The Heart of a
Network
by Benjamin Lund, Editor, Dentaltown Magazine
Dr. Jeff Whiteside started the first day of his
career as a dentist with a network of supporters,
a benefit many just-graduated dentists can’t
claim to have. With Heartland Dental Care’s
community of professionals, he was able to
springboard his practice into the bustling office
he has today. Herein, Dentaltown Magazine talks
to Dr. Whiteside about why he chose the dental
service organization route, and why he thinks
calling it “corporate” is a misnomer.
Dr. Whiteside, tell me why you chose
dentistry as your profession?
Whiteside: It was in high school when I first considered working in the health-care profession. I just wasn’t sure which branch of
health care I wanted to join. It was my parents who first suggested I observe at my hometown dental office. I
found that the dental profession could fulfill many of the core values that my parents instilled in me while growing up such as work
ethic and serving the community in a positive way. I also found that dentistry allowed me the opportunity to serve while still fulfilling
my core value in having time to spend with my wife (and soon to be born daughter!). In addition to fulfilling my desire to
work in health care, I saw dentistry as an opportunity to be an active and respected member of my community as well as to be able
to provide a stable income for my family. Dentistry has proven to be the ideal professional fit.
Tell me about your experience in dental school.
Whiteside: In dental school, not only did I receive a great clinical
education, but I also encountered several instructors and
members of the dental profession who were instrumental in shaping
me into the professional I am today. During my time in dental
school, I had several opportunities to serve the community
including volunteering for Give Kids a Smile as well as serving on
a dental mission trip to Jamaica. I was also a member of the Xi Psi
Phi Dental Fraternity.
How did you get involved with Heartland Dental Care (HDC)?
Whiteside: I attended a presentation by the
HDC Recruiting Team during my fourth year of
dental school. I was incredibly impressed with the
presentation and in what Heartland had to offer
any dentist, much less a new graduate. The
opportunities for both professional and personal
growth are almost unlimited within HDC and it
was immediately obvious to me during that presentation
that HDC was the best fit for me. I have
never regretted that decision and am so glad I
attended that presentation.
Why did you choose to join HDC rather
than become an associate at a stand-alone
practice or try to start your own practice?
Whiteside: My concern with being an associate at a traditional
stand-alone practice was limited growth opportunity. The
owner doctor has to have enough patients to satisfy his or her
economic needs as well as having enough to share with an associate.
While doing my research into associate practices, I realized
that only a small percentage of dental practices actually have that
economic reality. Starting my own practice right out of school
was not much of an option due to the macro-economic situation
in the country at the time. Added to that is the fact that I could
not envision myself running a business directly out of school
while trying to focus on delivering high quality dentistry to my
patients on a consistent basis. I believe that many new dentists
have those same concerns and we just don’t have those skill sets
right out of school. I knew I didn’t! I chose HDC and I would
do the same today because of the opportunities to work in
a busy practice right away alongside strong, experienced
doctors, the ability to be able to focus on my patients while
learning how to run a successful business, attend continuing
education classes and have both personal and professional support
from HDC’s mentor program.
What is the one thing you’ve learned about dentistry
that you wish you had learned in dental school?
Whiteside: That’s an easy question for me. Without hesitation my answer would be leadership. I have learned that while doing the clinical dentistry is demanding, it’s really the easiest part of my job description. Learning how to lead and inspire team members to do better and to be better than even they themselves believe possible is something I was never exposed to in school. Our team is the most important asset our practice has. I owe it to them to work everyday to become the best leader I possibly can. HDC and the other doctors within our practice have helped me grow in my leadership more than I can explain.
What have you learned at HDC that you never learned
in dental school?
Whiteside: Besides leadership skills it has to be my communication
skills. One of the “rocks” that HDC is built upon is
communication. I have found that communication between doctor
and patient, doctor and team members, as well as between
team members is the most critical aspect to having a successful
dental practice. While I have always considered myself able to
“talk” with just about anyone, it became evident to me rather
quickly that I needed to learn how to truly and openly communicate.
Without clear, concise and meaningful communication,
patients are less likely to get the treatment they want, need and
desire. In addition, without open communication between doctors
and their teams, team members are left without a clear vision
of what the practice’s goals and vision are. We spend quite a bit
of time in our practice and as a company fine-tuning our communication
skills every day. I can’t stress enough how important
communication is.
Tell me about a typical day at your office. How many
hours do you work? What sorts of patients do you see?
Tell me about your team. Tell me about HDC’s input.
Whiteside: A typical day in our practice starts with a 15-minute huddle
each morning. We come together as a team to get our “game
faces on” and prepare for our day. We follow the YTT morning
huddle formula. YTT stands for Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.
