Angela:  I think everyone would agree the past two years have presented everyone with a set of unique challenges, personally and professionally.  I’ve heard so many stories how dental team - and especially office managers -  met these challenges head on with resilience.  I think that word, which Dictonary.com defines as the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, toughness perfectly defines today’s dental office manager. 

Heather:  I, too, have heard stories from our members across the country which that demonstrate office managers are committed to taking care of patients, their teams, their communities and themselves – no matter the obstacles or challenges in front of them.  That’s one of the reasons we celebrate Office Manager Appreciation Month - because office managers need to be recognized and appreciated for all they contribute to the practice!

Angela:  I think people drawn to healthcare and dentistry in particular are nurturers and prefer to celebrate others while staying humbly in the background.  And that is not a bad thing.  We often celebrate big successes, but it’s the small wins like having no cancellations (win!), no holes in the schedule (win!) and finding a great candidate to add to the team (win!) that are the foundations for the big wins which could be meeting production goals and patient retention.  Small wins all add up. 

Heather:  The success of the dental practice is truly made up of a series of small wins.  And those wins increase exponentially when the team, as a group and as individuals are recognized for their efforts and contributions.  One opportunity we are both passionate about is the annual Office Manager Appreciation Month (OMAM) which is celebrated the entire month of September.  Celebrating the office manager doesn’t mean that all members on the team don’t contribute to the practice success, because they certainly do.  It’s just an opportunity to celebrate the women and men who I’ve found are some of the hardest working professionals in healthcare. 

Angela:  In past years dentists and dental teams have celebrated their office managers with flowers, cakes, parties and more.  This year, OMAM is going to be bigger and better than ever before.  CareCredit has created a website (https://omam.carecreditvirtual.com) where teams can get free resources and ideas to help them celebrate their #AwesomeOM.  And on the same site, office managers will be able to access an amazing virtual celebration created just for them that includes daily affirmations, fun, games, and appreciation from industry leaders.  There’s also a great video from you, Heather, and a section that demonstrates ways CareCredit can help office managers save time and improve the patient’s experience by putting the power of financing simplified right into the hands of patients so they can see if they prequalify for the CareCredit credit card without impacting their credit bureau score.  Had to mention it because we’re so excited about the custom link and how it’s making office managers’ days just a little easier.

Heather: The virtual celebration is really something all #AwesomeOMs should see. You mentioned cakes, parties and flowers.  Here are a few more ways to celebrate OMAM dentists and their teams may want to consider.  The team could write “love notes” to their office manager/administrator that share what they love about them – like their sense of humor or ability to handle stress.  Or have an “our office manager makes patients and us happy hour.”  Or put up a “We have an #AwesomeOM” banner or sign in the reception area so patients can get in on the fun, too. 

Angela:  I think we both agree there are a lot of big and little ways to show your office manager that they are appreciated.  And we would love to see all the practice celebrations so make sure to add the hashtags #OMAM and #AwesomeOM.  And go to the OMAM site to get the free resources to use through the month of September.

Heather:  And a big thank you to all #AwesomeOMs from AADOM and CareCredit.  We appreciate all you do!