The TMJ Association - changing the face of TMJ

Who We Are - Annual Report

Board of Directors & Scientific Advisors

Our History

2005 Annual Report of Activities and Successes

Twenty years ago, The TMJ Association was founded on the premise that TMJ diseases and disorders are a significant public health issue, that patients have a right to expect treatment options that are scientifically shown to be safe and effective, and that patients can make reasonable treatment decisions only if they have access to information. In 2005, The TMJ Association (TMJA) continued to fulfill its mission to improve the care of treatment of those affected by TMJ diseases and disorders and ultimately to prevent these problems.

SUMMARY OF THE TMJ ASSOCIATION 2005 ACTIVITIES

Promoting TMJ Awareness
Publication Projects
Support Network Volunteer Program
Economic Status
Special Events
The Fourth Scientific Meeting

PROMOTING TMJ AWARENESS

National Institutes of Health

TMJA President Terrie Cowley held meetings with high-level government and agency officials in ongoing advocacy efforts to address TMJ issues and needs. At the NIH, Terrie Cowley met with…

…Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Disorders (NIAMS), Director of the Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health, the staff director of TMJ efforts at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) to discuss how the NIH can improve its efforts related to TMJ.

…Dr. David Thomas, Health Science Administrator at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to review the research being conducted by that Institute related to pain.

…Dr. Linda Porter, Program Director at the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) for the NIH's Pain Consortium, a collaborative effort represented by 19 Institutes and Centers.

TMJ and Muscle Disease Interagency Working Group

The September TMJDIWG meeting served to update the members, who are representatives from the NIH, other federal health agencies, and patient organizations, on new initiatives and current research related to TMJ.

TMJA Communication Statistics

In 2005, our average monthly incoming communication includes:

Web site visitors: 46,810
Web site hits: 1,098,965

PUBLICATION PROJECTS

Quarterly publication of the TMJ Communiqué resumed.
The TMJ Association updated the TMJ section of Proctor and Gamble's website.
The TMJA's brochures, The TMJ Association and Temporomandibular Joint Diseases and Disorders, were updated.
The TMJA's new patient brochure, Faces of TMJ, was completed. It highlights five TMJ patients and their stories.
The brochure Temporomandibular Joint Diseases and Disorders was translated into French.
Proceedings from The Third Scientific Meeting of The TMJ Association were edited by Dr. Arthur W. English and published in Cells, Tissues, Organs.
A summary of The Third Scientific Meeting of The TMJ Association was published in May 2005 in the TMJA's journal, TMJ Science.

SUPPORT NETWORK VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

In addition to advocating for quality, interdisciplinary research and educating patients, healthcare professionals, and the public about TMJ diseases and disorders, The TMJ Association strives to provide empathetic and knowledgeable support to the many patients and their families suffering from TMJDs. To build a more effective network, we recently invited five longtime volunteers to participate in our Support Network Program.

ECONOMIC STATUS

2005 Financial Statements and Audit

As we have reported in the past, we require about $75,000 per year to cover basic expenses. This is the amount needed to cover salary for our one full-time and one part-time employee and expenses such as office rent, utilities, printing, postage, equipment maintenance, insurance, and financial auditing. Expenses increased slightly in 2005 due to the use of a marketing consultant to better serve our patients and disseminate information more effectively.

Our 2005 expenses were $129,781, down from $157,445 in 2004. Since there was no Scientific Meeting in 2004, our expenses were considerably less. Revenue was up in slightly 2005, with $115,224 in contributions and grants. The TMJ Association received $112,099 in contributions in 2004. Special event revenue was $18,909 in 2005, up significantly from $6,520 in 2004. This increase is attributed to the addition of corporate sponsorships at the Golf Outing and contributions received in conjunction with the Northern Trust Event.

2005 was the second year that the TMJA participated in the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). The CFC allows federal government workers to pledge contributions to The TMJ Association. Final 2005 donation figures will not be in until late 2006; however, the current pledge amount is $6,173.77. We received over $8,611.08 in contributions from the 2004 CFC.

Fund-Raising Appeal

As in the past, fund-raising by direct-mail solicitation of past supporters and new contacts has been our largest source of revenue. In October 2005, the TMJA launched its fall fund-raising appeal. The generosity of more than 146 supporters of the TMJA raised nearly $53,000. This type of altruism enables the TMJA to continue informing the public and policy makers, to provide empathetic and knowledgeable support to patients and their families, and to strive for multidisciplinary research to effectively treat TMJ diseases and disorders.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Golf Outing

TMJA Board members Kevin Clark and James Wozniak organized a golf fund-raising event which was held August 25 at the Grand Geneva Country Club in Geneva, Wisconsin. The event was attended by 38 golfers and raised over $13,000 for the TMJA. In 2005, sponsorship levels were added to the golf outing, bringing in additional revenue. Sponsorship levels will be increased for the 2006 Golf Outing, which will be held August 17 at the Grand Geneva.

Northern Trust Event

Jim Rauh, President of Northern Trust-Wisconsin, a provider of asset management, personal fiduciary, wealth management, and trust services, held an evening buffet reception in October to promote awareness of TMJ diseases and disorders to business, philanthropic, political, and healthcare community leaders in Milwaukee. T. Michael Bolger, President of the Medical College of Wisconsin, introduced TMJA President Terrie Cowley. Terrie then described the complexities of TMJ and the need for research to find solutions.

The Fourth Scientfic Meeting

The TMJ Association began planning its Fourth Scientific Meeting, A Systems Approach to the Understanding of TMJ as a Complex Disease, which will be held on September 11 and 12, 2006, in Bethesda, Maryland. Treatments for temporomandibular joint diseases and disorders (TMJDs) currently leave much to be desired and it is imperative that the underlying biology that drives these conditions be reexamined at this time. This meeting will look at TMJDs as a complex disease involving genetic factors, environmental conditions, as well as risk and confirmed behaviors mediating the vulnerability of patients to TMJDs.

THE FUTURE

In 2005, we were able to continue to operate at an effective level, but with reduced direct contact services to patients and other interested individuals. Our successes in 2005 will enable us to reinstate some services to better assist TMJ patients and their families. Looking ahead to 2006, we know that we will have additional expenses with our newsletter, TMJ Communiqué, and for a patient support meeting in the fall of 2005. In addition, planning has begun for the Fourth Scientific Meeting to be held in 2006. We will be administering an online TMJ Patient Survey, with results to be reported at the Fourth Scientific Meeting. A fund-raising mailing is planned for the summer for those who respond to the survey. We are applying for additional State Employee Contribution Campaigns in 2006 to further increase our revenue.