A Day In The Life: Daphne Henry, Front Desk Assistant
A Day In The Life: Daphne Henry, Front Desk Assistant
Patients at the Affordable Dentures & Implants (AD&I) affiliated location in Lexington, NC receive a phone call prior to their appointment. The person calling them will be a woman named Daphne Henry, whose smile they can feel radiating through the phone, putting them at ease. When they then walk in for their appointment they recognize the voice and get to see that smile, as Henry is the first person to greet them
When they then walk in for their appointment they recognize the voice and get to see that smile, as Henry is the first person to greet them
Henry places a high value on that greeting, that first point of contact. It’s all in an effort to connect with the patients and put them at ease. She understands the AD&I patients well. Very well, since she’s been one herself.
In 2003 Henry called AD&I’s Augusta, GA location when she felt as if her tooth was about to fall out, repercussions from an accident that required plastic surgery.
“I called and they told me to come in the morning for impressions. Then, in the afternoon I came back for an extraction and received a partial...the same schedule that we follow here [at our practice]...When I looked in the mirror, it was a wow experience. It’s the same experience and same expression that I love to see on the faces of our patients here.”
The team’s ability to understand their patients is based on those phone conversations that Henry has and so values. From these calls, Henry develops a good understanding of the patients’ needs. The physical and emotional. “I try to understand their feelings before they walk into the practice...I make [the staff] aware of what to expect when they come in the morning.”
Henry worked as a dental assistant for ten years while living in Georgia. After moving to North Carolina Henry took the continuing education courses required to become a certified dental assistant in her new home state. Soon after, AD&I called with an opportunity for Henry to take on the role as the front desk assistant at a new practice. She gladly accepted.
Henry’s day starts early. She wakes at 4:30 A.M. every day to meet her friends for a 5:00 A.M. run. Then she gets ready for work and is on the road to the practice. After arriving she confirms the schedule for the day and makes sure the practice is both doctor and patient-ready.
“We go over the schedule, make sure everything is in place...and that we understand who our patients are, what the expectations are for the day.”
The team’s ability to understand their patients is based on those phone conversations that Henry has and so values. From these calls, Henry develops a good understanding of the patients’ needs. The physical and emotional.
“I try to understand their feelings before they walk into the practice...I make [the staff] aware of what to expect when they come in the morning.”
It was time for for Daphne to shine at a new practice opening!
“There was an opportunity for [Henry] to help us kick off a brand new practice,” Miller says. She continues, “I thought that she would provide excellent customer service...she always knows the patients by name and the patients are drawn to her. She is calm and that calmness is felt by the patients, promoting a sense of calm in them as well.”
Henry doesn’t stop there. She checks in with the patients throughout their time at the practice, letting them know, “it’s going to be okay” and taking their hand when needed.
For those hesitant patients, scared at the thought of an extraction, she tells them her story, creating a common bond.
“I tell them, ‘Don’t put it off. Do it. Then tomorrow, you'll be just fine,’” she says.
The impact that Henry has on patients led to a new chapter in her AD&I story. Just recently she received a call from Marcia Miller, AD&I’s Manager of Practice Excellence.
“There was an opportunity for [Henry] to help us kick off a brand new practice,” Miller says. She continues, “I thought that she would provide excellent customer service...she always knows the patients by name and the patients are drawn to her. She is calm and that calmness is felt by the patients, promoting a sense of calm in them as well.”
When it gets busy, Henry steps in, staying true to the team mentality, reminding the practice team that “the patients depend on us.”
In July 2019, Henry moved to the new AD&I affiliated location in Lexington, NC. Her care for the patients continues here, as well as her care for the practice as a whole.
With years of experience as a dental assistant, she empathizes with the dental support team who have just joined the practice and may be new to the AD&I way. Many coming from the private practice setting are unaccustomed to a more predictable workday.
“Here you know what you're going to do everyday. At 8:00 A.M. we begin impressions, then consultations at 9:00 A.M. and wax try-ins at 10:30 A.M.. At 11:00 A.M. we start adjustments. Then lunch. And in the afternoon we have deliveries and extractions. There are no surprises here.”
This doesn’t mean that the office isn’t busy. On the contrary, there is constant patient flow thanks to the AD&I model and Patient Support Center. When it gets busy, Henry steps in, staying true to the team mentality, reminding the practice team that “the patients depend on us.”
‘I’m the first person they see and the last person they see...I love that.”
She can be found greeting patients, calling patients, and answering patient questions. Henry checks them in and then checks on them throughout their experience at the practice. Doing her job well requires her to keep the patient in the forefront, as her primary obligation.
“You have to have empathy...the ability to sympathize with your patients. You have to meet them where they are and be genuine,” Henry says.
Having had AD&I create a new smile for her sixteen years ago, it’s a joy to witness each patient experience the same fate. And in such a short amount of time.
“Having the on-site lab makes a world of difference to people. Patients are so shocked when you say that what they need can be turned around in the same day.”
As a Front Desk Assistant, Henry plays a big role in the journey of each patient.
‘I’m the first person they see and the last person they see...I love that.”
If you too desire the opportunity to make an impact on the health and well-being of those in beautiful small towns across the country, you can. Check out our many opportunities for front desk assistants, dental assistants, dental lab technicians, dentists, and more!