4
• DECEMBER 18, 2020 • Midlands Business Journal
Beresford brings compassionate dental care to community at Bluffs Family Dentistry by Dwain Hebda
Caitlin Beresford decided in middle school she wanted to be a dentist, but she didn’t envision it would lead her back to her hometown of Council Bluffs. Now she’s making the most of every opportunity to improve dental care for all, regardless of their circumstance. “Being a Council Bluffs hometown gal, I have been aware of the socio-economic status of this side of Iowa and the smaller surrounding communities,” she said. “When I went to dental school, they told us if we all take a little bit of the population who doesn’t have insurance or has 2020 Medicaid, everyone in our state can be taken care of. “When I moved back here and started practicing, it was really easy to take those patients and make dentures or do whatever it is they needed for free. I am fortunate that donating my time like that isn’t going to make or break me, but for that person it makes a huge difference.” Beresford graduated from the University of Iowa and was granted early admission to its dental school, earning her DDS in 2008. She joined Bluffs Family Dentistry that same year and by 2013 had become a partner in the practice. She said the five intervening years were critical to learning the business side of her profession. “I cannot say I knew anything about business; in dental school you get two eight-hour days of business-type classes thrown into the
Dr. Caitlin Beresford … Reaching partner at the dental practice at a young age, dentist gives back to the community. middle of all your dental curriculum,” she said. coming into things that were already set up.” Beresford, who was recognized as the Iowa “Since those were not things you knew you were going to be tested on immediately, they Dental Association’s New Dentist of the Year weren’t things that you paid too much attention in 2017, has also dived headlong into industry and community groups. She’s past-president to at the time. “When I joined the practice in 2008, the of the Southwest Iowa District Dental Assogoal was always to become partner and buy in. So, they did a lot of on-the-job training in Proud Sponsors of the 2020 terms of how we run our business, how we do our payroll, these are the taxes that are due. As an established practice, Bluffs Family Dentistry is a well-oiled machine, so I benefited from
ciation and served as a delegate to the Iowa Dental Association House of Delegates. She’s also a member of the Dental Lifeline Network, providing free dental care to people with disabilities, the elderly or medically fragile. Outside of her profession, she’s equally involved in nonprofit work, most notably as chairperson of the Methodist Jennie Edmundson City-Wide Pink Out Committee for the past nine years. The committee raises awareness of breast cancer by organizing various activities and events to raise funds for patients and public education efforts. “[Breast cancer] is a cause that’s near and dear to my heart, based on family history,” she said. “My only aunt on my mom’s side passed away in her 40s from breast cancer, and my parents were always very open with us in talking about what Aunt Judy was going through. “Everything we do here, the money stays local. All of the funds we raise help patients out with gas money if they’re traveling from an hour and a half away and they can’t financially make ends meet to make it to their chemo appointments. “Or, if they don’t have insurance that covers a mammogram, we make up the difference of that. That goes back, again, to taking care of my neighbors and trying to do as much as I can to support Southwest Iowa and my hometown.”
40 Under 40: