Dear GSOMS Member,

We regret to inform you that our friend and an icon in the specialty, Dr. Jeff Schultz, died suddenly and unexpectedly of a heart attack on February 22, 2026.  We are still trying to process this loss to all of us and particularly to the specialty.
 
Jeff never refused to serve when asked. A past president of GSOMS, long time chair of our Legislative Committee, longtime Legislative Chair for SSOMS who rarely missed a meeting, a member of the GA Board of Dentistry, loyal servant to the GA Dental Association, AAOMS Delegate for over 20 years, Chair of the AAOMS Committee on Professional Conduct and member of the Committee on Anesthesia and many more positions I cannot recall right now.
 
Jeff and Sharon are blessed with four daughters (Anna, Emily, Mary Ellen, and Lydia) and two sons (John and Jordan).
 
Below are the funeral arrangements. The obituary will follow as soon as it’s available.
 
Hank Holderfield
Executive Director
Obituary information for Jeffrey Daniel Schultz

Join the 2026 Emory Helps Guatemala Service Trip, an incredible opportunity to serve alongside a multidisciplinary medical and community development team while making a meaningful impact in Guatemala from June 5–15, 2026.

This immersive experience allows volunteers to participate in clinical care, health education, and community development while working closely with local providers and translators.
The full information pamphlet is attached for details on the trip, roles, and logistics.

Interested participants should apply using the registration link and select “Emory Medical Team (June 5–15)” when prompted. We encourage all eligible members to apply and be part of this impactful global health experience. Apply for a Team – HELPS International.

Dear State OMS Society Executive Directors and Presidents:

Please find attached a letter from the chair of the AAOMS Committee on Healthcare Policy, Coding and Reimbursement. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions! Thank you!

Sandy Guenther
Director, State Government Affairs

American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons
9700 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Rosemont, IL 60018
Office: 800-822-6637, ext. 4388 | Fax: 847-678-4619
sguenther@aaoms.org | AAOMS.org | MyOMS.org

Members of the 2024-2025 AAOMS Board of Trustees were installed on Sept. 11 during the third session of the House of Delegates.

Front row, from left:

• Steven R. Nelson, DDS, MS, Speaker of the House of Delegates
• Jeffrey H. Wallen, DDS, Treasurer
• Charles A. Crago, DMD, MD, FACS, Vice President
• J. David Morrison, DMD, President
• Robert S. Clark, DMD, President-Elect
• Mark A. Egbert, DDS, FACS, Immediate Past President
• Karin Wittich, CAE, Secretary/Executive Director

Back row, from left:

• Debra M. Sacco, DMD, MD, District III Trustee
• Edward J. Miller Jr., DMD, District I Trustee
• Gregory M. Ness, DDS, FACS, District IV Trustee
• Martin E. Eichner, DDS, District II Trustee
• Julia R. Plevnia, DDS, FACS, District V Trustee
• W. Frederick Stephens, DDS, District VI Trustee

The Good Samaritan Health Center is a 501c3 nonprofit organization in downtown Atlanta that provides full-circle of health services to those in need across metro-Atlanta. Founded in 1998, “Good Sam” has faithfully served individuals and families who are uninsured and medically underserved, and those who face many barriers to receiving quality medical care and improving their health. The 40,000+ encounters that Good Sam sees each year are comprised of patients who are the working poor, those experiencing homelessness, and those on Medicaid or Medicare. Through their medical, dental, behavioral health, health education, and food access services, patients of all ages are seen on a sliding fee scale based on household income and federal poverty guidelines. An onsite 1-acre urban farm and market allow for a fun educational opportunity right here in the city, while also addressing the barrier of living in a food desert for those they serve.

While Good Sam has a full-time staff of 50 people providing consistent primary care and dentistry services, they rely on the generosity of volunteers to fulfill their specialty needs, including oral surgery. Beginning in April 2022, Emory OMFS residents and faculty volunteers are providing excellent and much needed oral surgery services to the patients of Good Samaritan. The waitlist for patients needing these services is long and we are committed to continuing to volunteer with Good Sam every other month for the foreseeable future. However, to ensure the standard of care which we believe every patient is deserving of, Good Sam needs to purchase or receive the appropriate equipment: drill module, handpieces, etc. Early estimates for these items came in around $20,000 and that is outside the means of the nonprofit at this time. It is my hope that the society can come together for this worthy cause and provide these items to Good Sam. If we each make a tax-deductible gift of just $250, the Center will be able to purchase the equipment before our next scheduled clinic in August. I know each of you understands the value of not only ensuring a vulnerable population has access to a healthy mouth, but also the importance of our students experiencing the complexities of providing care to this population during their training. Alternatively, if you have a working dental drill and hand pieces that are no longer needed please consider donation to this worthy cause.

If you would like to be a part of providing high quality, oral surgery services to the patients of Good Samaritan, please consider donating toward the purchase of the drills and tools our volunteers will need when they serve in the clinic. Visit goodsamatlanta.org/gooddental to make your gift. You can also contact Heather Kersey, Chief Development Officer for Good Sam at heather.kersey@goodsamatlanta.org with questions or ideas on how to help.
 

Sincerely,

Heather Kersey
Chief Development Officer
Good Samaritan Health Center

Gary Bouloux DDS, MD, MDSc, FRACDS, FRACDS(OMS), FRCS(Eng), FACS
Professor and Interim Division Chief
Division Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
Emory University School of Medicine
President American Society of Temporomandibular Joint Surgeons