PDA 150TH ANNIVERSARY
What did it mean? Too conceptual for a
six-year-old to understand, but after
several years of being a dentist, I did
understand. Dentistry had provided me
with a stable and rewarding life. It
wasn’t just the material rewards but the
intangibles that really counted. Having
the ability to make immediate and
personal improvements in patients’
lives, having generations of patient
families return to me, learning life’s
lessons from them, having them share
the important news of their lives…how
many other “jobs” have such a great give
back? There was gratitude also for
collegiality, having leadership friends
who shared my interest in organized
dentistry, friends from dental school
who are still my friends, dentist friends
who understand better than anyone
the challenges another dentist faces on
a daily basis. I wrote about that and I
came to believe that one of the most
important aspects of being an editor
was to mirror the concerns, frustrations
and hopes of the member dentists. One
of the most satisfying rewards of the
position was to receive a letter to the
editor which thanked me for my
editorial. This is my “thank you back” to
those who took the time to write and
send those kind words.
There were behind the scene
obligations for the editor: Board
meetings, trips to other districts for their
meetings, and routine drives to
Harrisburg to meet with Rob Pugli ese,
who was just moving in to his position
in charge of the Journal in the
Communications Department as I was
becoming Editor. We would discuss
upcoming issues, plan strategy for
getting articles together and in on time
to meet Journal deadlines. It was an
exciting and fun time. Rob’s knowledge
of journalism and the profession made
my job as editor so much easier and
more interesting. It is no surprise that
he is about to work with a fourth editor.
He was and still is Chief Extraordinaire
of the Journal.
When Dr. Richard Galeone became
Editor after my term of office expired
and I retired as Editor, I knew he would
do an excellent job, but I knew also that
I would greatly miss his column, On the
Lighter Side, that he wrote as Associate
Editor. I can now admit that the first
thing I turned to when Rob sent me the
proofs of upcoming issues was Rich’s
columns. He put together an
unforgettable cast of characters: the
terrifying dental school professor, the
snarly patient, the goofy family
members. They were all portrayed in
scenes that rivaled the best TV sit-com
scripts. He has the unique timing with
words that characterizes the best
comedy writers. I still miss his columns.
Looking back, I now believe that it is
best not to have a “job description” for
an editor. Each will bring his or her own
sets of skills and beliefs to the Journal.
Of course, the Editor will support and
reflect the policies of the PDA, not
because of a job obligation but because
his own set of beliefs supports the
mission of the tripartite. One of the
most gratifying aspects of being the
Editor was traveling down the road of
discovery, facing an issue, putting time
and effort into researching the details
and then sharing my thoughts with
members. This was a process that could
never have been defined in an Editor’s
Job Description.
It was, as they say, a great run.
Dr. Judith McFadden of the
Philadelphia County Dental Society
served as editor of the Pennsylvania
Dental Journal from 1992-2000.
1970 1976
1977
1970 1976 1977
The House of Delegates votes to raise member
dues $50 a year for four years to supply a
line of credit to Pennsylvania Dental Service
Corporation. Esther F. Richwine
is appointed PDA
executive director by
the Board of Trustees.
She had been
serving as acting
executive since
July 1, 1975. PDA files a class
action suit on behalf
of all dentists in
Pennsylvania against
Blue Shield in the
Court of Common
Pleas in Cumberland
County.
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