Bluffton Dental Clinic Honored as February Member of the Month
The Wells County Chamber of Commerce staff and ambassadors surprised Dr. Pam Johnson and staff at Bluffton Dental Clinic, located at 1417 Baker Drive, on Thursday, February 2 as the February Member of the Month.
Dr. Pam Johnson is a native of Wells County, graduating from Southern Wells High School. Johnson completed dental school in 2001 and opened her practice in Bluffton in 2002.
“I have really enjoyed the last 15 years serving this community and am very blessed,” Johnson explains. “I was the only female dentist in town when I opened the practice. Robin Hartman was my first Hygienist I hired in 2003; we have continued to grow since that time.”
Dr. Johnson has a staff of 8 that have been employed with her for a total of over 65 years combined. “I believe the success and longevity of the staff is because we listen to and respect one another and we take the time to learn about one another personally and professionally. We support one another and in turn, have a fun-working environment,” says Johnson.
Six locations operate under the Decatur Dental Clinic ownership group including: Bluffton, Warren, Geneva, and Berne. Dr.’s Pam Johnson, Michael Johnson, Kelly Ulman, Matt Baker and the recently retired Terry Baker are the owners of the practices. Johnson comments, “We take a lot of pride in finding local people to take over the Dental practices as we grow. The Decatur office is our template of what to do at our other offices, which has been a great success.”
A small community such as Bluffton has many benefits for Dr. Johnson. “We have a niche here in Bluffton. The personalization we can have with our patients is a great experience,” Johnson explains. “I know their families or they know mine. I appreciate our patients with their commitment and support over the years.”
Dr. Johnson said she feels it is very important to give back to young people in the community. “We sponsor a lot of youth programs, sports, youth related non-profits, and school functions. Young people need to have outside experiences, such as Youth for Christ, Boys and Girls Club, or Junior Achievement so they can experience new things beyond what they grew up with or are exposed to daily.”
Bluffton Dental provides services such as cleanings, dental exams, crowns, dentures, root canals, partials and orthodontics. “I want to help people solve their dental needs in a comforting, sympathetic way and not feel anxiety seeing a dentist. Sometimes we (dentists) have a bad reputation, and I want to change that perception. Listening to our patients fears and making them more comfortable is important to our staff and patients. I stress to the staff that it’s not just a tooth, but a person,” Johnson concludes.
Photo left to right:
Heather Morgan, National Oil, Chamber Ambassador
Brandi Haeft, Markle Health & Rehabilitation, Chamber Ambassador
Doug Fear, Edward Jones, Chamber Ambassador
Angela Paxson, Farm Credit Mid America, Chamber Ambassador
Shelly Turmail, Bluffton Dental Clinic
Kevin Pritchard, iAB Financial Bank, Chamber Ambassador
Robin Hartman, Bluffton Dental Clinic
Dr. Pamela Johnson, Bluffton Dental Clinic
Sid Schwartz, iAB Financial Bank, Chamber Ambassador
Gaye McMillan, Bluffton Dental Clinic
Donna Betz, Bluffton Dental Clinic
Nick Huffman, FC Tucker/Malcolm Schlueter Realtors, Chamber Ambassador
Michelle Mills, Bluffton Dental Clinic
Sue Kristek, Sassafras on Main, Chamber Ambassador
Cyndee Fiechter, BKM Real Estate, Chamber Ambassador
Erin Prible, Executive Director, Wells County Chamber of Commerce
