ADA Member Advantage announced April 1 it ended its endorsement relationship with Chase for credit card processing.

As part of its ongoing efforts to support dentists during the COVID-19 pandemic, the ADA is offering members two free e-books the week of April 1-7: “Managing Professional Risks: Best Practices” and “The ADA Practical Guide to OSHA Training: Compliance for Dental Professionals.”

The American Dental Association has released interim guidance for dentists on how to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission before, during and after treating dental emergencies.

Kansas City University announced March 30 that it named Dr. Linda C. Niessen as its founding dean of the KCU College of Dental Medicine, which is slated to open in fall 2022 on its Joplin, Missouri, campus.

The Association continues to wait for clear guidance from the U.S. Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration on the best way to help dentists considering applying for Paycheck Protection Program 7(a) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans.

Dentists can apply for both Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Paycheck Protection Program 7(a) loans, the Small Business Administration told the American Dental Association on April 6.

The ADA announced April 6 the recipients of its third annual 10 Under 10 Awards, which recognizes 10 new dentists who demonstrate excellence early in their careers.

Washington — The Office for Civil Rights released a statement April 3 warning of an individual posing as an OCR investigator. The imposter has been calling entities covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 in an attempt to get patient information.

The Commission on Dental Accreditation announced April 3 that it will reschedule all postponed and remaining site visits this year, including regular/reaccreditation and special focused site visits, to 2021 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A panel of ADA experts answered members’ questions in a video released April 8 regarding the Association’s interim guidance for minimizing the risk of COVID-19 transmission while performing emergency and urgent dental care.

The ADA webinar, Small Business Administration Loans: Understanding the Options for Dentist Owners, is available online.

The ADA is urging Congress to continue supporting small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic by increasing funding and streamlining the application process for Small Business Administration loans.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued an alert April 8 warning that cybercriminals are increasingly exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to target individuals, small and medium businesses and large organizations.

American Dental Association President Chad P. Gehani has assembled an advisory task force to oversee the ADA’s development of tools for dentists as they bounce back from the effects of practice restrictions and closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Dentistry is very resilient to any obstacles put in front of the profession. It’s a great profession and if I have to do it over again, I would again want to be a dentist.” Those were the words of ADA President Chad P. Gehani in a candid interview about the Association’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the ADA Council on Dental Benefits’ efforts, the practice of using automated electronic means for verifying eligibility and benefits, checking claim status or receiving and reconciling payment remains underutilized by many dental providers according to an index, said Dr. Randall Markarian, council chair.

Wisconsin dentists have answered the call for personal protective equipment by organizing drives and donating their surplus supplies to hospitals and urgent care facilities treating patients with COVID-19.

“To aid dentists who may be reopening their practices when state mandates are lifted,” the ADA issued an updated statement and interim guidance April 18 on the personal protective equipment recommended in order to practice during this pandemic and minimize the risk of virus transmission.

The Senate passed new coronavirus relief legislation April 21 calling for much-needed funding for depleted federal loan programs that could help businesses nationwide, including dentists and dental practices, recover from the economic fallout of the pandemic.

The American College of Emergency Physicians has endorsed the American Dental Association's clinical practice guideline on the use of antibiotics for the management of pulpal- and periapical-related pain and swelling.

The ADA is urging third-party payers to alter their fees to account for the increasing cost of personal protective equipment that dentists are using to protect themselves, their staff and patients.

As some dental practices begin plans to reopen and provide nonemergency care — as some states reopen following the direction of their state — the Association is urging dentists to have robust communication and engage their dental team members to address any concerns related to returning to work amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Rafael "Ray" Bowen, who made significant contributions to dental materials research and retired in 2018 after 62 years at the American Dental Association, has died.

ADA Member Advantage announced May 1 that it has selected Best Card as its exclusively endorsed credit card processing solution for Association members.

The Department of Labor released an FAQ April 27 that addresses common questions about work search and job refusal when an individual receives Pandemic Unemployment Assistance.

Fuel prices in the United States on average were just a penny higher at $2.25 per gallon, ending consecutive price declines that had occurred since October.

