Smiles Break Barriers

What came first at PDS Health – service or team members committed to serve? Founder and CEO Steve Thorne put service at the heart of the company 30 years ago and it is threaded through all that we do today. While this commitment is palpable, it’s the team members who bring it to life.

Thousands of PDS Health members have created a culture of service in offices and departments across the country - here are just a few of their stories.

Alina Cepernich - Regional Manager, Central Valley

For Alina Cepernich, service has been a part of her life since college. She began working with children with special needs at United Cerebral Palsy and developed a connection with them and their families.

As she expanded her career in oral health care, Alina happened to work for dentists who always made an effort to treat patients with special needs.

When she learned about PDS Foundation’s commitment to making care more accessible for people with special needs, Alina was inspired to act. This is her second year helping plan and organize Swing for Special Needs, an annual PDS Foundation fundraiser to raise money for the PDS Foundation’s special needs dentistry program.

This year, the PDS Foundation partnered with the University of the Pacific to host a golf tournament at Chardonnay Golf Club in Napa Valley, California. The event exceeded its fundraising goals and Alina helped secure key sponsorships, even organizing a helicopter ball drop over the course.

“Service is important to me because it is an opportunity to lend support to communities that may otherwise be unafforded the privilege to have healthy smiles and basic dental care on a regular basis,” she said. “Everyone should be able to live confident, happy lives and when there is a barrier preventing that for patients with special needs or financial limitations, it is extremely rewarding to serve them.”

Danny Bickel - Operations Manager, Dentists of Stone Oak and Orthodontics (Office 789)

From the day he interviewed for his position as operations manager, Danny Bickel has felt a connection to PDS Health because of the powerful We Believes framework. For him, the clear articulation of the company’s values — with service at the heart — sealed the deal. He is inspired by the way that Founder and CEO Steve Thorne lives the values daily and encourages the entire PDS Health community to do the same, giving team members eight hours of paid volunteer time each year.

Since joining PDS Health, Danny — alongside Regional Manager Rob Luckado, Owner Dentist Taj Ibrik, DDS, and Regional Marketing Manager Dawn Kjeldsen — has made a lasting impact on the culture of service in the Gulf Coast Region. Danny has helped launch several partnerships with local food banks and other community organizations, including Angel Tree and Morgan’s Wonderland, a family theme park designed for people with special needs and disabilities.

But it was something one of his daughters asked him that led him to do more. While in nursing rotation, she toured a local organization called Haven for Hope that provides dental, medical and vision care, as well as job training, low-cost housing and other support programs for homeless families in San Antonio. After seeing the work the organization did for the community, she told her dad that they needed his help and asked what PDS Health could do.

After touring Haven for Hope and seeing the comprehensive care and close connection with the residents, Danny and the team formed a partnership that has evolved into a monthly service activity.

The biggest hurdle in Danny’s effort was time. The teams are busy — often pressed to meet patient demand and fulfill office operations — and the idea of spending precious time out of the office made many nervous or skeptical that the project would be sustainable.

Luckily, Danny, with the help of Dr. Ibrik, coaxed team members out of the exam room, and the results have been transformational.

The team has multiple stories like this that illustrate that once the team gets a taste of service, they are deeply moved.

“They are so in their element. Service reminds them why they pursued dentistry,” said Danny. “One owner dentist had an important meeting that conflicted with our day of service and he moved it — that’s how valuable he finds the service activities, and it’s a testament to their value.”

For Danny’s team and the surrounding offices in the Gulf Coast region, the regular events with Haven for Hope and others have led to stronger team connections and improved output. The concern at first was time and availability, but he emphasizes that it’s only helped them perform better.

“This is not a distraction from our work, it enhances it,” Danny said. “When you bring service into your daily life it makes everything better. I’m so grateful to be part of something special and to watch others feel the same way, to hear them say how good it makes them feel. This changes how we operate every day.”

This fall, seven Gulf Coast team members participated in a service trip to the PDS Foundation’s Clínica Dental in Xenacoj, Guatemala. And on Smile Generation Serve Day this year, Danny’s office provided $130,000 in donated dentistry thanks in part to oral surgeon Spencer Atkinson, DMD, who donated his time and skills.

“There are more rewarding things than monetary success,” Danny said. “This is a gift you are giving, a shared vision of helping others and it’s so cool to watch people as they engage with others, as they connect directly to serve. You see the shift — that in giving you receive so much more. We’re fostering and building a culture that celebrates this.”

