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New officers are installed
Dr. Robert Faiella, president of the American Dental Association, said Corydon Palmer is a shining example of what a dental organization should be.
BOARDMAN
The Corydon Palmer Dental Society is a shining example of what a local dental association should be, said Dr. Robert Faiella, president of the American Dental Association.
It advocates for underserved patients, has a commitment to education and provides professional camaraderie, said Dr. Faiella, one of several national and Ohio dental association officials who helped the Corydon Palmer Dental Society kick off a yearlong celebration of its 100th birthday on Thursday .
Corydon Palmer is to be complimented for its cohesiveness and strength, as well as its proud history, said Dr. Faiella in an interview before the noon installation of 2013 officers at Mr. Anthony’s Banquet Center. It was the first of a series of events scheduled this year to commemorate the establishment of CPDS and honor is namesake, Dr. Corydon Spencer Palmer.
Born in Vernon Township, Trumbull County, in 1820, Dr. Palmer gained renown for his dentistry skill, creations and inventions.
For example, said Dr. Ralph E. “Jim” Snelson of Howland, long-time CPDS member and past president, Dr. Palmer created the Palmer Notation Method, a system used by dentists to associate information with a specific tooth. He also invented and fabricated dental instruments, Dr. Snelson said.
The Palmer Notation was supplanted by another method in the United States but is still used in the United Kingdom.
Born in Bristolville, Dr. Snelson graduated from Warren G. Harding High School in 1953 and The Ohio State University Dental School in 1961. He is in practice in the North Mar Center in Howland with his son, Dr. Lee Snelson. Another son, Dr. Marc Snelson, is an obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) in Cleveland.
Dr. Snelson said his father, Dr. Ralph A. Snelson, who practiced in Bristolville and also established an office in the Mahoning Building in Warren, told him many stories about Dr. Palmer.
One involved wealthy patients he acquired in New York City, including the Vanderbilts, who, when he moved back to Warren, traveled in their private railroad car and parked at the Erie Railroad Depot on South Avenue to be treated by Dr. Palmer. Alternately they would send a railroad car to carry him and his equipment to New York City.
According to his obituary, Dr. Palmer was apprenticed to a silversmith in Warren where “his duties included at times work of the nature of dentistry.” He opened a dental office in Warren.
In 1843, Dr. Palmer went to New York City intending to go into the engraving business, but instead, through acquaintances with dentists in Philadelphia and New York City, learned dentistry before coming back to Warren.
The Corydon Palmer Dental Society, established in 1913, represents dentists in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. Its 300 members represent about 85 percent of the dentists in the tri-county area, said CPDS president, Dr. Donald Brunetti of Canfield.
“The Corydon Palmer Dental Society lasted 100 years because it has had great people. Through all the changes in the profession, we’re still trying to live up to Dr. Palmer’s name. We stand on the shoulders of those who came before us,” said Dr. Brunetti, whose practice is in Austintown.
Installed with Dr. Brunetti were: Dr. Joseph Baytosh, president elect; Dr. James Ramunno, vice president; Dr. James Lessick, secretary; and Dr. Thomas Gabriel, treasurer.
Also, past presidents and 50-year members, including six new 50-year members, along with Dr. Marvin Swartz, were recognized at Thursday’s event.
While celebrating its past, Corydon Palmer dentists are looking to the future and the impact that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare, may have on the profession and its patients.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last summer made the Medicaid expansion in Obamacare optional. States may choose to expand their Medicaid programs or continue as-is and still continue to receive federal funding for their existing programs.
However, without Medicaid expansion, coverage of adults may be limited since eligibility for this population varies among states.
Under the Medicaid expansion, the ADA expects a significant increase nationally in adult enrollment for coverage by 2018 as compared to 2010. The downside is that not many states have dental coverage for adults, though Ohio is one that does, said Dr. Faiella.
Another positive impact of the Affordable Care Act is that an estimated 3.2 million additional children, a 10 percent increase, are expected to be enrolled nationally by 2018 compared to 2010. “We’ve done a pretty good job of coverage for children,” he said.
On the non-Medicaid side for children, the ADA wants the Affordable Care Act benchmark for care to be as good as the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), said Dr. Faiella.
The CHIP program provides health coverage to nearly 8 million children nationally in families with incomes too high to qualify for Medicaid, but who can’t afford private coverage; and provides federal matching funds to states to provide the coverage.
There are sufficient numbers of dentists to meet the demands of increased patients generated by the Affordable Care Act. The problem, he said, is funding. Medicaid reimbursements don’t cover the cost of services and enrolling providers.
Also, Dr. Faiella said, the ADA wants to see a transparent, competitive environment for the benefit of patients and to keep premiums affordable.
“We’re hopeful the Affordable Care Act will enable more underserved people to get dental-health care and make it more affordable for adults and people who don’t have dental-health insurance coverage, “ Dr. Faiella said.