, emphasizing teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. Free resources, including the user guide and printable materials, are available online and were developed as part of the AHRQ Safety Program for MRSA Prevention, which has been implemented in more than 300 facilities nationwide. Read more about the game in Caring for the Ages.

Register for Upcoming Webinars

April 28, 3-4:30 p.m. ET: Advancing High-Value Pediatric Care: Using Data, AI, and Family Engagement to Improve Outcomes
May 6, 2-4 p.m. ET: Evidence-based Practice Center Program Grand Rounds webinar on Medicare coverage for dental services
May 13, 2-3 p.m. ET: Diagnostic Excellence Listening Session
June 10, 1-2:30 p.m. ET: From Coding to Braiding: Strategies for Financing and Sustaining Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care Settings

AHRQ Stats: Most Expensive Health Services for Children Treated for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Ambulatory services accounted for nearly half of all expenses for children who did and did not receive treatment for autism spectrum disorder between 2018 and 2022. Additionally, home health services accounted for 35.6 percent of costs among children who received treatment. (Source: AHRQ Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Statistical Brief #565, Treatment and Health Expenditures among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population, 2018-2022.)