The Character of Our Staff

We have recently undergone a tumultuous change in our practice. We have thrown out the paper charts and gone in to Electronic Medical Records (EMR). I have written several blogs on the heart-wrenching experience this has been and will continue to be for the next few months. But the purpose of this today is to tell the world what incredible staff we have at this office. The week long training has just ended and it has been a week that has been full of frustration and aches. Each staff member has been thrown into trying to learn this system, which has not at any turn been friendly to the way we do things in this office. Every person has worked extremely hard to try to modify the program to point out weaknesses, to point out where it does not fit the patient’s needs, to point out where it does not meet the needs of the practice in this mission, and so forth. Today was the day that we saw a half-day of 4 patients and I have to tell you that it was extremely nerve wracking as we approached this day. Last night, I did not sleep hardly at all. When I got to work this morning and we had a usual morning huddle it turns out not a single staff member slept well at last night either! Everybody was nervous about the patient’s who were to come in and nervous that they would not be taking care of at high level of care that we give in our practice, because everybody was concerned that the EMR was going to distract us from that. I for one, was shocked at that revelation. This demonstrates the commitment in the passion our staff has, to the person, for the care of the patient. They focus on the patient and deal with the computer as it is. They have all maintained at that focus and that mission. I am extremely proud to be associated with co-workers such as this. I cannot put into words what that means. That means that I am working with people who are as committed to the patient as I am. Those of you who are reading this who are team leaders in a business or team leaders in a medical practice know exactly what I am saying here. It is extremely rare to have an entire staff to be this committed to the patient care. Usually it is 1 or 2 people in the staff who are committed to the care of our patient’s as a priority over the business of the practice and I am proud to say that my entire staff is of that rarity.

I can rest assured that I if ever get replaced in this practice by another doctor that my staff will carry on with a mission of caring for our patients in pain who come to our doors. It is God who brings the patients to our door for us to intersect with and it is God who is the head of this practice. He is the one who brings the patients to us and it is a validation to me that God has also brought the staff that we have to our office by the way they have responded to this incredibly tumultuous event of throwing out the paper charts and going EMR.

As a Dentist who depends entirely on his staff for delivery of quality care, I have to say that I am blessed to have the coworkers that I have and I hope they also feel blessed with the passion they
have as I know that rewards come when they see the patient’s respond to the treatment that we provide for them.

Ronald S. Prehn, D.D.S.
Diplomate of the American Board of Orofacial Pain
Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine

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