We are pleased to present the award for OM Excellence for April to Rene Rodriguez, Operations Manager at the Kids Dental – Alameda practice. Rene has guided her office through significant transitions with resilience, adaptability, and a genuine “can-do” attitude. She is a pleasure to work with and a true example of what an office manager should aspire to be.

Whether managing daily operations, supporting team development, or navigating complex challenges, Rene approaches every situation with professionalism and a results-oriented mindset. She consistently balances short-term priorities with long-term strategy, ensuring the office not only meets but exceeds its goals.

What sets Rene apart is her commitment to continuous improvement. She actively seeks opportunities to refine processes, streamline workflows, and elevate team performance. By immersing herself in operations, she ensures all SDC opportunities are maximized while also analyzing back-office flow to improve efficiency and timeliness.

Under Rene’s leadership, the orthopedic business has experienced a remarkable transformation. When she first stepped into the role, the office faced challenges with efficiency and morale. Through her hands-on leadership and solutions-focused approach, Rene drove improvements that strengthened operations, increased employee engagement, and enhanced patient satisfaction. Her vision, dedication, and pursuit of excellence have had a profound and lasting impact, turning the orthopedic business into a thriving, successful part of the practice.

We are delighted to present the award for OM Excellence for March to Shanna Miller, Operations Manager at our Harbor Kids Dental – Olympia practice. Shanna is the pure definition of an “Owner of her Business”. She takes accountabilities for all that happens in her office, the wins and the losses. Her region was given a challenge for the months of December and January, and when she did not understand something, she reached out to get clarification and to learn more about the process. Her office dominated that challenge both months by being the only office to qualify. She is a great leader & mentor for her team, and each month has continued to exceed her revenue budget.

We are pleased to present the award for OM Excellence for February to Nattalie Melendez, Operations Manager at our Red Oak – Houston practice. Nattalie leads her team with a passion for customer service and desire to build her business around great kiddo care. Her admiration for Dr. Patel and her staff shows in every interaction. She has created an environment where people want to be. It is apparent that everyone is focused on Kidsperience and Teamsperience. When interacting with caretakers, she is professional, extremely knowledgeable and reassuring, and answers every question that the parents have. She does an amazing job every day. She has trained her front counter team how to interact with kiddos, too. No one waited more than a moment to be welcomed when they walked in the door.  If the PSC was on the phone the DA would come up and greet them. This is the culture we want to see, teams working seamlessly to serve our patients. The office is small, but extremely efficient. The synergy between the staff members allows them to maximize patient care even on a slow day. They find opportunities for treatment or same day care to make sure that they’re making the most of their patient’s time and appointment. Nattalie’s leadership makes Red Oak an amazing practice.

We are delighted to present the award for OM Excellence for January to Monique Marichalar, Operations Manager at our Smiles 4 Kids – Greeley practice. Monique makes leadership look effortless. Her team is engaged, friendly and hard working, but they make it seem fun and easy. You can feel the comradery as soon as you walk in the office. The doctors make you feel welcomed to their practice like you were invited to their home away from home. The office is decorated with every season and you can feel the pride that the staff has in their environment.

This office is consistently busy. They are one of the busiest offices in Colorado! In December they saw 475 kiddos, had a show rate of 72.3% on a goal of 72%, SDC of 14.7% on a goal of 12%, and APC of $291.68 on a budget of $225.69. All these numbers mean is that they served kiddos well and valued their caregivers’ time by completing necessary treatment the same day. Excellent job Monique!

We are delighted to present the award for OM Excellence for December to Ashley Huntley, Operations Manager at our Smiles 4 Kids – Boise practice. Since being promoted from PSC into her role as an operations manager Ashley has been able to accomplish success in her schedules and in her staff. She is a great example to her team, she takes great pride in keeping her accounts receivables in the 90 percentiles, she’s always pushing out of her comfort zone to get her doctors to give her more days each month or add more columns. She is a true example of an office manager who takes ownership and pride in her work. Every time you walk into her office  you will be greeted with a warm welcome and a smile!