Dr. James Swift Testifies on Behalf of ADEA

James Swift, professor and director of the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and president of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA), was in Washington, D.C. on March 27 to testify on behalf of ADEA and the American Association for Dental Research before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Related Agencies. 

Swift’s testimony informed about the extraordinary opportunities being created through oral health research and education, and presented the FY 2008 budget recommendations of the two organizations that call for support of dental research, dental education and access to dental care for underserved patients.   His testimony advocated for:

1) maintained support of  biomedical research at the NIH ($31.3 billion) and NIDCR  ($425 million);

2) innovative dental workforce programs specific to states’ needs and increased access to dental care for underserved populations ($10 million for the Dental Health Improvement Act);

3) enhanced capacity for state oral health programs ($15.6 million for CDC Dental Block Grants;)

4) support for dental education ($450.2 million for the full complement of Title VII  health professions programs including $89 million for the Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry programs to assure $10 million for General and Pediatric Dental Residency Training) and $118 million for diversity and student assistance programs (including $433.6 million for Centers of Excellence, $35.6 million for Health Careers Opportunity Program; $1.3 million for the Faculty Loan Repayment Program; and $47.1 million for Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students); and

5) Assistance for people with HIV/AIDS through $19 million for the Ryan White HIV/ADS Treatment and Modernization Act, the Dental Reimbursement Program and the Community-based Dental Partnerships Program.