Each department within our practice (business, hygiene and doctor)
has the opportunity to discuss what went well for them the
previous day, what they are working on as well as any opportunity
that today might present to serve our patients and what
tomorrow looks like so we can plan for that as well. The huddle
is instrumental in getting us focused on our patients and in communicating
between ourselves. Our practice has a mixed payer profile. We want to be available to serve as many
patients as we can while remaining a viable business
model. While most of our patients are fee for
service, we do have a healthy mix of PPO plans as
well. Our office consists of three full-time equivalent
dentists, six business assistants, six hygienists
and six dental assistants. Every team member
within the practice is very well trained and committed
to helping our patients in as many ways as
we can every day. HDC supports our team structure.
They support us in many ways so that we as
doctors and as a clinical team can focus on delivering
the highest quality dental care possible for
our patients.
Your particular office is pretty new. Did
you have any input in its design or
construction?
Whiteside: We recently relocated our practice into a beautiful
new facility. We have a spectacular freestanding building that
our entire community is talking about. While HDC took on the
responsibility of the primary design of the facility as well as interviewing
contractors and securing bids, the team had the opportunity
to review the plans and to offer input. The new facility is not
only aesthetically pleasant, it is functional and comfortable for us
to work in and for our patients to enjoy. Our practice was quite
successful prior to our move, but since our relocation, our growth
has been explosive.
What’s the biggest advantage to working for a
“corporate” dental entity?
Whiteside: I don’t like the word “corporate” as it stirs up too
many negative images. “Corporate” insinuates that some “corporate”
entity is constantly looking over your shoulder, maybe even
telling me what to do. My experience with HDC is the exact
opposite of that. HDC and its administrative team are there to
support my team and me. I am the leader and decision maker in
my practice, yet I always know that I have a coach in HDC just
a phone call away if I need help. I find the biggest advantage in
working with HDC is having a network of doctors that I can
contact at a moment’s notice with any type of question. I can
have dozens of supportive and meaningful answers literally
within minutes to any questions I might have. The network is
available through the company wide e-mail, the mentor program
and at company and doctor functions.
What would you say is the biggest disadvantage?
Whiteside: The one possible disadvantage that I have found
is that HDC is an open-book company. That means that every
day our practice numbers are tracked and posted on the company
intranet so that
anyone from within
the company can see
what it is I am doing on a daily basis. We know what our peers
in the other affiliated offices are doing on a daily basis, viceversa,
they know what I am doing. HDC is not a very good
place for someone to hide! Truth be told, I like that we’re an
open book. I can compare my performance to some of the best,
most productive dentists in the country to see how my clinical
standards measure up. If I were a solo practitioner, I would not
have access to that kind of information. Being involved with an
open book company has helped me become a better clinical
dentist as well as a better leader and businessman.
What surprised you the most when you started
working in a dental practice full time?
Whiteside: The most surprising thing was my realization
that doing the actual clinical dentistry was the easiest part of my
day-to-day job. I was also surprised at how many people want to
get treated the same day they come to see us. As a doctor, I
thought patients didn’t mind being rescheduled to another day
for their needed treatment. I had to teach myself to quit thinking
like a doctor and how to think more like a patient. Patient’s
want treatment today! Saying yes to our patients and getting
them cared for the same day was the single most important “aha”
moment I have had, and has helped us grow our practice to
where it is today.
What would you recommend to those in dental
school right now?
Whiteside: Learn and experience everything you possibly
can while in dental school. Most importantly, learn how to give painless injections and then learn how to do predictable, routine
endo and extractions. Patients want to be cared for same day
when possible, especially when they’re in pain. Providing treatment
to patients in a painless manner especially when they’re
hurting will cause a practice to immediately experience growth.
Tell me about your favorite part of your job.
Whiteside: Working together with my team to deliver a high
quality dental experience and improving the patient’s oral health.
What are your five favorite pieces of equipment in
your practice? Why?
Whiteside:
- Kavo Comfort Drive Electric Handpieces – quiet and efficient
while preparing teeth
- Picasso Lite Soft Tissue Laser – lightweight and easy to set up
- Intra-oral Camera – great way to communicate the
patient’s needs to them
- Feather Light LED Loupe – so light that I don’t even
notice it on my loupes
- Digital X-rays – quick and, in my opinion, more diagnostic
You’ve been a member of Dentaltown since 2009. In
what ways has it been a resource for you?
Whiteside: I receive Dentaltown Magazine and I spend a
lot of time on the Web site. Dentaltown has been a valuable
resource to me in that it provides information on just about any technique and product. I often use the message board search to read threads for information on any dental topic.
What other dental resources do you use?
Whiteside: JADA, Epocrates, Illinois Dental News.
Let’s say someone told you couldn’t be a dentist anymore.
What would you do?
Whiteside: I would probably be a science teacher at the high school level and maybe serve as a coach for one of the athletic teams.
When you’re not practicing, what do you like to do
to unwind?
Whiteside: I enjoy working out, sports, boating, hunting
and spending time with my wife and family.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Whiteside: Five years from now, I hope to be the best leader
that I can be, delivering the highest quality dental care that I can
deliver to our patients.
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