AADOM Featured Member – Elaina Wharton
Walnut Creek, California
Email: elaina@dralijanian.com
Phone: (925) 565-3876
We practice Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Ali Alijanian, DDS and I have been with them for 18 years.
The most rewarding part of my career is being a Leader in a practice that provides high-quality dental care and 5-star service to our patients. In addition to patient care, I feel blessed every day to be a part of a practice that supports and empowers team members to achieve their goals.
We are the A Team! Dr. Alijanian is absolutely one of a kind. He is a leader in our dental community and wears many hats. He currently holds the title of President of the Partnership Study Club – Walnut Creek, Director of the Spear Study Club – Walnut Creek, and has recently opened the Centurion Dental Practi(CE)nter. This training center is a beautiful facility that provides advanced dental continuing education from all aspects. With an amazing doctor came amazing team members. I can’t say enough about our A-Team. They go above and beyond every day; we truly support each other in and out of the office, we believe in a positive practice culture and creating the WOW experience for our patients #ThankYouJudyKay. Our motto is to care for the patient before you take care of them and that is just what we do. For fun, we like to host a karaoke night for our referring offices. This is a night of fun, socializing, food, drinks, and nothing but laughter and smiles throughout the night. Oh, and don’t forget Karaoke!!
What advice would you give to a new office manager just starting out?
Join AADOM! You are not on an island alone. There is a whole tribe of us across the country to support you! If you have questions, need to enhance your skills, searching for education, or looking for networking then AADOM is your resource! With an AADOM membership, you will be able to tailor learning to your specific needs.
All About AADOM!
Are you a member of a local Dental Professional Learning Network (DPLN)?
Yes, I am the President of the Contra Costa Dental Connection
Have you attended an AADOM conference?
Yes! I have been attending the AADOM Conferences since 2014. They are hands down the BEST conference for Dental Administrative Professionals!
Do you hold an AADOM distinction (FAADOM, MAADOM, DAADOM?)
Yes, I earned my Fellowship distinction in 2016 and was inducted as a MAADOM at the 2023 conference.
How do you feel AADOM helped you to learn, connect, or grow?
I have worked alongside Dr. Alijanian for the past 18 years. I originally started as a certified surgical assistant and quickly found myself crossed throughout each role in the practice. Becoming a practice administrator is a role I grew into but when the title was actually given to me, I felt fear. The fear of the unknown, the fear of huge responsibility, and the fear of not knowing where my resources would be. Joining AADOM made me feel a sense of comfort. It helped me gain knowledge which allowed me to gain confidence. Once confidence was built, I saw the sky was the limit. It led me down the path of starting a local DPLN in our area so I could share the wonderful benefits of AADOM with my fellow dental administrative professionals.
