The Purpose of the Practice
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by: Guest
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Sometimes we can get a little carried away with ourselves. When you see a dental team in conflict, you can find a lot of solutions by going back to the basics. The basic of any practice is it's purpose. You would probably say that the purpose of a dental practice is to serve it's patients. You would be wrong.
I was reading a post on Dentaltown about a dentist who wanted his hygienist to talk to patients about the condition of their teeth. She wasn't interested in doing that, other's were suggesting that he buy her an intraoral camera and there was a good bit of debate back and forth about what should be expected of the staff. Mac Lee, DDS came along and told everyone about the purpose of the practice discussion he had with his staff. He had been feeling very pressured to provide a bonus for his staff, even though production that year didn't warrant one. He was taking money from his savings to pay the bonus. He started thinking about it and he got mad.
What he realized was this; a dental practice exists to serve the dentist. Serving the patients is a goal of the practice, the purpose of the practice is to serve the dentist so that he can achieve his goal of service to the patients. The staff will also serve the patients but ultimately are there to support the dentist. Without the dentist, there is no practice, no jobs, no one to serve the patients. It's really that simple.
If you're a dentist, you're probably thrilled to read this. You should be. You took the risk, you put the time into dental school and continuing ed. You built something and invited others to take part in it. You provide a place for them to come to earn a paycheck that supports their lifestyle, find professional satisfaction, or, as patients, receive the care they need. If you're a staff member, realize that if the dentist locks the door and leaves; it's all over. You don't have a job and the patients don't have a dentist. On the other hand, if you walk out and don't come back, he will still be able to serve his patients. It won't be as easy, but, he won't stop either.
If you're a manager, how should you feel about this? You should feel honored to be of service. The dentist is trusting you to guide the practice that serves his purpose. Find your reward in the honor of that and the regard the dentist must have for you. Your compensation is in your paycheck. Consider anything else a gift to be offered, but not demanded or expected. Keep your purpose firmly and clearly in mind so that you don't get off track in your expectations or your estimation of your own importance. If you do your job well, with character, and with your focus on the correct purpose, everything else will fall into place.
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Since the early 1990s, health care information companies have bought electronic records of prescriptions from pharmacies and other sources.
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