Indiana Dental Association Ethics

In the IDA's Journal; summer 2013 edition, the Letters to the Editor section featured letters from two distinguished members of the Association. Dr. Michael D. Rader reviewed the 155th Annual Session and posed the question: "Who is Responsible for Ethics at the Indiana Dental Association?" Dr. Rader used the Judicial Council as an example of the state of disarray within our organization and I quote his letter: "It should be noted that the Judicial Council has only three members, has NEVER met and two of them thought they were the chairman of this mysterious council...". Dr. Rader went on to declare the Judicial Council to be "...a council without any history of accomplishment."

My only surprise is that it has taken Dr. Rader this long to see the light!...and I can only hope he will join me in seeking a resolution to our Association's mismanagement.

 

But wait, there's more to the Editorial story! A second Letter to the Editor appears in the this same IDA edition. Dr. Richard E. Jones, the Association's one time Ethics chairman (and possibly still the current chairman?) penned his own assessment of our professional state of affairs with regards to the ADA's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct. He implores members to "speak up, act upon concerns and talk about ethics, professionalism and management practices with colleagues".


As I have previously posted within the Peer Review Forum blog, Dr. Jones was made aware of my Ethics complaint filed in the IDA's prescribed manner more than 5 years ago. Reading these Letters causes me to ask: Gentlemen, where have you been? And let me remind them, there is no statute of limitation that would prohibit the IDA from acting upon my Ethics Complaint. I look forward to these respected leaders of organized dentistry joining my cause to have my Ethics Complaint heard before a functional Judicial Committee.

The Bylaws of the Indiana Dental Association adopted May 1987, define the Judicial procedures (exerpted):
     Section II: Filing and Assignment of an Ethics Complaint
              C. The IDA shall assign the Complaint to the Proper Component Society Committee.

I interpret 'shall assign' to mean the Complaint 'will be assigned'. To not assign the properly filed Complaint constitues a violation of our Bylaws. 'Shall assign' is not ambiguous. Perhaps legislation should be enacted to change the Judicial Procedures language:
               C. The IDA's Executive Director may consider the Complaint's appropriateness and perhaps assign it to the proper Component Society Committee.

An additional legislative action should be enacted to exempt Member Peer Review committee participants from the Principles of Ethics and Code of Professional Conduct.

I have spoken up, acted upon my concerns and talked about ethics.
And...Who Is Reviewing Peer Review? See my post dated 1.22.11.