Winter 2000 President's Message

Each fall, it is the responsibility of the newly elected President of the PCSO to write a letter to the membership for publication in the Bulletin. As I think of the highly respected and forward-thinking orthodontists who have occupied this position over the last three-quarters of a century, I am humbled that it is now my responsibility and my turn to write "the letter"!

I am a firm believer in incrementalism: that we continue to improve on what we do and how we do it a little bit at a time. It also means that everyone does their part to improve whatever they are responsible for so that things are a little bit better because of what they did and/or where they served. The PCSO is a great organization, not because of a few doing a lot, but because so many members do their part in a whole bunch of different ways. Most of these members do their jobs on various committees pretty anonymously. Yet it is these folks who make our organization work. I want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you who has served or is serving on a committee of the PCSO - we could not do it without you!

If you go back and read the last two or three years of President’s letters, you will find several common themes. You might wonder "Why do they keep talking about the same things?" The answer is that it takes a lot of time and care to improve what is already the best Constituent Society in the world (maybe my bias is showing a little, but this is essentially true)! Much of what we have done the past two to three years is in preparation for changes that must be made throughout your organization. Why are changes needed, you might ask? In our fast paced society the only constant seems to be is change. The demographics of our association are changing as older orthodontists retire and young ones take their place. There is an increasing number of women entering practice, and outside influences such as managed care, government and even orthodontic manufacturers and suppliers affect what we do and how we practice.

Therefore, it is critical that we anticipate what we must do as your association to meet the needs of the membership. It is with this in mind that I have formed an Ad Hoc Committee on Needs Assessment to determine the current needs, wants, and preferences of our membership. We will also include in the survey orthodontic staff and orthodontic vendors because they, too, are indirect stakeholders in the PCSO. Not only will this committee collect current information, but it will develop a plan to regularly update and refresh the preferences of our members.

We will use this survey information to complete the process of restructuring Continuing Education —perhaps the most important service the PCSO provides its members is education. While it has been very good in the past, we want to produce even better educational experiences for increased member benefit. The Continuing Education Committee will soon issue its report to the PCSO Board of Directors. My goal to see this process completed this year.

Technology continues to grow in importance to every one of our practices. I have directed the Technology Committee, which has been funded by the Board of Directors, to upgrade the PCSO website so that it can become a more valuable asset for information and communication for members. Information gained from the needs assessment survey will be used to help guide them in developing the site. This committee will also review how we communicate within the PCSO and make recommendations on how we can improve using the technology that is available to us.

Even though mention of the Strategic Plan appears at the end of this letter, it is one of the most important planning tools of the Board of Directors. Using the data from the Needs Assessment Survey, the Strategic Planning Committee will rewrite the plan. As you know from planning in your own practice, looking to the future is difficult. However, it is critical that we have a blueprint of goals so that we can develop action plans to meet the needs, wants, and preferences of our members. This is truly where the value of our association to each individual member is established.

So "what does all this mean to me?", you might ask. It is all part of the benefits of membership in the PCSO. We want to offer our members improved educational opportunities, better communication, and a higher level of services to enhance your personal and professional lives. All our committees have one goal in mind: for the PCSO to serve you better in the future than it does today. I am looking forward to a great year.

In closing, be sure and reserve September 29–October 4, 2001 on your appointment calendar. Reward yourself and your staff with a trip to Hawaii and join my wife Jaye and me for a great professional program and the tropical fun that only Hawaii can provide. We promise you a great time! Also, plan to join us after the meeting for a few days at the beautiful Mauna Kea resort on the big island of Hawaii. Aloha!

Respectfully yours

Robert E. Varner, DMD
President, PCSO

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