Week Four: From Home

This is the latest entry in an ongoing series following South Barrington Dental Care through their transition from Dentrix to Dentrix Ascend, told in near-real time by owner Dr. Allison Bartley, in her own words. 

I'm writing this from home. My newborn son is here. We're in those surreal, beautiful, overwhelming first weeks of parenthood, and it’s thanks to Ascend that I’m able to trust my office is running smoothly while I enjoy this time with my family. 

When I made the call to switch systems, I was weeks away from maternity leave. I knew we were close to a time where the practice would keep running without me, but I didn't want it to just keep running. I wanted it to thrive. I also didn't want to be the only person who understood how to find what we needed when a patient called with a question about their treatment plan or a team member needed guidance on a workflow. 

That’s the fear that keeps practice owners up at night, especially when they’re stepping away. I just didn't expect how much Ascend would mitigate those fears. 

I'm home right now. My son is sleeping next to me, and my laptop is closed on the coffee table. But when my team needs me because they have a question about the schedule, need to verify a patient's information, or when they want to check on the outcome of a treatment, I can be there. Not in a back-and-forth email chain that takes two hours to resolve, but in real-time. And then I can get back to my newborn. 

That's not a small thing. 

Every practice owner knows the fantasy: being able to step away and be fully present with your family, and trusting the business still runs. Most of us assume that's just a fantasy. You either show up for your practice, or you show up for your family, and something has to give. 

Ascend changed that equation for me. 

The cloud functionality means I'm not tethered to the office. I'm not stressed about visibility because I have it. My business manager is running campaigns and pulling reports. My hygienists are doing the clinical work they were trained to do. My receptionist is managing the schedule. And if any of them need me for five minutes, I'm there. Then I'm back to being fully present with my family. 

This is peace of mind I didn't know I could have. 

When I made the decision to switch systems, I was honest about the risks. There's always something that could go wrong. There's always the moment when you're wondering if you made a mistake. But I can tell you now that this was exactly the right call. 

It's given me something I didn't expect when I was trying to figure out how to take maternity leave as a practice owner: the chance to be a mother without sacrificing my role as a leader. I’m able to enjoy these weeks with my newborn while still knowing my practice is in good hands, running smoothly, and that I'm available if my team needs me. 

That's what modern infrastructure does. It doesn't just save you time at the office. It saves you from having to choose between the parts of your life that matter most. 

More soon. 

— Dr. Allison Bartley, Owner, South Barrington Dental Care