SIU SDM Delegation Attends Lobby Day at the State Capitol

SIU SDM Delegation Attends Lobby Day at the State Capitol

On Wednesday, April 22, a delegation from SIU School of Dental Medicine joined dentists of the Illinois State Dental Society (ISDS) at the state capitol for a day of advocacy and connection in Springfield for Lobby Day.

"Lobby Day was a fun, eye-opening experience. Our entire third year dental class attended, as well as three SIU orthodontics residents. It was neat to rub shoulders with our future colleagues from all over the state and learn how they stand up for the best interest of their patients and their profession at the state capital," said Stephen Kofoed, President, SIU-SDM Class of 2027. "My favorite parts of the day were each time I talked with a practicing dentist and heard how highly they think of our dental school. It built my confidence in the education I'm receiving and got me even more excited to practice and to be involved."

"It was a great day visiting the capital, and I enjoyed seeing the third-year dental students. I feel it was a great opportunity for the students to see how advocacy helps protect the future of the profession," said alumnus Jeff Naylor, DMD, '09.

"It was great having the students join us again at Lobby Day. They bring a new level of energy and make the event more enjoyable. I hope their takeaway from this event is that the annual ISDS Lobby Day is important, however, just as important is working to develop a relationship with the legislators the other 364 days of each year. Building long lasting relationships with legislators allows our lobbying efforts to be more effective. Our goal is that every legislator has at least one dental friend," said Terry Barnfield, DMD, '86.

Lobby Day is a prime opportunity for the SIU SDM community to join legislators in efforts to improve oral health care across the state.

PHOTO: SIU SDM students and alumni attend Lobby Day at the state capitol