Newswise — CHICAGO, Oct. 10, 2024 – At a recent executive committee meeting of the Coalition for Modernizing Dental Licensure (CMDL), Dr. JoAnn Gurenlian, past president of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and current ADHA director of education, research and advocacy was unanimously elected to serve as the coalition’s new chair.
“The Coalition for Modernizing Dental Licensure has played a crucial role in advancing the necessary changes to modernize the dental and dental hygiene licensure process in our country,” says Dr. Joe Crowley, previous CMDL chair and past president of the Ohio Dental Association (ODA) and the American Dental Association (ADA). “I am confident that this important work will continue under the guidance of the coalition’s new chairperson. I am pleased to announce that Dr. JoAnn Gurenlian, a member of the coalition’s executive committee, will be assuming the role of chair.”
Founded in 2018 by the ADA, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), and the American Student Dental Association (ASDA) in response to the need for change in dental licensure processes, the CMDL now boasts 131 partner organizations, including state and national associations, dental schools and dental hygiene programs. In May, the coalition added ADHA as a permanent organization.
“It is an honor to serve as chair and to partner with dental professional colleagues to promote valid, reliable and ethical pathways to licensure,” says Dr. Gurenlian. “I look forward to continuing the coalition’s important work to improve access to care and licensure portability for the dental and dental hygiene professions.”
In her current role at ADHA, Gurenlian leads efforts to partner with the ADA and the Council of State Governments (CSG) on the Dentist and Dental Hygienist Compact, an interstate licensure agreement supporting licensure portability.
Crowley added, “Dr. Gurenlian has made invaluable contributions to the coalition, drawing from her extensive experience as a licensed dental hygienist and her leadership within the American Dental Hygienists’ Association. I am excited to see her continue our mission and drive forward the coalition’s advocacy efforts in modernizing dental licensure."
To learn more about partnering with the Coalition for Modernizing Dental Licensure, visit https://www.dentallicensure.org.
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About ADHA
The American Dental Hygienists’ Association is the largest organization representing the professional interests of the more than 220,000 dental hygienists in the United States. Dental hygienists are preventive oral health professionals, licensed in dental hygiene, who provide educational, clinical and therapeutic services that support total health through the promotion of optimal oral health. The Journal of Dental Hygiene is the association’s bi-monthly scientific journal and flagship publication. To learn more about ADHA, dental hygiene or the link between oral health and general health, visit adha.org.
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