Melanie Duncan

Melanie Duncan has been the office manager at CountrySide Dental Care for over 10 years. She has been managing offices in the healthcare field for over 20 years. She was just recently awarded the AADOM’s Office Manager of the Year! What sets her apart are her team building skills.  You can read about her in several trade magazines and she looks forward to crowning the next AADOM Office Manager of the Year!

 

Most recently you were nominated and selected as Office Manager of the Year.  Congratulations!  Could you share some of the reasons why and what makes your approach to Dental Practice exceptional?

I  was nominated because I have the best team ever!  What makes my approach to managing our clinic so special... believing in people and what they can achieve. 

 

Do you have suggestions for other managers especially in these difficult economic times?

Yes, keep your chin up!  Keep patients oral health at the forefront of everything you do.  Be creative in keeping moral up for doctors, patients and your team!  It's also a good time to amp up your internal referral program. If you are a member of the AADOM look to your peers for new idea's.  If you are not in the AADOM join!  

 

Who are your role models? (both professional and personally)

I have had more than one over the course of my career.  My sister taught me how to always treat people with kindness.  A supervisor I once had taught me you have to be willing to work along side your team even if it's a dirty job.  Then last year at the AADOM conference I met several women that I admire. There's Heather and Lorie at the AADOM who keep the association working for all of us.  I got to hear Teresa Duncan as a speaker and I really appreciate what she does for the dental community.  Then my buddy and AADOM Office Manager of the Year for 2007, Mindy Otto.  She has been someone I have been able to turn to many times through out the past year. Her professionalism is something I really admire.

 

Have you faced any challenges in your career?

Several!  Remodeling, computerizing the operatories and new software.  While the journey was sometimes rocky it was well worth it.  Currently we have started the process of going paperless and goal for completion is 2010.

 

How do you motivate your team and others around you?

One of our team members cut  a quip out of our local paper and brought it to me.  She said " I read this and thought of you".  It reads:

"Teamwork can be summed up in five short words" " We believe in each other." 

I have had it posted on my computer ever since.  I believe it says it all. 

 

What puts a smile on your face?

Here's my top five:

5. The AADOM

4. Taking Freddy (my puppet) to the schools in February to talk with the kids about proper dental care.

3. Our team and how they strive to put the patients first.

2. My family

1. My GRANDKIDS!