Craig Dickson, the publisher of RDH magazine submitted this photo, saying, "Here is a photograph of the blown-out window at the restaurant we were eating. Very exciting experience for all of us."
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Photo from Craig Dickson in Atlanta
Craig Dickson, the publisher of RDH magazine submitted this photo, saying, "Here is a photograph of the blown-out window at the restaurant we were eating. Very exciting experience for all of us."
Details and eyewitness descriptions from Atlanta
David Hurlbrink, regional sales manager for PennWell…
March 15, 12 noon ET
We were eating at City Grill in downtown Atlanta last night (March 14). We were sitting there eating and we heard a tremendous noise, almost like a freight train. We wondered what it was. Suddenly, glass blew in on the people’s table across the table. They dove for cover. My initial reaction was tornado because I thought I had heard wind. We heard a roar. The restaurant staff took us to a hallway where they thought it would be safer. People were fairly calm, but some were shaken up. Afterwards, we heard a lot of sirens and the restaurant staff was telling us it was coming back again in around 10 minutes. Stayed there for about 10 minutes, then meandered back to table. We finished dinner, then once we went outside, we saw all the damage. You know the bronze plaques on historic buildings? One was halfway ripped out of the wall. We were directed by fire and police to stay off certain roads because of tree and sidewalk damage. We walked back to the Westin where some friends were staying, but they weren’t letting anyone upstairs. We went to the Marriott and everything seemed OK.
From Kristine Hodsdon, eVillage director…
March 15, 12:15 p.m. ET
I have heard that the roof collapsed in Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC, home of the Hinman Meeting) around the 2000 aisle. We have been told that pretty much everything in the exhibit hall is going to have some kind of water damage. The exhibitor committee is meeting with structural engineers and going through the GWCC at the moment to see the damage and to see when people can be let back in.
From Kim Ryan, public relations and marketing manager for the Hinman Dental Meeting...
March 15, 1:30 p.m. ET
The Georgia World Congress Center and the Omni Hotel at CNN Center are not allowing people to hold any kind of meeting, therefore the remainder of the Hinman Dental Meeting has been canceled. The GWCC is structurally unsound and exhibitors will not be allowed back into the building for at least 48 hours. We will know more on Monday.
Exhibit Hall A (where the Hinman exhibit hall was located) was hit the hardest by the storm. Parts of the roof have been torn off and there has been water damage to the exhibits in the hall.
Official release from Hinman Dental Meeting
March 16, 10:15 a.m.
Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting
The safety of the attendees and exhibitors of the Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting is our primary concern at this time. Due to extensive damage sustained by both the Georgia World Congress Center and the Omni Hotel at CNN Center - the site of the Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting -- we will not be able to continue the meeting on Saturday, March 15.
According to Dan Graveline, Executive Director of the Georgia World Congress Center, for the purposes of safety, people cannot be allowed to return to the facility.
In addition, Gary Froeba, Regional Vice President and Managing Director of the Omni Hotel at CNN Center , has advised us that the Omni Hotel at CNN Center is currently occupying guest rooms that have no damage to the windows. Guests with window damage are being relocated to hotels throughout the city. The Omni Hotel is no longer taking reservations or conducting meetings until further notice.
The organizers of the Thomas P. Hinman Dental Meeting will actively communicate with both attendees and exhibitors in the days ahead. We appreciate everyones patience and understanding during this time.
From Kim Ryan, public relations and marketing manager for the Hinman Dental Meeting...
March 17, 10 a.m. ET
The assessment of the Georgia World Congress Center (GWCC) will be completed today (Monday, March 17) and an announcement will be made at 4:30 p.m. ET regarding when exhibitors can access the GWCC. The GWCC will give every exhibitor ample time to perform their moveout.
Right now, it is estimated that the GWCC will be closed to the public for at least two weeks because of the estimated $100-$150 million in damages to the facility.
From Atlanta Journal-Constitution
March 17, 11:30 am ET
The Hinman meeting generates about $26 million in revenue for Atlanta.
Stay tuned for further updates. We’ll keep you updated…
Were you in Atlanta for the Hinman and the tornado?
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the citizens of Atlanta and the surrounding cities this morning as they deal with the aftermath of a tornado. If you were in Atlanta for the Hinman Meeting, or live and/or practice in Atlanta, and would like to share your storm story, we'd love to hear it.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Why do dental assistants get snubbed at trade shows?
I recently posed that question to dental assistants around the country through my Dental Assisting Digest e-newsletter and through my MySpace page (www.myspace.com/kgh23). I travel to trade shows around the country and often speak to dental assistant groups during my trip. I often hear about a lack of respect for the DAs in the exhibit hall. One of my MySpace dental assistant friends from Arkansas relayed the following story to me...
The two times in the past that my office went to the Hinman Dental Convention in Atlanta, all us assistants were treated as if we didn't exist even when I told them that I did all the ordering for the entire office. Salespeople literally turned their head away from me or spoke directly to the dentist/hygienist that I was with without ever looking me in the eye! Also, assistants are never offered the free samples and "goodies." Everyone knows that the "goodies" are half the fun of a trade show! And with assistants doing the ordering, I would think that these companies would want the samples in the hands of those in the position to influence the office. These companies cater towards the dentists and the hygienists when the reality is that neither of those positions do the ordering 99% of the time. Even with new products, it is usually me who brings it up at staff meetings, etc for discussion. What is up with that?!?!
