At Hudec Dental, we want our patients to feel confident that they are receiving the best care and are treated as our number one priority. We take pride in our caring employees throughout every office and, each month, we choose a “featured employee” to go beyond their titles and to share more about who our employees really are. Our featured employee this month is Lauren Millgard, a EFDA (Expanded Functions Dental Assistant) at our Bedford Office and author of our recent blood pressure blog post.
Enjoy getting to know her!
Lauren grew up in Cleveland, OH and now lives in North Royalton. She attended Holy Name High School, attended Remington College to become a Dental Assistant, and went on to Case Western Reserve University to become an EFDA. Lauren first started at Hudec Dental as an Extern at our Puritas office back when she was becoming a Dental Assistant. It helped her fall in love with her career choice and made her even more passionate about it than before. She worked in a private office for about a year after graduation but quickly realized she missed the faster pace she had at Hudec Dental. She was hired back at the Puritas office and eventually moved on to the Macedonia office until she decided to go back to school and become an EFDA. After completing her education at Case Western, Lauren worked at a variety of larger dental organizations over the years and she found herself loosing the passion she once had for her work. That’s when she decided to come back to us at our Bedford office. Even though she has only been back with Hudec Dental for a few months, Lauren says: “I can honestly say coming back to Hudec Dental has reignited my passion and love for this career. I am continuously accepted, respected, inspired, empowered, and valued at Hudec Dental!”
Had Lauren’s grandmother not mentioned the Hygiene Program at Tri-C to her at age 16, she might not be where she is today. She has been in the dental field since she was 17 years old and is so glad she has had the encouragement and love behind her that she has. She spends her days taking care of her patients and her nights taking care of her family. With a husband, daughter, and twin boys at home, Lauren has a busy schedule but always has time for her patients! When she has free time, she loves spending it with her family. Whether they are watching her beloved Cleveland sports teams or going to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, they are always having fun! Lauren could not live without her husband, kids, and coffee (of course!). Her favorite quote is: “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.” Her hidden “talent” is that she can’t wink to save her life! She just ends up blinking!
Lauren’s advice for new hires at Hudec Dental is to ask questions and watch! “We all started exactly where you are! I’ve been in this field for 13 years and I still ask questions and am learning!” In addition, the most important thing she has learned in the last 5 years is to always try and turn the negative into a positive. “If you dwell on the negatives, it spreads. If you can find the positive in that negative it completely turns the situation around.”
We hope you enjoyed getting to know Lauren just like we have over the years!
Want to ignite your passion for dentistry? Call our recruiter, Shantell Corell! 216-325-9709.
