On behalf of its 37,000 members, Academy of General Dentistry's (AGD) leaders send best wishes to Rep. Charles Norwood, DDS for a successful surgery and speedy recovery as he awaits a single-lung transplant. Rep. Norwood's office recently announced he has idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a lung disease of unknown cause that gradually restricts the ability to breathe.
Dr. Norwood (R-9th-Ga.) is a general dentist who quit his practice for a successful run in 1994 for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He has appeared and presented numerous times to AGD's Legislative and Governmental Affairs Council during their Washington, DC leadership lobbying delegations.
"Dr. Norwood has been a great friend to not only organized dentistry, but especially the AGD," says Thomas Howley, DDS, MAGD, and AGD president. "His championship of managed care reform and OSHA reform has endeared him in the hearts of his dentist colleagues."
"AGD also applauds Dr. Norwood for his work to ensure basic patient protections for individuals for all Americans," says W. Mark Donald, DMD, FAGD, chair of AGD's Legislative Council. "We look forward to continuing to work with Dr. Norwood once he's back on his feet."
Dr. Norwood helped general practitioners by serving as a vehicle to voice their frustrations surrounding an OSHA regulation, Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. This was the most comprehensive regulation ever issued by the agency. This rule came shortly after another complex and burdensome regulation had been released: the Hazard Communication Standard. Both of these standards were written in a one-size-fits-all manner. So, for example, a general dentist would be subject to the same laws as an 800-bed hospital or a large chemical factory.
