FSOMS Mourns the Passing of Dr. Ramon Ruiz
It is with sadness that I write to inform you of the death of Ramon L. Ruiz, DDS, MD, Past President of the FSOMS. Dr. Ruiz’s career is nothing short of remarkable.
Cuban born; he lived in Spain with his family for a brief period before emigrating to the U.S. Miami was his home where he was educated before pursuing a baccalaureate degree at Florida State University, Dental School at the University of Alabama, Medical School and OMFS residency at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, fellowship training in Pediatric Craniomaxillofacial Surgery at the Posnick Center for Craniofacial Surgery at Georgetown University Medical Center. Dr. Ruiz spent time at several craniofacial units in England before he joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery where he honed his skills in cleft and craniofacial surgery. He was named Chairman of the Division of Pediatric Craniomaxillofacial Surgery at the University of Central Florida and at the Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando in 2008. He served as Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Arnold Palmer Children’s Medical Center, and he developed the first fellowship in pediatric craniomaxillofacial surgery for oral and maxillofacial surgeons in 2009. Since then, he has trained 14 “next generation” craniomaxillofacial surgeons.
Dr. Ruiz was very affable, humorous, and dedicated to his patients and trainees, as well as his interest in pediatric craniomaxillofacial surgery. He developed and promoted a central application process for oral and maxillofacial surgery residents wishing to pursue fellowship training.
We will all remember his easy smile and the warmth in his greetings. The kindness in his encouragement and wisdom of the advice he offered so freely.
He will be remembered as a gentle giant in his field, superb surgeon and educator who embodied all of the traits of excellence. A dedicated husband and father, he leaves behind his wife of more than 30 years, Laura, and 3 daughters, Julia, Maia, and Josephine, as well as his mother, Aurora, and a brother, Javier.
Dr. Ruiz’s funeral will be at 10:00 AM on Sept. 30. More details to follow.
Jason Portnof, DMD, MD
President, FSOMS
FSOMS 2023 Legislative Session Report
Following are links to two important legislative reports from our lobbying team at Gray-Robinson. The first is an “End of Session” report that gives a general overview of the past session. The second item provides more details on the specific bills referenced in the first report.
Thanks to Mike Huey, Jessica Love and George Levesgue for their continued excellent service to FSOMS and our specialty.
Dr. Jason Portnof, FSOMS President, Reconstructs 8 yr. old Shooting Victim’s Face
Watch video and read complete article here.
What could’ve been a tragic end to 8-year-old Lilah Williams-Sjosten’s young life ended up turning into a heartwarming story of perseverance.
This past March, Williams-Sjosten was on her way to SeaWorld when she was shot in the face during a drive-by shooting near Avenue O and Northwest 12th Street in Fort Pierce. Lilah was flown to Saint Mary’s Medical Center for surgery.
Dr. Jason Portnof was the oral surgeon who reconstructed Lilah’s jaw with three surgeries. He explained how he performed the operations.
“Reconstructed jaw, based on the uninjured side so that we basically mirror-imaged the uninjured side to the injured side, so we could bend a plate, a custom titanium plate, that we could use to re-line everything up and give her an anatomic outcome,” he explained, holding up a 3D molding of Lilah’s jaw for reference.
After such random terror, and a few weeks of surgeries and recovery, Lilah and her family have avoided unthinkable tragedy. The screws are scheduled to be removed from her jaw in about six months.
Opioid Courses Available
The Florida Academy of Pediatric Dentistry invites FSOMS members to take these required opioid courses:
DEA announces MATE Act training requirement
New DEA training requirements affecting oral and maxillofacial surgeons licensed to prescribe controlled substances take effect this summer. All DEA-registered practitioners must complete a one-time eight-hour training requirement of coursework addressing substance use disorders as part of the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act.
Practitioners who complete their next scheduled DEA renewal registration or an initial application on or after June 27 must check a box on their online DEA registration form affirming they have completed the training. The DEA clarifies that past training – including continuing education received through AAOMS or the ADA prior to Dec. 29, 2022 – counts toward meeting this requirement and that the eight hours does not need to be completed as a single session.
Training may be on the management of patients with opioid or other substance use disorders and not necessarily the treatment of these patients. We believe AAOMS offers qualifying online CE courses to meet the requirement.
While AAOMS continues its communications with the DEA and SAMHSA, we also would strongly suggest contacting the DEA with questions regarding qualifying courses or other matters. Email questions to the Diversion Control Division Policy Section at odlp@dea.gov or call 571-362-3260.
Visit our website for key provisions, advocacy efforts and available educational resources to assist members in complying with the MATE Act. Questions? Email advocacy@aaoms.org.