First Time Attendees
“Thank you for having me! It was an incredible experience, and I will be participating in the future as well!”
Lauren E. Lunday, DDS, FICD
The University of Oklahoma Health Campus
Oklahoma City, Okla.
“Enjoyed Day on the Hill again this year! A wonderful experience being able to use my voice and experiences to hopefully help future providers and patients.”
Kimberly E. Veltman MD, DMD
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry
Chapel Hill, N.C.
Key Advocates
“Attending Day on the Hill allows us to have a relationship with legislators and gives a chance to advocate for bills that will positively affect our patients and the care we provide them. I have been participating in Day on the Hill for over ten years and recommend that all OMSs should attend.”
Christopher J. French, DDS
Great River OMS PC
Dubuque, Iowa
“This year’s Day on the Hill was another successful AAOMS event. The opportunity to meet together in our nation’s capital to lobby in support of issues important to our specialty is gratifying. It is also fun to hear interesting speakers in the company of colleagues from across the country. Many thanks to AAOMS volunteers and staff who made this happen.”
James David Johnson, Jr., DDS
Past President, American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS)
OMS Specialists PC
Oak Ridge, Tenn.
“Thanks for pulling off another great event!”
Mark Ryser, DMD, MD, FACS
Draper, Utah
Dr. Gerald Gelfand Resident Scholarship Recipients
“The Day on the Hill experience with the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons is a crucial experience for both residents, academics and providers alike. As professionals of the oral and maxillofacial surgery field, it is our duty to advocate for our patients and provide insight through personal and professional experiences. This experience was planned thoroughly and thoughtfully, I was prepared well through demonstrative workshops, group review of information, and informational paperwork provided to discuss current matters including dental insurance reform, student loan repayment reform, and coverage for management of congenital craniofacial anomalies. As a recipient of the Dr. Gerald Gelfand Day on the Hill Scholarship, I was given the opportunity to deepen my understanding regarding current matters and the chance to provide my own insight regarding the aforementioned current matters to our congress members and aides.”
Neira Algazzaz, DMD
Christiana Care Health System
Wilmington, Del.
“As a first-time participant at AAOMS Day on the Hill, I was not sure exactly what to expect. This experience ended up being an extremely valuable academic and professional endeavor and I was thrilled to have been granted the opportunity to attend. The lectures on the day of arrival were helpful in addressing especially how newcomers should treat visits with congress members and allowed interaction with other attendees who shared their own insights from previous years that they have visited.
As a resident from the state of Michigan, I was the only one in my group, so I did end up needing to do quite a bit of research and learning about the main policy issues our group was lobbying for. This was a great learning experience. I did note other states had attendings representing in addition to residents and that mentorship seemed to help the other residents I interacted with. Everyone I met with in the congressional meetings was kind and receptive to the policy concerns I discussed and it was a wonderful experience.
I am looking forward to attending again in the future.”
Juliana Gomez, MD, DDS
Ascension Macomb-Oakland Hospital
Detroit, Mich.
“I was really grateful for the opportunity to attend this year’s Day on the Hill through OMSPAC support. It was a great experience to see firsthand how advocacy actually works. Getting to meet with senators’ and representatives’ offices and talk through the legislation that impacts our field made everything feel much more real.
It was eye-opening to realize how much of a difference it makes when we show up and share our perspective. The whole experience made me more interested in staying involved in advocacy moving forward, and I’d definitely encourage others to take advantage of this opportunity if they can”
Samir Gwalani, DDS, MD
Loma Linda University School of Dentistry
Loma Linda, Calif.
