Bill Text: FL S1632 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Dentists' Day on the Hill
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-05-01 - Died, not introduced [S1632 Detail]
Download: Florida-2015-S1632-Introduced.html
Florida Senate - 2015 (NP) SR 1632 By Senator Hays 11-02323A-15 20151632__ 1 Senate Resolution 2 A resolution recognizing March 25, 2015, as “Dentists’ 3 Day on the Hill.” 4 5 WHEREAS, the Florida Dental Association was established in 6 1884 to advance public health through professional dentistry 7 education and public advocacy while promoting high practice 8 standards and improving the professional practice environment, 9 and 10 WHEREAS, the Florida Dental Association is a statewide 11 professional membership organization representing nearly 6,500 12 licensed dentists in this state, and 13 WHEREAS, studies show that good oral health may help 14 prevent heart disease, arterial blockage, stroke, diabetes, 15 preterm delivery, low birth weights in babies, and bacterial 16 pneumonia, and 17 WHEREAS, the Florida Dental Association is promoting 18 “Florida’s Action for Dental Health,” a comprehensive effort 19 developed by the Florida Dental Association and stakeholder 20 groups to improve the oral health and resulting overall health 21 of all Floridians, and 22 WHEREAS, in 2014, the Florida Dental Association Foundation 23 launched its first Florida Mission of Mercy, a massive, 2-day, 24 free dental clinic involving more than 1,450 volunteers, 350 of 25 whom were dentists and dental hygienists, who treated more than 26 1,600 patients and provided more than $1.2 million in donated 27 care in Tampa, and 28 WHEREAS, the Florida Dental Association Foundation is 29 coordinating its next Florida Mission of Mercy, which will be 30 held on April 22 and 23, 2016, in Jacksonville, and 31 WHEREAS, the Donated Dental Services program, created in 32 1997 by the Florida Dental Lifeline Network and the South 33 Florida District Dental Association, is composed of nearly 400 34 dentists and 200 dental labs statewide, and enables dentists to 35 donate comprehensive treatment for persons with disabilities, 36 the elderly, or the medically fragile who cannot afford dental 37 care, and 38 WHEREAS, the Donated Dental Services program has provided 39 care to more than 1,351 patients with seriously neglected dental 40 health issues, with nearly $5 million in dental services donated 41 since its inception, and 42 WHEREAS, in 1993, the Florida Dental Association teamed 43 with the Volunteer Health Care Provider Program in the Florida 44 Department of Health to create “Project: Dentists Care,” a 45 dental access program, and 46 WHEREAS, from July 2013 to June 2014, “Project: Dentists 47 Care” provided a safety net of preventative and restorative 48 dental care for underserved adults and children statewide, with 49 more than 2,600 volunteer dentists donating more than $9.5 50 million in services, NOW, THEREFORE, 51 52 Be It Resolved by the Senate of the State of Florida: 53 54 That March 25, 2015, is recognized as “Dentists’ Day on the 55 Hill.” 56 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution, with 57 the Seal of the Senate affixed, be presented to the Florida 58 Dental Association as a tangible token of the sentiments of the 59 Florida Senate.