Alumni news

During a Network Training Conference held September 12, 2003, at California Dental Association headquarters in Sacramento, Curtis Vixie, SD'89, received the 2003 Gale Kloeffler Award for outstanding service to the Well-Being Committee. Dr. Vixie has been a member of the committee and as CDA's well-being consultant for two years.

The well being of CDA members was the focus of the Network Training Conference. The event was sponsored by CDA, the Betty Ford Center, and the William J. Farley Center.

Conference speakers included Betty Collins, program director of the professional recovery program for the Betty Ford Center; Gladys Mitchell and Lynn Thornton from the Dental Board of California; Robert Stewart, DDS, JD; James Tracy, DDS; and Dr. Vixie.

Conference topics focused on treatment of the impaired dentist, diversion and enforcement, approaching the dental board, and assessment and intervention.

Drs. Tracy and Vixie presented the intervention model conducted by the Well-Being Committee. They outlined various intervention models and explained that the Well-Being Committee follows the peer review intervention model. Both speakers emphasized that the goal of intervention is to assess the doctor, not treat the doctor. The speakers described the various steps of intervention, from the investigation to actual one-on-one intervention. Throughout the presentation the speakers emphasized that each local Well-Being Committee may develop its own intervention style, but it is important that all committee members agree on the same goal.