Laurie is the practice manager at Dentistry for Children, a practice started by Dr. Eli Schneider in 1975. They’ve grown to be a practice with over 10,000 active patients and provide both pediatric dentistry and orthodontics. They cater to patients with special needs of all kinds and never tell anyone they are too old to continue to come to the practice. As a result they have families that they treat both parents and children. Their team has longevity. They’ve got 2 team members that have been there for 35 years and many that have been there for 20 or more! They like to keep things fun with events like “Elf Day” when the elf on the shelf reappears and Dr. Fukuda sports the elf on the shelf suite for the day, dressing up in elaborate costumes from Halloween and celebrating silly things like Dr. Seuss’s Birthday!
When Laurie told us that she had been the practice manager for only 2 years, we asked what she did before, she said, “This is my first experience in the dental field. I owned and operated my own family childcare business for 16 years before deciding it was time to move on. I then took a job on the sales floor at Macy’s in Hanover. I wasn’t on the sales floor long, though. I was quickly promoted into the office and shortly after that I was promoted to sales manager, and very quickly after that I was promoted to office manager. After spending 3 Christmas seasons with Macy’s, I decided that was enough. That’s when the position I currently hold just sort of fell in my lap.”
Laurie told us that she is very happy. “I love the learning and the people I work with. I love that I get to do so many different things! Most of all, I love seeing the kids reactions to a good visit or something fun we have going on in the office. Kids and being around kids will always be a part of who I am.”
“My least favorite thing is all the insurance issues we face. I have spent most of my adult life trying to avoid having to deal with insurance issues and now I’m forced to do it daily.”
Her biggest challenge is the size of her team. Laurie jokes, “We have 16 assistants, 9 hygienists, 15 front desk associates, 4 pedodontists, an orthodontist, and a Partridge in a Pear Tree!! 😉 “
Laurie’s advice for other new Practice Mangagers? “Never get flustered. Learn to roll with things and take things as they come. It will all work out, and maintain the fun in your practices. Plan fun events for your team like cookie swaps, pot lucks, or even cooking for the team on National Hot Dog Day.”
“Dental Manager’s Society has been a tremendous source of learning for me. I love going to hear the different speakers and especially love hearing how other practice managers do things. I always walk out with something I can’t wait to take back to the office with me.”
A Fun Fact about Laurie: She was a musician when she was younger. Laurie spent her time practicing and learning to play the flute, the clarinet, and most importantly the oboe which was by far her favorite instrument to play. She’s played in many productions and in many states and with many renowned conductors.
