Branca Oral Surgery & Dental Implant Center, P.C. opened on August 12, 2013. Dr. Glenn Branca is our solo practitioner. He graduated from NYU College of Dentistry and completed his general practice residency and an oral and maxillofacial fellowship at The Brooklyn Hospital Center, as well as a surgical rotation in oral and maxillofacial surgery at the University of Zurich in Switzerland. He has been in private practice since 2003. Our referral doctors send patients to us for extractions (especially wisdom teeth), implant placement, biopsies, and orthodontia related procedures like frenectomies and exposure of un-erupted teeth.
Holly started with the practice even before it opened and prepared the software and policies and procedures for the new office. We asked if she’s always worked in a dental office and she replied “No! I am a renaissance woman who has been: an employer in retail, a teacher (elementary and high school!), a day care provider, a bank teller, a social services worker, a unit coordinator for a drug rehab, a medical biller, a collector, an oral surgery receptionist/biller/transcriptionist, and now am a practice manager!”
What’s your favorite and least favorite part of the job? “I enjoy many parts of my job, but patient interaction is by far my favorite, maybe because it’s what I get to do the least. My least favorite is dealing with regulatory and HR issues. My biggest challenge Is keeping up with the whirlwind of change in regulations with all the applicable acronyms: HIPAA, OSHA, ACA, DOL, EIEIO.”
We asked Holly what words of ‘Sage Wisdom” she would offer to new practice managers. “Faithfully attend Dental Mangers Society meetings (make friends with an experienced PM whose brain you can pick), “lurk” on Dentaltown, and subscribe to as many listservs as you can regarding anything to do with the dental field (and in the case of oral surgery practices, the medical field as well). You can always delete emails if they don’t appear to pertain to you.”
“DMS provides an opportunity to learn from and share ideas with other practice managers in a venue that helps prevent the isolation we can feel in our individual practices. I have made some good friends and feel comfortable occasionally contacting them to ask questions on issues in which I lack expertise. And Pam’s cooking is to die for! “
On a personal note, what would people be surprised to learn about you? “Probably not a huge surprise to anyone, given my big mouth at meetings, but I went to college in the 1980’s to teach high school speech (debate, public speaking) and English, and my first teaching job also included theater. I do community theatre in the area and have performed with the Bay Players of Duxbury, Plymouth Community Theatre, and Midsummer Shakespeare and in March I will debut with Theatre One Productions in Middleboro in “Thriller of the Year.” Theatre keeps me sane (my family would say that’s debatable).
