The Path to Success in Practice Leadership

Author
By: Dental Product Shopper
2/13/2023

The Path to Success in Practice Leadership

 

From introductory courses and certifications to networking and support, AADOM helps groom future leaders and, in turn, drive practice success 

 

For Tito Albino, the journey from living in poverty during his youth in Philadelphia to a successful leadership position in a growing Florida dental practice began with a simple goal—to work at the community health center where he once slept behind. He achieved that goal after high school graduation, taking a series of jobs that would ultimately lead to a career in the dental profession when he signed on to participate in an ADA pilot program.

 

 

tito albino

 

“As a leader, AADOM has helped me a lot and has given me so many resources.”

- Tito Albino

 

 

“I had no idea what it was going to entail and how much passion I was going to have for dentistry,” he recalled. He earned certification as an expanded function dental assistant (EFDA) and served as a clinical outreach coordinator for the health center before taking jobs elsewhere as an EFDA. Seeking to give his son a better life than he had growing up, Albino moved his family to Florida and took a job as a chairside assistant at Clermont Family Dentistry.

 

Taking note of Albino’s leadership skills, Dr. Mundi Buechele tapped him for the newly created role of office manager at the growing practice. However, despite his varied experience, Albino did not know a great deal about the business side of dentistry. “I was green coming into this position, but Dr. Buechele was very patient with me. He showed me the ropes and gave me the resources," he said. One such resource was the American Association of Dental Office Management (AADOM), which would serve as a lifeline of education, support, and empowerment.

 

Albino joined AADOM’s Tampa chapter and began taking courses such as OM101, which helps new office managers gain and hone skills covering daily tasks. Seeking to become certified as an HR coordinator, he flew to Arizona to take a CEDR HR Solutions course, and attended AADOM’s national conference.

 

“As a leader, AADOM has helped me a lot and has given me so many resources,” said Albino. “Also, I’m able to connect with other leaders in the dental field who were once complete strangers. I’ve been able to build relationships and reach out and say, ‘Hey, I need help with this. What do you guys think?’ Getting an outside perspective from other offices has been tremendous.”

 

Today, the Clermont practice has grown from a team of 12 when Albino started to 22 across 2 locations, and is in “an extremely healthy state” with, for example, revenue collections of close to 100%, Albino said. The leadership team is also growing, with Albino's assistant manager and clinical coordinator both becoming lifetime AADOM members.

 

Investing in Leadership

Dr. Buechele said AADOM's education and support have greatly impacted the practice. “Over the years, I struggled to find courses that would allow for continued growth and, at the same time, give my team the opportunity to meet people from other offices that were having similar struggles or had the desire to learn,” he said. “AADOM has provided my team with more options for growth and learning, a chance to make new friends with like-minded people, a chance to learn from others, and an opportunity to teach what they have learned previously.”