Continuing education and clinical training opportunities are continuing to benefit DSOs as employees view them as an attractive perk.
Waltham, Mass.-based 42 North Dental most recently announced it will launch a dental implant fellowship academy this summer. The implant academy features a digital learning component, an in-person class and a live surgical class, according to a June 1 news release. During the surgical class, cohorts' dental assistants will also be able to learn alongside them to enhance chairside partnerships. The DSO noted there was enough demand for it to plan a second academy in 2024.
"We want to ensure dentists and their teams receive relevant and impactful continuing education that goes beyond license requirements and truly benefits their careers, teams and patients," said Michael Scialabba, DDS, chief clinical officer at 42 North Dental.
Irvine, Calif.-based Pacific Dental Services also recently honored the first graduate from its college advancement program. Deja Yslava, an operations manager in training for the DSO, earned her bachelor’s degree in community health from Tempe-based Arizona State University.
PDS launched its college advancement program in October 2021, becoming the first DSO to offer eligible employees 100 percent tuition coverage for an undergraduate degree through ASU Online. The program allows operations managers, healthcare coordinators and dental assistants to advance their careers while remaining employed full-time. The DSO also offers free continuing education courses to employees.
At the time of the program's launch, PDS Founder and CEO Stephen Thorne acknowledged that investing in team development positively impacts the company.
Cindy Roark, DMD, senior vice president and chief clinical officer at Sage Dental, recently spoke with Becker's about how offering these opportunities leads to greater staff retention and recruitment.
The Boca Raton, Fla.-based DSO offered dental implant training through its Sage Academies program. The program was launched in 2021 for dental professionals in the DSO's network to receive training in areas such as prosthodontics and orthodontics. More than 60 affiliated dentists completed the most recent implant training session.
"If you want to learn something, we're willing to upscale and train you for free," Dr. Roark said. "Being great at something they didn't think they could do in a controlled environment has been huge in terms of payoff for our retention of doctors and growth and revenue for them."