Empire Dental Associates
E
mpire Dental Associates was established in the Empire Building, in downtown Edmonton, in 1993. Numerous practitioners have worked and contributed to Empire Dental over the years. Most notably, Dr. Mel Taskey, who specialized in prosthodontics, and was well known for his clinical work and contributions, including, being the Edmonton Oilers’ dentist in the ’80s. As a clinician, Dr. Taskey surrounded himself with the means to provide the highest level of care that he could. This included personnel and material support. In a move to the Oliver neighborhood, Empire Dental opened in a larger office space dedicated to Dr. Taskey’s vision. Several years ago, Empire Dental was at a transition point with Dr. Taskey’s pressing retirement. Through numerous discussions and with significant planning, Dr. James Yacyshyn, an associate with Empire, purchased the practice and the building. Dr. Yacyshyn completed his BSc and DDS degrees with distinction at the University of Alberta. He continued with advanced training at the University of Toronto, in the Centre for Management of Technology and Entrepreneurship, earning his Masters Applied Science Engineering (MASc), with a focus on health technology. He was immediately returned to a faculty position at the University of Alberta, in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, with a cross appointment to the Alberta Research Council. He has been the director of continuing dental education for the last 14 years. His background has provided him with a focus on clinical care and patient outcomes, while optimizing the technologies and techniques available. Dr. Yacyshyn has demonstrated an ongoing interest in the pursuit of knowledge as it applies to clinical best practice and integration of emerging technology and techniques. By balancing a role at the University with practice ownership, Dr. Yacyshyn has numerous responsibilities and roles
where institutional or practice challenges require leadership of both smaller and large groups. His management background in people and projects has served him well in both Dr. James Yacyshyn environments. He was able to build the business model for Empire by utilizing his intimate knowledge of the practice he associated in over many years, in combination with the network, knowledge and awareness he has of other practitioners that could help build on an incredible established practice. A contributing success factor for this established business model is that the practice has a group of individuals with strengths in a number of areas. The patient base is demographically quite varied and comes from many different parts of the city of Edmonton and the province. This diverse base creates a stable core business, that, in combination with Dr. Yacyshyn’s interests in emerging technologies and techniques, has allowed for investment in infrastructure that helps practitioners in the delivery of optimized care.