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American Dental Education Association


Volume 3, No. 63, December 17, 2024

Trump Announces Nominees for Key Health Positions
 
President-elect Donald Trump recently announced additional nominees for key health positions in his administration, including the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner and U.S. Surgeon General.
 
For the CDC, Trump selected U.S. Army veteran and former Congressman Dr. Dave Weldon [ [link removed] ] , who has been a vocal critic of the agency, particularly its vaccine programs. Weldon has expressed concerns about vaccine safety and has proposed moving vaccine oversight to an independent agency outside the CDC. He also continues to promote discredited claims about vaccines causing autism, focusing in particular on the preservative thimerosal.
 
In 1981, he received his undergraduate degree from Stony Brook University and earned his medical degree at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine. He is a board-certified internal medicine doctor.
 
Dr. Weldon served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve from 1981 to 1992 and represented Florida’s 15th Congressional District in the U.S. Congress from 1994 to 2008. He practiced as a physician in Florida after graduating from medical school; he currently practices medicine at Health First Medical Group in Malabar, FL.
 
Trump’s pick for FDA Commissioner is Dr. Martin Makary [ [link removed] ] . Dr. Makary is a board-certified surgeon and public policy researcher at Johns Hopkins Medicine, who is known for his criticisms of COVID-19 public health policies, including vaccine mandates. Dr. Makary has also been an outspoken advocate for addressing issues like overprescribing of drugs, chemical pesticides in food and the influence of pharmaceutical companies on government regulations.
 
He writes for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal and is the author of two New York Times bestselling books, Unaccountable and The Price We Pay. Dr. Makary served in leadership at the World Health Organization’s Patient Safety Program and has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine.
 
Currently, Dr. Makary is the Chief of Islet Transplant Surgery at Johns Hopkins University. He is a professor at the Johns Hopkins Medicine and a Professor, by courtesy, at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
 
Dr. Makary received his medical degree from Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in 1998 and his Master of Public Health from Harvard University’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health in 1998. His surgical residency was at Medstar Health in 2003.
 
Finally, Trump nominated Dr. Janette Nesheiwat [ [link removed] ] for Surgeon General. Dr. Nesheiwat is a board-certified family medicine physician and current medical director at CityMd, which are urgent care centers in New York City. Dr. Nesheiwat is described as being committed to ensuring access to affordable health care and empowering individuals to take charge of their health.
 
Dr. Nesheiwat graduated from the University of South Florida, in 2000, and went to medical school at the American University of the Caribbean on the island of St. Maarten. She did her residency in emergency and family medicine in Arkansas, in 2009, and worked there until leaving for New York in 2012.
 
All of the nominees must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

State Legislative Trends to Watch in the Coming Year
 
As we enter the new legislative cycle, several trends are emerging that signal a dynamic year ahead for dental and health care policy. Many states are focusing on the regulation and integration of artificial intelligence [ [link removed] ] (AI) in health care and dental education. AI is being used to enhance diagnostics, streamline administrative processes and improve patient outcomes, while in education, it is transforming classroom instruction with simulation tools, personalized learning and advanced data analysis.
 
Efforts to reform dental insurance are also gaining traction, with a focus on improving coverage transparency, reducing patients’ out-of-pocket costs and addressing network adequacy issues. Increased adoption of teledentistry and telehealth legislation is another notable trend, aiming to expand access to care by enabling remote consultations, diagnostics and treatment planning, especially in rural and underserved areas.
 
The Dental and Dental Hygienist (DDH) Compact continues to gain momentum [ [link removed] ] as states work to address workforce shortages and improve mobility by allowing professionals to practice across state lines. Legislative interest is also growing in student loan repayment programs and tax credits designed to attract and retain dental professionals in underserved areas, addressing workforce gaps and expanding access to essential care.
 
The impending inauguration of President-elect Trump adds another layer of complexity, with potential shifts in Medicaid programs. While Medicaid is state-administered, federal guidelines shape its operations, and anticipated changes at the federal level could affect funding structures, eligibility criteria and benefits. These shifts may have a profound impact on dental coverage and access to care for vulnerable populations. As states navigate these evolving dynamics, we can expect a flurry of activity aimed at addressing these pressing issues while balancing budgetary and public health priorities.

The ADEA Advocate Will Take a Winter Hiatus
 
The ADEA Advocate will be going on a winter break for the holidays. The next issue will be published on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.
 
Any breaking news will be available on the ADEA Advocacy website [ [link removed] ] or on ADEA Connect. Happy Holidays!

ADEA Advocacy in Action
This appears weekly in the ADEA Advocate to summarize and provide direct links to recent advocacy actions taken by ADEA. Please let us know what you think and how we might improve its usefulness.
 
Issues and Resources
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on teledentistry
 • ADEA report [ [link removed] ] on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on U.S. Dental Schools
 • ADEA policy brief [ [link removed] ] regarding overprescription of antibiotics
 • For a full list of ADEA memos, briefs and letters click here [ [link removed] ] .

Key Federal Issues [ [link removed] ]

ADEA U.S. Interactive Legislative and Regulatory Tracking Map [ [link removed] ]

Key State Issues [ [link removed] ]

The ADEA Advocate [ [link removed] ] is published weekly. Its purpose is to keep ADEA members abreast of federal and state issues and events of interest to the academic dentistry and the dental and research communities.
 
©2024
American Dental Education Association
655 K Street, NW, Suite 800
Washington, DC 20001
Tel: 202-289-7201
Website: www.adea.org [ [link removed] ]

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B. Timothy Leeth, CPA
ADEA Chief Advocacy Officer
 
Bridgette DeHart, J.D.
ADEA Director of Federal Relations and Advocacy
 
Phillip Mauller, M.P.S.
ADEA Senior Director of State Relations and Advocacy
 
Contact Us:
[email protected] [ mailto:[email protected] ]

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