6 / 44
4
New Mexico Dental Journal, Summer 2016
President’s Message
Christopher Morgan, DMD
H
ello from Santa Fe, your capital city. I would like to introduce myself as your newly
elected president of the New Mexico Dental Association. My name is Christopher
Morgan. I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, educated in Western Pennsylvania at
Allegheny College and the University of Pittsburgh SDM. Worked in Michigan for ten
years, and for that last six years, I have practiced in Santa Fe, New Mexico!
I could not be more honored to serve this association for the next twelve months. Rest
assured, I have been involved with the NMDA since 2010, and with the Michigan Dental
Association before moving to New Mexico. I intend upon staying involved after my term,
because this is not a one year job. Organized dentistry is the reason that we have the strong
profession today and will be necessary to continue this tradition.
I have been told that I have a lot of energy. I hope that people find that I listen and that I
am approachable. We have plenty of positive things that I would like to focus on. I am not
the type of person to dwell on less than positive things in life and my profession.
As an association, I genuinely believe that it is time for us to move beyond the focus of
“mid-level providers.” My predecessors have managed the attack from out of state groups
impinging on our smaller, more vulnerable state. Currently, through a legislative task force,
the NMDA has an agreement with the New Mexico Dental Hygienists’ Association. I am
committed to sticking to this agreement, supporting our dental association’s compromised
access to care bill through our state’s legislation. It “deals with” the dental therapist as a
mid-level provider, but more important opens up avenues to discuss the real issues that
might be limiting dental care for some New Mexico citizens.
By moving beyond the dental therapist discussion, we can focus our efforts on issues like
Medicaid reform, expanding student loan repayment programs, improving access to dental
school education and educating the public on disease prevention. These are the real barriers
to care in our state. Numbers don’t lie. We don’t have a shortage of dental providers in New
Mexico. We have some areas that are poorly staffed by dentists. As an association, let’s find
solutions for these underserved areas.
There are so many reasons that our Association is great. A quick visit to our revamped
website will prove this to you. As valued members, I urge you to explore the Association,
find out the benefits of the Association, and then spread the word. Having a profession is
more than a job. Perhaps most of all, our profession allows all of us to have a tremendous
amount of fulfillment in our individual lives. Together, we can make 2016 and 2017 an
amazing time.
Sincerely,
Christopher Morgan, DMD
NMDA President 2016–2017
505-988-4119
leadership