So I pose the question to you dentists and hygienists reading this ... what is up with that? Who does the ordering in your office? Is it the assistant? Are these ladies worthy of being treated with respect at dental shows? If not, why, in your opinion?
Assistants who read this ... have you been treated differently at a trade show because you were an assistant. Let me know by replying to this blog or dropping me an email at kevinh@pennwell.com.
The two times in the past that my office went to the Hinman Dental Convention in Atlanta, all us assistants were treated as if we didn't exist even when I told them that I did all the ordering for the entire office. Salespeople literally turned their head away from me or spoke directly to the dentist/hygienist that I was with without ever looking me in the eye! Also, assistants are never offered the free samples and "goodies." Everyone knows that the "goodies" are half the fun of a trade show! And with assistants doing the ordering, I would think that these companies would want the samples in the hands of those in the position to influence the office. These companies cater towards the dentists and the hygienists when the reality is that neither of those positions do the ordering 99% of the time. Even with new products, it is usually me who brings it up at staff meetings, etc for discussion. What is up with that?!?!
So I pose the question to you dentists and hygienists reading this ... what is up with that? Who does the ordering in your office? Is it the assistant? Are these ladies worthy of being treated with respect at dental shows? If not, why, in your opinion?
Assistants who read this ... have you been treated differently at a trade show because you were an assistant. Let me know by replying to this blog or dropping me an email at kevinh@pennwell.com.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Why news in Dunn County matters to you
My favorite dental hygiene story of the day comes from the Dunn County News in Eau Claire region of Wisconsin. You should read it for yourself (http://www.dunnconnect.com/articles/2008/03/03/variety/variety06.txt). A local project received a grant of almost $70,000 so that a dental hygienist in the area can improve the access to care for the developmentally disabled.
This kind of thing is happening all over the country. So it's good that dental hygienists are delivering the goods after talking for years about how access to care can be expanded.
A couple of things on my mind this morning:
1.) As a somewhat distant observer of dental hygiene (sitting in front of a computer in Tulsa, OK), I tend to think of dental hygienists in Michigan and Wisconsin as fighting uphill battles all the time ... a surplus of hygienists struggling for leverage in the marketplace. So it's nice to me to see this story out of Wisconsin, because this is where the cutting edge is for the profession.
2.) I gave you the Web site for the article above. You're likely not from Dunn County, if you're reading this on the Internet. But a larger percentage of newspapers are allowing readers to directly comment on a story on that site, rather than having a forum or "letters to the editor" on a different part of the site. Hygienists talk all the time about getting the attention of the public on dental hygiene issues.
Is there a better place than the "post a comment" section in a newspaper to offer your opinion about dentistry, particularly if it's dental hygiene that's been shown in a good light? You don't have to be from Dunn County to get excited.
Say something.
This kind of thing is happening all over the country. So it's good that dental hygienists are delivering the goods after talking for years about how access to care can be expanded.
A couple of things on my mind this morning:
1.) As a somewhat distant observer of dental hygiene (sitting in front of a computer in Tulsa, OK), I tend to think of dental hygienists in Michigan and Wisconsin as fighting uphill battles all the time ... a surplus of hygienists struggling for leverage in the marketplace. So it's nice to me to see this story out of Wisconsin, because this is where the cutting edge is for the profession.
2.) I gave you the Web site for the article above. You're likely not from Dunn County, if you're reading this on the Internet. But a larger percentage of newspapers are allowing readers to directly comment on a story on that site, rather than having a forum or "letters to the editor" on a different part of the site. Hygienists talk all the time about getting the attention of the public on dental hygiene issues.
Is there a better place than the "post a comment" section in a newspaper to offer your opinion about dentistry, particularly if it's dental hygiene that's been shown in a good light? You don't have to be from Dunn County to get excited.
Say something.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Most creative nickname for grandma/hygienist
I was checking the news this morning for references to dental hygienists. This is actually a nice story. A "who's who" directory called Cambridge fondly wished a pleasant retirement for a Georgia hygienist, Linda Hammond (http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/linda-o-hammond-named-cambridge-whos-who-professional-of-the-year-in-dental-hygiene-42573.php).
Linda hung it up after 28 years, and we certainly join the crowd in wishing her happiness.
But there was a reference to her plans of spending more time with her grandsons. And they call her ... "Hootinanny."
I had to laugh. Hootinanny is arguably the most creative nickname I have heard for a grandmother/dental hygienist.
Linda hung it up after 28 years, and we certainly join the crowd in wishing her happiness.
But there was a reference to her plans of spending more time with her grandsons. And they call her ... "Hootinanny."
I had to laugh. Hootinanny is arguably the most creative nickname I have heard for a grandmother/dental hygienist.
It's Dental Assistants Recognition Week
The staff of Dental Economics, Woman Dentist Journal, RDH, Dental Office, and Dental Assisting Digest remind you that this week (March 2-8) is Dental Assistants Recognition Week (DARW), a time to recognize the contributions of these valuable team members. This week, we encourage you to take a few moments to say thank you, write a note, give a card, buy a lunch, or whatever you feel is an appropriate way to let these valuable members of your team know they are appreciated. Also, if you're a dentist or hygienist, encourage your dental assistant to sign up for PennWell's free monthly e-newsletter, Dental Assisting Digest. Log on to www.dentalassistingdigest.com to sign up for this free e-newsletter.
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