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"The Future of Dental Health Care"Thank you so very much for those kind words of introduction. It's good to be here with you in New Orleans today. New Orleans is home to some of the finest cuisine in America. As dentists, I know you appreciate that. And as Secretary of Health and Human Services, so do I. But I want you to know that I only eat gumbo in moderation … and then I'm sure to brush and floss. I'd like to congratulate the newly inducted fellows who have received their certificates today, and the four award winners as well. I particularly want to acknowledge and congratulate my good friend Dr. Prem Sharma. Prem and I go back a long ways and I've always valued his good counsel and professional expertise. So, it's good to see him receive some well-deserved recognition from his peers. The American College of Dentists represents all that the health care industry can accomplish through hard work, dedication, and compassion. And in a way, I do too. Some people ask me how I went from being Governor of Wisconsin to being Secretary of Health and Human Services, and I have to give some credit to my dentist. I mean, when was the last time you saw someone get a job as a cabinet secretary who didn't have a nice smile? As Secretary of Health and Human Services, quality, affordable dental care for every American is a priority for me as we work to fulfill President Bush's charge to ensure the best possible health care for all Americans. The work that you do at the American College of Dentists makes us partners in the effort to achieve this goal. Your recognition of excellence in leadership, both in your professional fields and in your communities, promotes the kind of responsible health care that values the interests of the patient above all else. For this, I applaud your fine work. I also understand the important need we have for more dentists today. That's why, while I was governor of Wisconsin, I was committed to funding construction of the new Marquette University School of Dentistry in Milwaukee - and I'm happy to say that we dedicated the new building there just last month. It's a tremendous national center of learning for the next generation of dentists. As you know better than I, the field of dentistry is being transformed. New treatments and procedures are fundamentally changing the way oral health care is practiced and delivered. For example, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial (Cray-nee-oh-fay-shul) Research, a branch of our National Institutes of Health, recently funded research into Van der Woude (wood) syndrome, the most common cleft lip and cleft palate syndrome in infants. And now scientists performing the research have discovered the gene that causes this syndrome to occur. The researchers tell us that the discovery could very possibly direct them to genes involved in "non-syndromic" (sin-drome-ick) cleft lip and palate, one of the most common birth defects in the world. Just think of what this could mean for tens of thousands of children worldwide - with appropriate intervention, they could lead lives without the pain and stigma of malformed mouths and palates. More work needs to be done, but this is a tremendous step. And, as you also know, advances in dental care mean that more Americans are keeping more of their teeth for a longer period than at any time in history. So, you have much to be proud of as you consider the achievements of dentistry in recent decades. At the same time, there are serious issues confronting the broad spectrum of American medicine. In many ways, American health care is on the right track. Our medical services and research are tremendous. We're pouring billions of dollars into developing all manner of treatments, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Our dentists, our physicians and surgeons, our nurses and health care professionals - indeed, our entire health care system - are the best in the world, bar none. But the way we provide the high-quality care we now have is clumsy and inefficient, to the point of becoming archaic. Let me offer two examples that illustrate what I mean. First, let me describe the patient of today. There's much that this patient can be thankful for, especially the many advances in medicine that improve the quality and longevity of life and access to the finest medical system in the world. Yet serious needs hamper us as we provide care. Today's patient almost always needs to see a primary care physician before getting advanced treatment, and has to deal with multiple referral forms and other paperwork, as does her doctor and his staff. Coordination and communication of care frequently are poor. The patient has to go to multiple specialists, handle multiple bills for overlapping care and sometimes gets the wrong prescription. And I know that some dentists could use a good course in penmanship. Today's patient is given care to remedy existing illness and disease, but is rarely given the kind of preventive care that averts illness and disease to begin with. The patient often sees different doctors and dentists each time she goes in for an appointment. The patient's records are kept in manila envelopes that are often inconvenient to store and use. And if the patient gets sick in another city, it's nearly impossible to get her records forwarded in a timely way. That's how the patients of today are treated. We have wonderful technology, but the fact is, some grocery stores have better technology than our hospitals and clinics. The bottom line is that our system of health care delivery has not matured at the same