During the month of March we have much to celebrate at HPC!

National Social Work Month

March is Social Work Month and is a time to acknowledge the work that this profession has contributed to our society and across the globe. This year’s theme is “The Time is Right for Social Work”.

The need for social workers is great. There are nearly 720,000 social workers in our nation. There are more than 4,700 social workers in the state of Kansas. That number is expected to grow by 12 percent by the end of the decade, making social work one of the fastest growing professions in the nation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Social workers have been an integral part of our nation for decades. Social workers played key roles in the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements and pushed for social programs we now take for granted, including the minimum wage, a 40-hour work week, Social Security and Medicare. The time is always right for social work. However, more people are entering the field because the life-affirming services that social workers provide are needed more than ever.

This is especially true as our nation continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic racism, economic inequality, global warming and other crises. The United States is also experiencing one of the worst economic downturns since the Great Depression. Social workers are on the front lines, helping people overcome these crises. That is why the theme for Social Work Month 2022 is “The Time is Right for Social Work.”

At HPC, we salute our social worker, John Smart, LSCSW!

National Dental Assistant Week, March 6-12

“Dental Assistants – Passionate About Our Patients, Dedicated to Our Profession” is the theme for 2022 and acknowledges the growing importance of dentistry’s role in health care and the responsibilities of dental assistants.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as of 2020, there are more than 330,000 dental assistants in the United States. In Kansas, there are approximately 2,800 dental assistants.

Dental assistants wear many hats in a dental clinic! They greet patients, review medical histories, take X-rays, perform dental charting during the dentist exam, assist the dentist chairside during procedures, polish teeth, review post-operative instructions and schedule patients.

In Kansas, dental assistants are not required to be certified. However, The Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) is the nationally recognized certification organization for dental assistants. Certification is a source of pride for dental assistants and provides professional advantage and potentially greater earning power.

Thank you to our HPC dental assistants Stephanie Rojas and Diana Ortiz Vargas!

National Dentist Day, Sunday, March 6

National Dentist Day was created as a day to say thank you and show your appreciation for your dentist. It is celebrated annually on March 6.

Do you know?

As of 2021 there are approximately 201,900 dentists who are professionally active in the United States. There are approximately 1,600 active dentists in Kansas, of which more than 200 are specialists.
The education and training of dentists typically includes four years of college, four years of dental school and two to three years of residency training if a specialty is chosen.
There are two different but equivalent degrees dentists may earn: Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD).
In the United States, nine specialties are recognized by the American Dental Association.
Orthodontics
Dentofacial orthopedics
Pediatric dentistry
Periodontics
Prosthodontics
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Oral and maxillofacial pathology
Endodontics
Public health dentistry
Oral and maxillofacial radiology

Special thanks to our dentist, Nader Rastgoftar, DDS, for providing top notch patient care and serving as a leader on the Senior Leadership Team.

National Doctor’s Day, Wednesday, March 30

National Doctor’s Day is celebrated on March 30 annually in the United States to honor physicians for the work they do for their patients in their communities and for society.

There are over a million physicians in the United States.
The education and training of physicians typically includes four years of college, four years of medical school, three to five years of residency training in the chosen specialty and one to three years of additional training for sub-specialists.
There are two different but equivalent degrees doctors can earn: Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO).
The training years are difficult with long work hours of often 80 hours per week, low pay and many overnight shifts in the hospital. In addition, the highest levels of professionalism, conduct and ethics are expected of doctors.
Areas of practice include the primary care specialties such as family medicine, internal medicine and pediatrics. Other specialties include surgery, obstetrics and gynecology and psychiatry. There are well over 100 specialties and sub-specialties in the United States.
The specialty that sees the most patients during office visits is family medicine.

Thank you to our HPC physicians: Emily M. Bush, MD, Cheri El-Halawany, MD, FAAP, Kare Lyche, MD, Ahmed Maher, MD, Wael S. Mourad, MD, MHCM, FAAFP, and Noriko Okahara, DO, MPH, for their hard work and dedication to the clinic. We appreciate all that you do to support and serve our patients.