b'provide comfort zones for idea exchange, and enhance thetime sensitive care, such that much-needed periodontal care communication that is so vital within our Academy. could continue, uninterrupted. Periodontal research fortunately laid the groundwork for this vital initiative.Advocating by developing necessary political strongholds helps us rebound from challenges thatYet in the 25 years that we have known about the perio-come at us from all sides, sometimes slowly, sometimessystemic link, we have made very limited progress in abruptly. Thus, we need member integration throughout allpromoting this message across all domains. We do much too levels of the Tripartite, with our members serving on statelittle in tooting our own horns. Lets push our accolades more boards, in the ADA House, on committees and councils,aggressively to the media through social platforms, and especially and through other health-related entities that affect theto our medical cohorts, assuring that our specialty gets the credit Specialty. For over 100 years, the Academy has been theit deserves, thus marketing periodontal leadership in overall beacon of protection and navigation for periodontists andpatient care in a subtle, tasteful, and cost-effective manner.patients who need us.Further, note that the January 2022 AMA Journal of Ethics was I believe we must continue to advocate alongside thededicated to the gap that exists between medicine and dentistry; ADA, as there is strength in numbers; with the Academyyet, why wasnt the AAP invited to write or make comment? We continuing its involvement with the ADPAC powerhouseneed to seek out new venues of touting our role as oral-systemic in matters of national level dental advocacy. Certainly, weexperts and in strengthening the communication between should prioritize those issues that are vital to Academydentists and physicians, advising that they include a basic oral needs, while simultaneously working for the good of theassessment as standard of care, referring to the periodontist whole of dentistry. For example, our leadership mustwhen appropriate for any given case.remain vigilant in monitoring such issues as how newThe Academy is well-suited to offer CE on this subject to specialty groups are defined, how the McCarran-Fergusonspecialty medicine study clubs, such as through AAP white Act or the more recent Massachusetts Medical Loss Ratiopapers for use by our members. The Academy should develop initiative might affect our practices, how best to engagelecture teams to liaise with and inform various medical and educate hygienists, how to impart debt managementspecialties, such as Cardiology, Obstetrics, and Endocrinology, in strategies to our residents, and many other items oftheir own meetings.concern and caution that face us.Our specialty should be acclaimed as theMultifaceted, experience-forged leadership is vital for cornerstone of the dental/medical interface,growing the Academy and helping our members prosper in these educating those parties whose actions stand to affect however-evolving times. Our success as a specialty is evidenced in we practice and thrive, most urgently inserting ourselvespart by the fact that periodontal residency programs draw more into the medical education arena. It is because of ourapplicants than do any other specialties, with 2.14 applicants per strong involvement in research at the physiological levelposition currently. It is my hope to nurture such shows of success that periodontists should be viewed as the leaders ineven further, and I feel I have done my homework in becoming promoting dentistrys vital role in overall patient health. adequately qualified and diverse in my experiences to lead the Academy forward as your Secretary/Treasurer. As an example, I was LDA President at the time whenI thank you in advance for your consideration as well as dental practices were abruptly limited to offering onlyfor your membership in our wonderful Academy, and I emergency care at the beginning of the Pandemic.humbly ask for your vote this June.Soon thereafter, I sent a plenitude of periodontal literature supporting several examples related to theSincere regards,perio-systemic relationship to our State Department of Health, substantiating a tone of urgency for periodontalKristi Soileau, DDS, MEd, MSHCE, FACD, FICD maintenance, particularly in high-risk patient cases. FromDiplomate, American Board of Periodontology this ensued a meeting of the LDH, LDA, LSBD, and LDHA, wherein emergency-only care was soon rescripted as AAP Periospectives| 15'