Editor, ProofsIt has been nearly three months since a devastating tornado roared through Joplin, Mo., and changed many lives forever. I recently had a chance to talk to Patterson Dental’s Springfield (Mo.) branch manager Tony Counts and Mountain West Region Manager Dan Reinhardt about the moments after the tornado and how the recovery process is going for the southwestern Missouri dental community.Henry: What were your first reactions when you knew a tornado had caused so much destruction in Joplin?
Counts (left): My first reaction was, “I can’t believe this is happening.” When I saw the area of devastation on TV, I knew we had customers who were going to be affected. I called Jonathan Jones, our equipment specialist, at 6 the next morning, then reached out to our sales reps. All of them were either on their way to the area or making phone calls to check on their customers. We really sprung into fact-finding mode. Our top priority was helping the dentists recover their data, then we tried to help them figure out a short- or long-term plan for their practice. We ended up finding a mobile unit for one doctor, and worked with a contractor on an area in a vacant strip mall for another doc. That’s still an ongoing project. We also tried to help develop a replacement list for each office’s supplies and equipment. No one realizes the amount of items in a dental office until you have to replace them all. We also reached out to Dan, Dave Misiak (vice president of sales at Patterson), and Patterson Office Supplies on what we could do to help the offices and the people in Joplin. We were able to ship bottled water, toothbrushes, and toothpaste into Joplin the next day. More than anything, I think our employees just listened to people and their stories, then tried to figure out what they could do to help. Listening was the key.Reinhardt: As the news about the tornado was breaking, my first thought was about our employees and their families. Once we knew everyone was OK, we immediately started thinking about our customers. What could we do quickly that would help? We wanted to provide the basics and have some answers.With our decentralized structure and our belief in our branch system, we knew our local branches would jump in with both feet any time there is a disaster. Henry: What has been happening recently to help dentists affected by the storm?Counts: We’ve also worked with the dentists and the manufacturers on some payments for equipment. A lot of our equipment partners are working with those affected by the tornado. We recently took several customers to A-dec. We’re also working with Wells Fargo on reduced rates. We want to help see how we can turn short-term plans into long-term plans. Some doctors are now sharing office space. The doctors are wondering how this will affect dental patients in the short- and long-term, but they are still moving full steam ahead with their plans to rebuild.
Henry: What is your sense of the overall mood in Joplin right now?Counts: Things have changed as the weeks have gone on. The media is really out of the picture and people are rebuilding without all of the cameras around. There’s also a level of frustration setting in because of the reality of not being able to get things done. People are still removing debris and trying to get permits to rebuild. There’s also still the anxiety of losing everything and trying to rebuild. So many people have applied for financing, and so many are still waiting to hear back on those applications.Reinhardt: It’s amazing to me how committed the dental community has been to working through this disaster and rebuilding. One of the biggest questions was how many dentists would stay as a part of the Joplin community. The answer is close to 100 percent.