Vicky Dyck - Regional Partner, Northwest Arizona Region

For Vicky Dyck, the heart of her work lies in service to the community. Her region has achieved some impressive numbers that reflect the impact of their efforts:

• 100% participation in Smile Generation Serve Day and other service activities

• Over 50 service events hosted during her tenure

• Led the inaugural dental-medical trip to the PDS Foundation’s Clínica Dental in Xenacoj, Guatemala

“I believe that a team that serves together thrives together,” Vicky said. “We must lead by example. The beautiful thing about our industry is that we make a living by helping people.”

Vicky and her regional team host a quarterly event at St. Mary’s Food Bank in the Phoenix area where they sort and serve meals for the underserved. They also participate in the American Heart Association’s annual heart walk, hosting Katie’s Heart Walk in honor of one of their beloved team members.

“We are blessed beyond our means — the issues we’re facing, the problems we have, they are small compared to so many out there,” Vicky said. “Serving fills your heart and your soul, it makes you appreciative for what you have and reminds you that what might be little to us is so big for many.”

In her 15 years at PDS Health, Vicky has expanded the region’s service activities and participation, enthusiastically leading events and encouraging inclusivity. Being in the same state as the PDS Foundation’s Dentists for Special Needs office, Vicky has also helped increase participation in local Stroll for Special Needs fundraisers each year.

Her efforts have made her a partner in the community — she is currently in talks to serve on the board of St. Mary’s Food Bank and recently connected with PDS Foundation Executive Director Michael Le and Delta Dental of Arizona, which is exploring a clinic for special needs patients.

“Serving is good for the heart and soul — you leave service events with a full heart and an extra kick in your step,” Vicky said.

Kelley Ryals, DDS - Owner Dentist, Santa Fe Modern Dentistry (Office 566)

Serving is not new to Dr. Kelley Ryals. As a Lieutenant Colonel in the New Mexico Army National Guard, she serves her state and country and has done so for 14 years. But Dr. Ryals carries that deep commitment to serve into her community, too.

For the past 13 years, Dr. Ryals’ office has hosted two Smile Generation Serve Days — one that aligns with national efforts and one on Veterans Day in November. Demand amongst local veterans became so great that Dr. Ryals began partnering with community members to find space and transportation to accommodate all the patients.

“My community is small and Santa Fe is even smaller, and the military community in Santa Fe is even smaller than that,” Dr. Ryals said. “I see this as an opportunity — we have the resources to help people who otherwise would not be able to get care.”

This year, Dr. Ryals partnered with the PDS Foundation to host the inaugural Give Vets a Smile event. Building on the momentum she’s created, eight dentists, five hygienists, 12 dental assistants and 13 front office team members, provided essential dental care to 21 veterans.

The PDS Foundation also helped arrange mental health and workforce support at the offices while veterans waited to get care. The inaugural event provided over $73,000 in donated dental care to local veterans.

“I sit at the crossroads of care and in this unique position I see and know the need and have the ability to bring the two communities together — I’m honored that I can do it,” Dr. Ryals said.

She also helped coordinate New Mexico Mission of Mercy, a free medical and dental clinic for residents. Hundreds without health or dental insurance or the ability to pay for treatment lined up overnight to be seen. Dr. Ryals and 900 other volunteers helped 784 patients and provided $1.1 million in donated care.

“The majority of people in New Mexico are on Medicaid and there’s simply not a lot of availability for them — this event is a lifeline,” Dr. Ryals said. “I do this because I love it and it’s so gratifying to be able to share it with my family and friends.”

Raven Rhoten - Executive Assistant, Henderson Corporate Headquarters

Raven Rhoten and the team at the Henderson Support Office in Henderson, Nevada, have developed their own holiday tradition of service — adopting a local family.

For the last five years, thanks to the charity Help of Southern Nevada, Raven and team members get matched with a family in need. Typically, the families are working parents struggling to make ends meet and fulfill their children’s holiday wish list.

Raven looks for large families, often with more than ten people and gets their “Christmas list.” It includes gifts the kids have asked for from Santa Claus along with other important winter items like coats and gloves. Each team member selects one of the items from the list, but often go above and beyond — a few years ago, they bought all the kids bikes.

And they don’t stop with the kids’ list. Team members often add additional items like games, restaurant gift cards and other items that the family can enjoy together during the holidays.

“I grew up the daughter of a single mom and I saw the things she went through — it’s a lot to do on your own to make your kids happy,” said Raven. “I was a single mom myself for 10 years — I want to make sure these mothers can make all their kids’ holiday wishes come true.”

Raven says adopting a family has become a tradition the office looks forward to every year, eagerly anticipating the families’ list of items.

“Everyone gets so excited — they love taking the time to find the perfect gift and we all get together to wrap them up in Santa bags,” she said. “I hope it’s a tradition that will continue to grow in the office.