COVER STORY

FEATURE coverstory

passion ignit e YOUR !

WRITER KATHRYN ANN HORNBERGER PHOTOGRAPHER CHELSEA BREN

he's described as an icon by her professional peers in dentistry, but Debra s Engelhardt-Nash is much too authentic to be limited to icon status. Debra is handson with mentoring and teaching, and as a speaker and presenter, her professional status extends beyond national recognition. To say she is busy may be the understatement of the year!

“I manage three businesses,” Debra explains, “the dental practice, our teaching facility ( e Nash Institute for Dental Learning, which o ers post-graduate training for dentists and team members), and my own consulting and speaking business—as well as my husband Ross’s speaking engagements. I also work with Justice Ministries and speak on human tra cking and dentistry to raise community awareness … and I do volunteer work in other areas as well.”

Debra’s career has been a consistent pursuit of excellence and innovation, with emphasis not only on dental practice management, but also on personalized patient experiences and satisfaction. Her approach to customized practice management, which focuses on patient-centric goals, was a novel idea in the mid-1980s; and when the practice management rm she worked for did not have her vision, she summoned her entrepreneurial spirit, made a bold move, and went out on her own.

“In 1985, I started my own consulting company,” Debra relays, “helping healthcare professionals and their teams increase their patient satisfaction, their professional satisfaction, and improve their productivity.” Debra's professional contributions include speaking engagements, on-site seminars, and podcasts—all of which have rmly established her as an industry expert.

“I speak nationally and internationally on practice management and team development and write for healthcare journals. I have spoken in over a dozen foreign countries and almost every state in the nation, as well as Canada,” she explains. cont 'd...

Who will help me at home after my surgery?

Concerned about not having someone to care for you after your upcoming surgery?

Recover worry free in your own home with your very own elite nurse concierge.

Find out about our new post surgical care rates

Services offered: attend pre op visit with you post op nursing care wound care bandage checks & changes care of surgical drains personal care healing massage communicate needs to your physician arrange transportation for and attend post op visit with you visit with you

Ruth Zutaut, RN

Call today & speak with your personal Registered Nurse: 704-995-1199

Visit us online to view our services:

WWW.LAKENORMANNURSE.COM

Debra's early years were met with circumstances that would teach her to handle the unexpected and to create her own successes in life. After her parents divorced when she was just a young girl, Debra's mother was declared incompetent, and Debra became a foster child at age 15. Determined to move forward with her life, she was legally emancipated by age 17 and attended the University of California at Long Beach where she obtained a degree in secondary education. Her career trajectory changed when she found herself being o ered a job in a dental practice.

“I was recruited by my dentist to work in his o ce,” Debra recalls. “My degree is in liberal arts/secondary education, so working in a profession involving the sciences seemed a bit of a stretch. I learned very early that whether it be healthcare or childcare or any type of service, it’s about people … and I can do that!”

Debra's people skills have been one of her core pro ciencies in developing her career, but it's her persistence and determination that have seen her through the most challenges—with not only her career, but with her health. In 2011, Debra was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

“My biggest life obstacle was in 2011 when I lost the strength of my right side,” Debra recounts. “I was diagnosed with a benign meningioma and Ross was told I would probably not gain the use of my right side and have to walk with the aid of a cane or walker. Would I be able to work again? Would I be able to nimbly travel? What would my audiences or clients think (if they would even retain me)? ere was so much going through my mind.”

e brain tumor was one of those signi cant emotional occurrences that forces you to put your life and its priorities in perspective. Debra adds: “In almost an instant, that which seemed so signi cant became meaningless. Ross was amazing throughout the entire process— intensive care, rehabilitation, and recovery. I had to learn to walk again. e strength of my family and the trueness of friends was revealed. Our faith deepened and my strength of will was apparent. My brain tumor may have been the worst and the best thing that happened to us. I was told I would be in physical rehabilitation 3-5 weeks. I walked out, unaided, in 11 days. I went back to work as soon as I got the doctor’s approval.” Debra’s spirited determination has led to her being recognized as an industry powerhouse. Her work has been recognized with numerous awards and accolades. She has been named among the “Top 25 Women in Dentistry” and as a leader in dental education and consulting. She received the Outstanding Lecturer Award in Dentistry in 2015 and serves on the American Dental Association Practice Management Advisory Board, in addition to serving on the board of two dental organizations.

“I was a founding member and served three terms as president of the Academy of Dental Management Consultants and was given their Lifetime Achievement and Spirit of Leader Award in 2019,” Debra shares. “I also received the Speaking Consulting Network Lifetime Achievement Award in June of this year. All of these acknowledgements say to me that I have served my colleagues, my clients, and my industry well and that gives me great pride.”

As for the future, Debra says she would like to read and write more; get o the beaten path and discover new places and experiences; continue to grow and learn in her industry; and to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.

“I like getting things done,” Debra emphasizes. “I love working around the house as much as I love my job, so a perfect day for me would mean that I accomplished something noticeable … something that made a di erence. en I can settle back with my amazing husband and end the evening with a well-prepared meal and a great glass of red wine.” w

My brain tumor may have been the worst and the best thing that happened to us.