pace as our technology - and the patient suffers because of it. That brings me to the second example: The patient of the not too distant future - a future that depends on the creativity and expertise you will bring to it. Patients of tomorrow will be treated on the basis of advanced preventive and genetic strategies. Patients will be cared for through a home-based system and will routinely contact their physician or dentist through the use of telemedicine, the Internet and other electronic technologies. If admitted to the hospital, the patient of tomorrow will not be required to fill out elaborate forms. The use of telemedicine will allow one's whole medical record to be sent from one part of America to another within seconds. And everything - including billing - will be processed at the time of care. Patients will know the costs and will be satisfied with the quality of care you provide, but won't face mountains of confusing paperwork. In the future, a coordinated team of physicians, dentists, nurses and allied health professionals will work together through a paperless system to provide care to the patient, independent of where they are cared for. The Surgeon General's report on "Oral Health in America" showed us that dental and oral health is critically interconnected with other areas of health - so doesn't it make sense to electronically connect all the health professionals in charge of caring for a patient? That is the dream. The challenge for us, the challenge for all of you, is to do what it takes to make that dream real. To make this kind of future real, we will have to bring systemic change to our health care system. I'm not talking about tinkering at the edges. I'm talking about renewal and transformation, about a system of care that allows men and women like those here today to practice medicine as it should be practiced - with compassion, personal attention, focused knowledge, practiced expertise, limited paperwork and streamlined regulations. We will have to fundamentally change the current health care delivery system in our country. The myriad rules, regulations and restrictions that make obtaining good health care I've just outlined difficult, if not impossible, have to be reviewed carefully and, when necessary, junked like the deadwood that they are. At the Department of Health and Human Services, we are already taking some significant steps in this direction. I have established a regulatory reform task force to ferret-out cumbersome, unnecessary rules and regulations. We're pushing ahead with our comprehensive effort to modernize and improve Medicare. And we're working to extend quality, affordable care to the nearly 40 million Americans who still lack health insurance. We've also launched a preventive health care campaign to encourage people to participate in moderate but consistent exercise … to eat right, including five fruits and vegetables a day … and to quit smoking, not to use drugs and not to abuse alcohol. Part of the prevention campaign relates directly to dental health. It's our "Milk Matters" campaign. Only about half of children five years and under get enough calcium in their diets. Teenage girls are at particular risk: more than 85 percent of all girls ages 12 to 19 do not get the recommended amount of calcium. In fact, teen girls average only about 740 milligrams of calcium a day, well below the recommended 1,300 milligrams needed for normal growth. Getting too little calcium may lead to health problems later in life, such as osteoporosis and fragile bones. The Milk Matters campaign was launched in 1997, but as part of our nationwide preventive health we believe it will take on a new significance. Teeth and bones are truly the superstructure of the body. And without a strong superstructure, the rest of the building cannot remain healthy for the long term. So, I'm committed to doing my part, but I still need the advice and counsel of people like you - the dedicated health care professionals who work within the current system. Last week, I had the honor and the privilege of meeting and speaking with our troops in Afghanistan. Those brave men and women are so very proud to be following a President they believe in. They are dedicated to their mission, and they will carry this war on terror to the very end. When you see that determination in their eyes - you know why the enemy is on the run. Your dedication to your cause is no less great. It flows, ultimately, from a deep sense of compassion … and a high sense of duty. You know how vital dental care is. You hear all the dentist jokes and see the pain of your patients as you clean and repair their teeth. It's not easy. But you keep on because you know your service is essential to the health and well-being of every American. So let me leave you with the words of a woman I admire so very much, one of the great individuals of the 20th century, Mother Theresa. "We shall never know," she said, "all the good that a simple smile can do." Isn't that true? A small thing like a warm smile can mean so very much. And you here today are helping to ensure that all Americans can offer warm smiles and caring hearts to everyone. Ultimately, the job we have at the Department of Health and Human Services is a lot like yours. It isn't about politics. It's about doing the right thing to fix the problems facing us, and helping all Americans live better, healthier lives. And that's why I'm so very proud and pleased to be with all of you today. May God bless you all, and may God bless the United States of America. Last Revised: October 24, 2002 |
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