"With HDC, I get to focus on my patients, but I also get to experience the ideal way a practice should function. I feel like I'm part of a whole practice rather than just an employee coming in everyday to perform a job."
One of the main reasons dentists choose HDC is to avoid directly dealing with the business side of dentistry, but for Dr. Suveetha Mikkili, that's not entirely the case. Since joining HDC in 2011, Dr. Mikkili has enjoyed primarily focusing on her patients, but she has appreciated observing HDC's successful business model in action. Even though she doesn't have to manage her practice's business tasks, Heartland Dental Care has given her a newfound knowledge on how successful practices operate.
"From HDC's systems, I've definitely been able to see how a practice should run," said Dr. Mikkili. "Having the time to focus on dentistry has been incredible, but in addition, I get to see first-hand how other areas of our practice are working, such as what the Business Assistants are doing to be successful, what marketing initiatives we're taking and what new technology we're using."
While attending Southern Illinois University, Dr. Mikkili first had the opportunity to job shadow several dentists. She was drawn in by dentistry's combination of both health care and hands-on fine arts. After her undergrad, she attended Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in Boston and completed a general practice residency in a hospital setting.
"As soon as I finished my residency, I knew I wanted to be involved in a dental service organization environment so I could gain the experience I wanted and still have time for my personal life," said Dr. Mikkili. "So after the residency, I joined a group of dental partners; however, this group moved at a slower pace than I wanted and couldn't accommodate my needs. That's when I looked into Heartland Dental Care and began speaking to their recruiting team, which was an excellent experience. They made sure all my questions and concerns were answered, and they were committed to finding my ideal location."
Soon after becoming a part of the HDC family, Dr. Mikkili joined MyWildwoodDentist.com with Dr. Samson Liu. Since then, she has continued to grow as a dentist with the support of HDC and mentorship of Dr. Liu.
"Both Dr. Liu and I are focused on the practice succeeding instead of our own personal success; if the practice succeeds, ultimately we succeed. Having HDC's help puts us in a great position to achieve that goal," said Dr. Mikkili. "Working with and learning from a mentor like Dr. Liu has also been very beneficial. If I'm ever stumped or have a question, he's there to guide me in the right direction. The mentorship and support new dentists have access to here is invaluable. HDC provides structure, both clinically and from a business perspective. We have busy schedules, but they're organized so we all know where we need to be and what we need to be doing."
With more time available for patients and her personal life, and experiencing how HDC's systems create success, Dr. Mikkili is enjoying the best dentistry has to offer.
