One
of the discussions that our hygienist always seem to be having with our patients
when I walk into to their treatment rooms for examination is about our last or
next trip. A frequently asked question from the patient is “how do I get a job
here.” Well first of all it is not that easy. The hygienist who is cleaning
their teeth would be one of our 5 hygienists that have been here for over 30
years, 25 years, 18 years, 15 years and 10 years. That is relevant as the
average career span of an auxiliary in a dental office in our area is 3 to 5 years. And
in fact, the average hygienist only works as a Registered Dental Hygienist for 5 to 7 years before
changing careers. So waiting for a turnover in our office is not a way to get a
job. That is the reason that I pay for the trips. It is all about
stability and camaraderie between our staff members. It started in 1984
with our first trip to Hawaii for the Hawaii State Dental Society meeting in
Honolulu Oahu. I purchased the typical 5 day $399 per person package with hotel
and air fare. The 7 of us went and had a great time. But the one thing that the
staff asked is on the next trip could they bring spouses? I thought about it for
awhile and decided we would do what we could to make it happen. In planning the
future trips obviously we had to keep in mind that all of our staff have
different financial constraints so I have always striven to make the trips
either all inclusive vacations or condos in resort areas so there would not be
any extra financial burden for the staff. 84 trips have come and gone over the
last 31 years and all have been great successes. This year our spring adventure was an all inclusive Great America trip and a day long private tour of Levi
Stadium. This was an alumni
trip with four retired staff members and their families joining us which made for our largest group of 73 people. The 4th of July trip is to Heavenly Valley's The Ridge over Lake Tahoe and our winter retreat is a Princess cruise with
balcony rooms for couples and inside cabins for families. While some may say
this is an extravagance, I cannot disagree more! The trips allow the staff and
their families to come together outside the office and form bonds that last for
years and it makes for a much better working environment. For proof, the next
time you come here just look around at talk to our staff about how they feel
about their work. After all, don’t you want to have medical care providers happy
with their jobs. Doesn’t it work out better for you? Isn’t it worth it? I think so!
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