Hans Julius Baer

Mr. Baer was an influential banker and philanthropist who passed away on March 21,2011. From reading the announcement of his passing in the New York Times, I noted that he accomplished a significant amount of good works during his lifetime. What really impressed me was a quote by Mr. Baer:

"I have never tried to set boundaries between work and leisure. It was simply my life."

I feel the exact same sentiments as Mr. Baer. Who we are and what we do defines the person that we are. I believe in the old days, being a physician or a dentist permeated their whole life.

Things have changed but I do not think for the better.

What Do Patients Say?

The dental consultants strongly advise that a dentist Google him or herself to see what others are saying about us. So today, I did just that and went to a website called "All Over Albany" and this is what I found:

I've been seeing Dr. Gerald Benjamin since I was 5. He is incredibly skilled and personable and his staff is amazing. They just opened an office in Saratoga - http://www.benjaminsmile.com.

They're a bit pricey, but not as bad as what you said you paid. I think the quality of care justifies the price.

I loved reading this!!!!

"The quality of care justifies the price." I am honored and in awe that patients can see that my goal is to take care of you at the highest possible level.

Do I Care What My Colleagues think?

Yes I do!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why?

Because I have been doing this job for a very long time...almost 35 years, and I would like to believe that I have made a difference both to my profession and in my patient's lives.

One of my colleagues recently posted a statement about who should make the decision about the kind of restoration that is BEST for the patient. This is what he said:

"I don't want my hygienist deciding what kind of restoration my patients need. She is good especially with the digital x-rays telling and showing patients that they have a broken down tooth or a very large filling that is leaking that needs to be restored. I do mostly onlays an occasional crown and a lot of larger composites like Einstein, or I mean Gerald."

Dentists around the United States know who I am and what I do. I am known for preserving natural tooth structure by placing very strong direct posterior resins instead of cutting down teeth for crowns.

In the final third of my career, I have made my mark on my profession and I like that.

Dentists Were Angry

I told you about the continuing education course of the decade in which four dentists will provide interdisciplinary dental treatment to our patient at no cost and for the benefit of dentists so that they can learn how to provide excellence to their patients.

We sent our 400 invitations to dentists around the Capital District and we ELECTRONICALLY limited attendance to the first 12 dentists that signed up. Dentists were not happy with us for keeping the course so small and even complained to one of the local Dental Societies. We relented and agreed to allow four additional dentists to join the exclusive group of dentists attending the course.

We were thrilled and overwhelmed that so many dentists wanted to make a three year commitment to learning.

We must be doing something right if so many professionals wanted to join us.

You Are a Dying Breed.

I saw a new patient this week who is a semi-retired gynecologist who practiced in Albany but now in Vermont. At the end of his appointment, he said to me, “You are a dying breed! Your concern for your patient, your pursuit of excellence and the fact that you only do what you are good at, is a rarity among physicians and dentists today.”

My work is a reflection of who I am and what I do. I take care of patients that truly want to be taken care of and I am honored to treat patients that want what I do which is fine restorative dentistry.

Lexus and I believe the same thing: The unrelenting pursuit of Excellence. For those patients that want and appreciate excellence, I am one of their options.

An Earthquake, a Tsunami and a Nuclear Disaster

In the history of the world, I don't believe that there has been this many problems besetting a country as we are witnessing in Japan.

You might ask, "Why should we care?"

The answer is simple: We are all in this together. Everything affects EVERYBODY!
No country in the world is self reliant and no country has all the answers.

Whenever there is a crisis there are no Republicans and no Democrats; No liberals and no conservatives. A crisis makes us all AMERICANS.

A crisis IN the world is a crisis FOR the world.

If we don't fight together, we will struggle alone.

I pray for Japan's success during these impossible times.

The Course of the Decade

Sometimes when dentists see the work of some of their colleagues, they become upset that the standards are not up to par. And sometimes a group of dentists join together to right a wrong and to show our younger colleagues that excellence can be done in the Capital District and if they want to know how to do it, we will show them.

Four dentists in the Capital District, an Endodontist, an oral surgeon, an orthodontist and I will treat ONE patient for up to three years of dental treatment with our goal to produce as perfect an outcome as possible for our patient. We are inviting up to 12 of our dental colleagues to join us on our journey towards excellence.

Our colleagues will pay us nothing to take our course which is unheard of for a course like this. And our patient will also not pay us for our dental treatment.

Then why would we do this? What do we want to gain from helping other dentists learn and giving our patient the gift of dental excellence that she would never be able to pay for?

We will conduct this course solely for the benefit of our patient and as a tremendous learning experience for other dentists. Each of us teaching our course will PAY thousands of dollars for our involvement in presenting this course as well as almost 100 hours each of our time for planning, preparation and treatment.

There has never been a course like this in the Capital District or as far as I know, anywhere else in the country.

I can't wait.

A Maverick?

We discuss many things on the ACE Dental Forum. Clinical dentistry (my favorite), the business of running a dental practice, ethics and even some politics.
One of my favorite contibutors is Dr. June Darling, a noted psychologist and dental business consultant. June provides us with her rational and reasonable thoughts about why we are who we are and why we behave like we behave as well as why some business relationships work and why they don't.
She recently responded to a dentist who asked about 'Team Meetings' and I sent her a private email informing her that I in 34 years I have never had a team meeting. Her response to me was "It does surprise me that people can have great organizations without having some sort of team meeting. But Gerald wouldn't you call yourself a "maverick"?"

I responded to Dr. Darling with the following:

1. I will not hurt anyone for money
2. I will do the very best that I can for each patient that I treat
3. I will not be unethical
4. I will treat my staff with dignity and respect and as much like family as I can
5. I will strive for excellence because that is what my patients expect and pay me for?
6. "Do the Right Thing" is the office motto and we follow it?
Which of these makes me a maverick?

Have our values as a society changed so much that my old time values would label me a 'Maverick?'

You have asked me to take care of you and I have PROMISED you that I will.What an old fashioned concept.

My Nursing Home Visit

I told you about the elderly man who has been my patient for 30 YEARS and was worried that no one would take care of his wife who is in a nursing home. I assured Mr. F that I would continue to see his wife in the nursing home to keep my eye on her implant supported dentures.

This morning I went to a nursing home in Troy to see my old friend. She is 82 and remains sharp as a tack. Unfortunately, she is very unhappy in the facility and wants to go home which, of course, just is not possible. She cried for most of my hour long visit and either wants to die or go home.

I stayed to talked with Mrs. for much longer than the dental exam required but she is lonely and this was the least I could do for someone who has given me 30 years of loyalty. I kissed Mrs. F when I arrived and when I left. 30 year relationships of any kind are rare but a professional doctor-patient relationship is truly to be cherished.

I am honored to have taken care of Mrs. F these past three decades. And if you think my visit was motivated by making money, you are completely wrong. There was no charge to see my old friend. Would you ask your old friends to pay you to visit?