2021 Gabryl Award Recipient: Dr. Charles Stewart, Aetna

For his expertise, insight and continued leadership in the dental benefits industry, NADP is pleased to honor Dr. Charles Stewart, Aetna, with the 2021 Gabryl Award, the dental benefits industry’s highest honor.  NADP will honor Dr. Stewart Tuesday, Oct. 5 during the Virtual CONVERGE Opening General Session.

When confronted with numerous, rapidly evolving and widespread challenges impacting dental benefits during the global pandemic, the industry was fortunate to have a leader of Dr.  Charles Stewart’s caliber representing the industry on the American Dental Association’s Code Maintenance Committee (CMC). With Dr. Stewart at the helm, NADP has successfully navigated the procedural and political aspects of service on the ADA CMC for nearly a decade.

During the pandemic, Dr. Stewart’s expertise, insight and leadership helped the industry stay the course during challenging circumstances. He successfully steered the industry’s response to the first ever supplemental meeting of the CMC, which resulted in nine new codes in mid-2020 that were integrated into the code set already in place as of January 2020. He articulated myriad logistical and technical issues, and the CMC listened. The final resolution gave plans additional time needed to seek regulatory approvals and IT implementation for the emergency COVID testing and vaccine codes.

As a result of Dr. Stewart’s leadership and expertise as NADP’s CMC voting representative over the years, NADP is a respected contributor to the development and implementation of dental procedure terminology, a foundational aspect of the dental and dental benefits industries.

With Dr. Stewart’s dedication, NADP has achieved industry consensus on new and revised Codes and represented the dental benefits industry in key discussions affecting the future of how dental plans and providers conduct business.

Dr. Stewart is consistently sought out for his expertise and advice on payer issues by the ADA and many of the dental specialty organizations who serve on the CMC. The specialty organizations seek out Dr. Stewart and NADP when developing CDT submissions; his insight and influence during CMC meetings is highly respected. Based on his collaborative efforts, NADP was the first CMC member to submit combined CDT proposals with support from multiple CMC members. He has authored a chapter for the ADA’s CDT Coding Companion for several years.

Dr. Charles Stewart is Senior Director Dental for Aetna Dental and President and CEO of Aetna Dental of California, both CVS Health Companies. He previously served as Aetna’s National Director, Dental Networks and regional dental director for 26 states. He has also served as manager of dental quality assurance at WellPoint Dental Services, where he was responsible for review of all specialty claims and quality of care issues. Prior to WellPoint, he was dental director for FHP, quality assurance consultant and training auditor at PacifiCare Dental, and auditor, Golden West Dental and Vision Plan. He is currently Chairman of CADP’s Quality Management Committee and lead instructor for CADP’s quality assurance consultant certification courses. Dr. Stewart is credited with the development and implementation of the CADP computerized shared quality assurance assessment warehouse program.

Dr. Stewart’s volunteer contributions also include service in the clinical and codes areas under a variety of volunteer group structures as early as 2010. He has served on the Codes WorkGroup, Clinical WorkGroup and Diagnostic Terminology Sub-WorkGroup. In 2012 he became vice chair of the Codes WorkGroup and chair in 2013. He continues as chair today of the Codes Sub-WorkGroup and as NADP’s voting representative to the ADA CMC.

For these reasons and many more, the NADP Diagnostic Terminology SubWorkGroup, the Membership and Operations WorkGroups recommended Dr. Charles D. Stewart for the Gabryl Award, the most prestigious honor of the dental benefits industry.

For his exemplary service to our industry and association, please join NADP in congratulating this year’s recipient of the Gabryl Award, Dr. Charles Stewart!