Petrobras wants to exercise pre-emption rights for three areas ahead of the sixth bidding round of pre-salt offshore oil areas to be held later this year.

Oil prices rose early Tuesday, after Monday declines, possibly helped by some positive news from China -- but doubts remain as to whether that direction will hold.

Oil prices fell early Thursday despite an OPEC report confirming a sizable cut due to bearishness related to rising United States production and inventories.

The Paris-based International Energy Agency on Friday cast doubt on whether Russia would meet its agreement with OPEC to cut crude oil output to support prices.

Oil prices rose early Friday trailing equity gains late Thursday that followed a report about possible concessions ahead in U.S. trade talks with China.

An unexpected rise in U.S. crude inventories offset fears of potential risk to Venezuelan crude supply because of possible U.S. sanctions.

Oil prices fell Monday as the number of rigs in the United States saw a weekly rise, analysts said

Increased railway use would save energy, help the environment, and also be safer, according to reports prepared by international environmental experts.

Oil prices were near flat early Thursday in what was seen as a pause after gains in the two previous sessions, as traders considered geopolitical developments.

Poverty and poor or non-existent health insurance coverage might worsen the effects of heart failure, the American Heart Association said Thursday.

Blood clots, skin rashes and other lesions might be among the symptoms some people experience with COVID-19, according to new research released Thursday.

People with brain cancer are at increased risk for suicide compared to the general population, particularly within the first year following diagnosis, a new analysis has found.

Nearly 5,000 workers in 115 meat processing workers across 19 states have been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Friday granted emergency use authorization to the antiviral remdesivir to treat COVID-19.

Leaders across the United States should plan for a worst-case scenario, second wave to the COVID-19 pandemic, including no vaccine availability or herd immunity, say experts at the University of Minnesota.

Communities across the U.S. still need to expand hospital capacity to manage new COVID-19 cases, even as some states loosen social distancing restrictions, a study published Wednesday by JAMA Network Open says.

Pediatric vaccination against measles has declined by as much as 60 percent nationally since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, according to new data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the three years since the European migration and refugee crisis vividly captured public attention, a wave of innovative initiatives has emerged to help newcomers settle into receiving societies. Now, as the sense of crisis abates, this report explores what these initiatives will need to do to outlast the hype and produce lasting change on key integration issues such as housing, economic inclusion, and community building.

OBJECTIVE

To examine trends in uninsured rates between 2012 and 2016 among low-income adults aged <65 years and to determine whether the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which expanded Medicaid, impacted insurance coverage in the Diabetes Belt, a region across 15 southern and eastern states in which residents have high rates of diabetes.

OBJECTIVE

Corneal nerve fiber length (CNFL) represents a biomarker for diabetic distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP). We aimed to determine the reference distribution of annual CNFL change, the prevalence of abnormal change in diabetes, and its associated clinical variables.

OBJECTIVE

Incorporation of comorbidity burden to inform diabetes management in older adults remains challenging. High-sensitivity cardiac troponins are objective, quantifiable biomarkers that may improve risk monitoring in older adults. We assessed the associations of elevations in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and T (hs-cTnT) with comorbidities and improvements in mortality risk stratification.

OBJECTIVE

To examine differences in myocardial blood flow (MBF) at rest and during stress between patients with type 2 diabetes and controls, and to identify potential predictors of changes in MBF at rest and during stress.

OBJECTIVE

To study whether the effects of intensive glycemic control on major vascular outcomes (a composite of major macrovascular and major microvascular events), all-cause mortality, and severe hypoglycemia events differ among participants with different levels of 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and hemoglobin A_1c (HbA_1c) at baseline.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if temporal glucose profiles differed between 1) women who were randomized to real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) or self-monitored blood glucose (SMBG), 2) women who used insulin pumps or multiple daily insulin injections (MDIs), and 3) women whose infants were born large for gestational age (LGA) or not, by assessing CGM data obtained from the Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Women With Type 1 Diabetes in Pregnancy Trial (CONCEPTT).