Cindy Sooter, Joplin Family Dental, Joplin, Mo is the 2013 recipient of the AADOM Office Manager of the Year Award
The American Association of Dental Office Managers (AADOM), Red Bank, NJ, has awarded Cindy Sooter the ninth annual AADOM Office Manager of the Year Award, sponsored by CareCredit, Costa Mesa, Calif. Cindy Sooter is the office manager for Joplin Family Dental, Joplin, Mo.
Every year, AADOM recognizes dental professionals who provide exceptional patient care and are an inspiration and leader within their practice. A committee comprised of industry leaders reviews each of the nominations.
“We have so many exceptional candidates nominated each year that choosing the recipient of this prestigious award is never an easy task,” says Heather Colicchio, AADOM president. “This year the committee agreed that Cindy’s leadership, positive attitude, and patient-centric focus were truly noteworthy.”
According to Michael Fitterling, DDS, who wrote the nomination letter for Sooter: “We would not have the practice we have today if Cindy was not our office manager. Her expertise and understanding of business and productive scheduling is phenomenal. On May 22, 2011, our lives changed forever when our office was destroyed by the Joplin tornado. When I saw the piles of rubble and debris, I thought it was the end and truly considered just giving up.
With Cindy’s help, dedication, and encouragement, we gathered the team together and immediately began to form a plan that would take us from devastation to where we are today. There were many challenges and struggles, but Cindy saw a vision of what the future could be.
Today, our office is growing and we’ve doubled our space so we have room to accomplish our goals. We’ve added five team members and a part-time dentist. Because of Cindy, and all she does, I have the opportunity to work for several more years and live the dream of having a beautiful office, an awesome team, and get to enjoy providing dentistry to my patients. She is incredible.”
As the 2013 award winner, Sooter will receive a special package provided by CareCredit that includes complimentary registration to the 2014 AADOM conference, a profile story in AADOM’s magazine The Observer, and $1,000 in prize money.
“I feel truly blessed for even being nominated, but then to be selected – I’m still smiling,” Sooter says. “I’m proud and humbled to be chosen as office manager of the year, and I plan on using the award money provided by CareCredit to take classes through AADOM to earn my Fellowship. I just love being in dentistry.”
