Attracting and retaining strong staff members has been a constant challenge for DSOs and dental practices.
These five DSO executives recently connected with Becker's to share how they provide support as well as offer value to their staff.
Note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
What dental practices can learn from the Great Resignation
Barry Lyon, DDS. A Chief Dental Officer for the Division of Orthodontics and Pediatric Dentistry for Dental Care Alliance (Sarasota, Fla.): Practices with the greatest successes have employees who work with them and not just for them. Developing this relationship requires effort and understanding, especially of Generation Z, whether they are dentists or staff. Having them identify with the practice is crucial to developing a positive culture. Gen Zs want clear goals and feedback and exposure to technology, desire inclusivity, need career growth opportunities, and probably most important, want a work-life balance. Providing these needs will go a long way toward a positive culture and employee retention.
More dentists moving away from 'lip service' support from DSOs: Exec
Jason Auerbach, DDS, co-CEOs of Max Surgical Specialty Management (Hackensack, N.J.): It's very important for us as an organization to not only allow for it, but to support and foster this concept of doctors really participating on all levels within the organization. It's important for doctors to be doctors. It's important for doctors to trust the process and trust that they're going to be heard and that their care [is] always determined by doctors, and that the clinical autonomy should never be questioned and will never waver, certainly within Max.
How a former dental assistant uses their experience to lead a growing DSO
Christy Englehart. COO of PepperPointe Partnerships (Lexington, Ky.): Providers are not employees. They're doctors, they're partners, and they should be treated as such. Sometimes I think in some of our larger DSOs, they're hired as employees [and] treated as employees. They're professionals and they need to be empowered and we need to treat them as such.
How 'working for the doctors' fuels Aspen Dental's success
Arwinder Judge, DDS. Chief Clinical Officer of Aspen Dental (Chicago): For me it's always been about helping doctors get to their goals, and I want to see if I can solve anything and everything, from compensation to your professional development, and those are things we really focus on. If we can get those things right, dentists will choose us, and if they choose us we want to get the best and the brightest. That way, we can support the patients in the right way, and that allows us to continue to grow.
How Select Dental Management is elevating hygienists
Becky Kiddoo. Director of Hygiene of Select Dental Management (Florham Park, N.J.): Select really believes in building the culture of valuing hygienists as providers who bring patients, not just dental health, but oral systemic health as well. Part of how we do that is by providing support that elevates the hygienists as preventive specialists. We feel like that is crucial in keeping the patients healthy.