BY ANN-MARIE C. DEPALMA
Paralysis is defined as the inability to move or function, and it’s something that plagues many dental teams, keeping them from providing the most comprehensive care for their patients, and from moving forward in patient care and education.
Heidi Arndt, RDH, BSDH, provides dental professionals with the knowledge and skills to break out of that paralysis in her program, “Mindset: Creating a High Functioning, Highly Profitable Hygiene Team.” The paralysis often centers on insurance and what the patient needs versus what the patient can afford. These limiting beliefs often hold practices back from building treatment plans, increasing patient acceptance and, ultimately, growing the practice. Hygienists and other dental professionals who participate in the program will identify obstacles and the limiting beliefs that hold them back from reaching their full potential.
Objectives of the program include:
- Learn to challenge limiting beliefs and mindsets
- Use evidence-based information to improve patient care
- Increase production, income, and job satisfaction
Additionally, Heidi presents the program, “SkillSet: Getting Back to the Basics to Improve Profits in Your Practice.” This program focuses on using the process of dental hygiene care to reinstitute offering comprehensive treatment to all patients, and consequently improving profitability of the practice. The program discusses the fundamental systems that address a patient’s wants and needs, all while improving oral care.
Heidi believes dental hygienists have much to provide to patients, and she wants every hygienist to know that he or she can provide the best care to every patient. Her programs are designed as workshops, where she helps participants discover their struggles and obstacles while helping them tackle the problems. Hygienists are often asked to “improve performance,” but they are not given a guide to do it. Heidi helps practices by teaching hygienists how to improve patient care by mastering the art of communication, and demonstrating leadership skills. With activities and discussions, participants enjoy a lively and entertaining look at enhancing their practice.
Heidi is a graduate of Rochester Community College’s Dental Hygiene program, and received her BS in dental hygiene from the University of Minnesota. She practiced clinical hygiene and was also a clinical instructor at Rochester Community College. In 2002, she was hired as a dental hygiene mentor and coach with a large dental management company. After three years, she became National Director of Dental Hygiene Development. In this role, she worked with 28 large dental groups, incorporating dental hygiene systems for improved patient care and services. She spent more than eight years with this organization before she decided to start her own dental hygiene coaching company.
She is an ADHA member and is concerned that dental hygienists have not proven the value of hygiene services. As a result, she is concerned that many states are investigating expanding roles of new oral health-care providers, when these roles can be performed by educated hygienists. Heidi enjoys spending time with her family, travelling, and enjoying nature. She is passionate about helping dentists and other team members understand the value of the dental hygiene team within the practice.
Heidi’s presentations provide participants with the energy and excitement to move dental hygiene forward. She enjoys knowing that she is encouraging dental professionals to provide the best care for all their patients, while increasing the profitability of the practice.
For more information about Heidi and her programs contact [email protected]RDH
Thought for the month: Happy Thanksgiving!
As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. – John Fitzgerald Kennedy
ANN-MARIE C. DEPALMA, RDH, MEd, FADIA, FAADH, is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dental Hygiene and the Association of Dental Implant Auxiliaries, as well as a continuous member of ADHA. Ann-Marie is currently a business/clinical advisor for Jameson Management, Inc., a comprehensive coaching firm and also presents continuing education programs for dental team members on a variety of topics. She is collaborating with several authors on various books for dental hygiene and can be reached at [email protected] or ann-marie@ jamesonmanagment.com.
This month’s IneedCE.com course is Emerging Concepts in Periodontitis and Overall Health. RDH Magazine readers will receive 50% off the course when discount code ANNOV12 is used through 11/30/12.
Description
This course examines the evidence surrounding various systemic diseases and their interrelation with periodontitis. The course begins with a historical view of the focal theory of infection. Next, the seven study designs and the strength of evidence with each design are discussed. The reader is given some guidelines to use when evaluating studies. Finally, these systemic diseases and their association to periodontitis are discussed: cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, respiratory disease, pregnancy factors, prostate cancer treatment, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and head and neck cancer.
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