Dr. Nathan Russell: Continuous Improvement - Reflecting On My Year Serving Members as WSDA President

Dr. Nathan Russell
President, WSDA

Whether it’s coaches inspiring their teams to stay ahead of the competition or CEOs developing strategies to remain successful in a rapidly changing marketplace, there’s a growing recognition of the risks of becoming satisfied with where you stand. You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse.

That thought was top of mind during my year as your WSDA president. Thanks to good decisions and hard work stretching back many years, our organization sits on very solid ground. We enjoy a healthy balance sheet, provide valuable benefits to our members, and effectively advocate for better oral health outcomes for everyone in Washington. Many organizations – from other state dental associations to other professional associations here in Washington – would be more than happy to be in our position.

Fortunately, that’s not the mindset that the WSDA leadership brings to the table. As a result, I believe that we have upped our game in meaningful ways over the past year and positioned our association for even greater successes.

This year our advocacy efforts took a more proactive approach. We moved from playing defense to taking the offensive on critically important issues, including expansion of the dental workforce and dental benefit reforms. While we didn’t get everything we wanted in 2024’s short legislative session, we moved the ball forward and have set ourselves up for 2025. As another measure of our proactive and comprehensive approach, we are actively supporting the campaigns of several candidates who are more likely to back our legislative agenda if elected.

I’m not sure that I can adequately describe how awesome this year’s Pacific Northwest Dental Conference (PNDC) was. Walking through the exhibit hall, I was stopped by numerous friends and colleagues, all describing their excitement at having the event be held in one building – and a beautiful venue at that. This is a foundation we can build on, and I foresee even bigger and better PNDCs ahead.

Recognizing the financial challenges facing today’s dentists, regardless of their practice model, we have also enhanced some core member benefits.

We are making a significant transition at Washington Dentists’ Insurance Agency (WDIA), announcing MedPro as our new preferred partner for professional liability coverage. The change is well underway and seeing early success, with hundreds of dentists working with the trusted WDIA team to take advantage of this new policy option.

We are launching ComplyBetter, a unique digital toolbox to help dental offices comply with the myriad regulations imposed on them. That service will only grow in value, and we believe it will ultimately become a significant source of non-dues revenue for the association.

We also continue to grow WSDA Retro, our workers’ compensation support service for members who own dental practices. Enrolled members enjoy free access to a team of experts in the case of an L&I claim and can receive wage reimbursement from WSDA to pay injured employees through our Return to Work program. As the number of enrolled offices grows, the association is poised to earn significant non-dues revenue in the form of premium dollars returned by the state.

Because of these innovations and our goal of reducing member dues, WSDA has agreed to be one of five states participating in the American Dental Association new dues model pilot. This will be a major topic at September’s House of Delegates, and, if approved, will be launched later this fall as we begin renewals for the 2025 membership year. This is our opportunity to radically change our financial model to better serve existing members and attract new, younger dentists to WSDA. There will be a lot of eyes on us as we make this significant change.

These efforts could not have moved forward without the dedication and talents of the WSDA Board of Directors. The chance to work with these board members was my personal highlight during my year as president. I wish everyone in our profession could see them in action – to recognize their passion for dentistry and oral health care and to understand their commitment to making things better for both our members and our patients.

Lastly, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to all WSDA members for being a part of this community and to the amazing WSDA staff for their work on our behalf. I am so proud of this association and I thank all of you for giving me the privilege of serving as WSDA president.