Gary Takacs
"There was a man, though some did count him mad, the more he cast away, the more he had."
Anonymous
One of the more interesting benefits of working in the dental profession is the opportunity to meet such wonderful, compassionate people.
You may recall a story on "20/20" a few years ago about the plight of the Romanian orphans. The story was unbelievably appalling regarding the miserable conditions these poor children faced in their homeland. Not only did the children experience material depravation in the form of little food and water, but they also experienced severe emotional starvation. Many of these children lived a caged existence, literally confined to their cribs. The news story created a great deal of adoption interest here in the United States. I recently had the opportunity to stay as a houseguest with a dentist and his family who adopted twin Romanian, orphan girls. It was truly heartwarming to experience the love and compassion that these two girls now receive.
You may be wondering what this story has to do with my column. Most of the time, I write about how to get paid. Now, I`m going to suggest an aberration; namely, I`m suggesting that you give your care away! Before I get accused of making absolutely no sense, allow me to explain.
At this time of the year, I would like to encourage your office to become involved in charitable care. You may take a global perspective and get involved with one of the wonderful missionary organizations that deliver much-needed dentistry in third-world countries. Or, you may prefer to take a `backyard` approach to your benevolence and deliver dental care through a local relief agency in your town or city. I`m never sure who benefits the most from this type of charity: the needy folks who receive the care or the providers who deliver it.
The one point that I would like to emphasize is that I am in absolute favor of charity. I just want you to choose your charity, instead of having the charity choose you. I have heard it said that "you can`t give from an empty wagon." This statement is so true.
Let me use this Holiday Season as a rallying point to encourage you to get involved in using your skills to help those less fortunate. Wishing you the most joyous of holidays and a happy, prosperous New Year!
Gary Takacs is a frequent speaker on payment issues in dentistry. His seminar schedule can be obtained by mailing your business card to Gary Takacs, 8160 E. Butherus Drive, Suite 7, Scottsdale, AZ 85260.
