During this meeting, which Delta is required to schedule sometime this fall, Delta member dentists will have the opportunity to present and adopt a new round of bylaw amendments. 

This new round of bylaw amendments would:

• allow for open nominations for members to run for the board;
• impose term limits on board service for member dentists at Delta;
• make the Delta CEO an ex-officio rather than full member of the board; and
• eliminate board veto powers over member-approved bylaw amendments.

Following the receipt of the petition, with signatures of at least 10 percent of its member dentists, Delta is required to schedule the meeting and announce its date within 30 days. We will keep you updated on any response from Delta.

Additionally, Delta’s refusal to hold an annual meeting two years in a row has denied member dentists their right to participate in the Delta's governance. Annual membership meetings provide the opportunity for member dentists to pose questions relating to patient care. Because this year's annual meeting was cancelled, attorney Emily Studebaker, on behalf of Delta member Dr. Bernard J. Larson, recently sent this letter requesting answers to the following questions.

1. What are the criteria for placing member dentists on focused review?

• Can performing a certain number of a particular type of procedure alone subject a dentist to focused review?
• Can deviating from the mean in the performance of a particular type of procedure alone subject a dentist to focused review?

2. Under what circumstances, if any, is a member dentist placed on focused review as a result of a non-dentist’s review of the member dentist’s claims?

3. What percentage of denied claims are denied as a result of a dentist’s review of the claim?

4. Has there been an increase in the number of member dentists placed on focused review over the past 5 years?

Again, we will keep you updated on any response received from Delta.