A new name on the door, the same care inside

Since 1998, it has been my privilege and honor to practice dentistry in Kamloops, and I have taken this professional responsibility seriously. I have focused on providing you with the very best care possible, and on treating every patient as though I was working on myself. I knew that ultimately the day would come where I physically would not be able to provide that same high level of care, and I asked myself, “How will I deal with this? What would I do? How could I put the patients first and continue to provide them with the best quality care?”

After contemplation, I realized the solution was to identify another dentist who was like me. Not only in terms of physical ability, but also in terms of personality, as we know that the emotional aspect of dentistry is almost or as important as the physical. To this end, I have been observing the younger dentists who have been coming to town, watching to see if there was anyone who might fulfil these criteria.

There is a young dentist who I have been watching over the last six years, and I have to admit, I am impressed by him. He is friendly and personable, he is actively involved in the community, he cares passionately about his patients and his profession, he has a terrific sense of humor, and he does great dentistry. In other words, he is a unicorn, and he is the perfect fit to my philosophy of doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons.

Not long ago, we sat down for a visit, and I floated the idea of him one day talking over my dental practice, for all the reasons mentioned above. To be honest, he was flattered as he holds me in the same high regard as I hold him, and he felt honoured that I felt him worthy to ask to be my successor.

This dentist told me that he was at the stage in his career that he was ready to step out on his own and become a practice owner. In fact, he and his wife were already in the process of looking for a practice to purchase or build, and they had a timeline that they wanted to fulfil. So while I am still at the top of my game, and perhaps it is a little early for me to step back, I realized that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for everyone involved, and that I would be a complete idiot to let it slip away.

As such, I am sending you this email to inform you that effective today, Dr. Doug Whitelaw is taking over our dental practice. Doug and I are so excited about this transition, and we sincerely hope that you will be too. Yes, it is change, but it is probably the smallest change one could possibly make. His practice philosophy and beliefs align so closely with mine that it’s remarkable.

So you will see a new smiling face when you come to the office. Darker hair too. Even perhaps some new jokes instead of Dave’s stale old ones. But what really matters is that Doug is going to continue treating you just like he was treating himself, and he will be doing the right thing, at the right time, for the right reasons.

I will not be going away. I have few cases to complete, and I plan of remaining a patient of Doug’s. I picked him not just for you, but for me and the team too. He’s a great guy and a great dentist, and I know that we are all in great hands with him.

With sincere gratitude,

Dave

Dr. David Rushka  ·  Kamloops, BC