Two dental professionals share their stories of how a struggle turned into a success, thanks, they say, to the resources offered to them by AADOM
For Tito Albino, it was being able to look at his 7-year-old son and tell him that no matter what life throws out, it can be done, and then hearing his son tell him, “Papi, I want to be just like you.” For Tamara Whitley, it was remembering countless sleepless nights, 14- to 16-hour workdays trying to save the incomes of 7 employees, and wondering how she was able to turn what she deemed a “Titanic” into a financially solvent practice.
Both Albino and Whitley are referring to being named “Office Manager of the Year” at the American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM) annual conference, held in September at Red Rock Casino Resort & Spa in Las Vegas, NV. The 2 dental professionals are happy to report their practices are doing well, and they credit AADOM for giving them the tools needed to achieve success.
Motivation + Support = Success
The regional manager of Ammar Mousa and Associates Dentistry, a multi-location dental practice located about 1 hour north of Orlando, FL, Albino overcame overwhelmingly humble beginnings in poverty as a young adult and spent years climbing the dental career ladder. He eventually achieved his current job of overseeing operations for 4 of the practices' locations.
“I always had motivation, and the resources within AADOM—from the education courses to the networking with peers for knowledge and support—have played a huge part in my success,” shared Albino, who also earned an AADOM Mastership (MAADOM) distinction. “And going to the conferences is life-changing—it’s like a reset button!”
A Fortune 50 client-operations, HR, and benefits executive for almost 3 decades, Whitley joined her husband’s practice, Whitley Family Dental in Dallas, TX, “temporarily” while between jobs, making the dismaying discovery that it was a financially failing practice—a "Titanic" headed toward an iceberg—with over 50 upside down PPO fee schedules and over 500 claims, each of which was over 500 days aging. Literally at the end of her rope, Whitley received an invitation to join a webinar and learned about AADOM. The rest, as they say, is history.
Knowing 'You’re Not Alone
'“When you don’t have AADOM in your practice, you are alone on an island,” said Whitley, who also earned the AADOM Diplomate (DAADOM) distinction. “Everything I have learned, and everything I have overturned in this office, is because of what I learned through AADOM. For me, winning this award opens up my ability to tell our story and help other offices know they’re not alone.”
