Sitting comfortably in his new position of 6 months, Dr. Kyle Zimmerman talks candidly about finding Advoca, finding his groove, and instantly finding a new home.
Zimmerman was like most dental students leaving Marquette Dental School in Milwaukee in 2018. Full of excitement, full of knowledge and full of debt. “Looking back, being courted by the big DSO’s was tempting from a loan pay-off standpoint, but was lacking for personal reasons. I’ve never been a fan of the large dental chains because to me, bigger means less quality, less power or voice in making a difference and less opportunity to learn the entire workings of a practice. Sure, they pay more, but your production goals are higher with less dentist-patient time.”
Dr Zimmerman joined New London Family Dental in 2019 after discovering Advoca, which offers dental practice management and transitional support. “Once I met Jason and Vijay from Advoca, I knew it would be a good fit. It wasn’t a corporate conversation, it was a personal one. They wanted to hear my expectations, my goals, and my style of working. They told me about Advoca offering support from the ground up, as opposed to the usual top down management. This opportunity checked all the boxes: Smaller practice with a great team, growth potential, path to ownership and close to family. My entry to the practice also transitioned the retirement of the founding dentist, Dr Lawton.”
The transition to New London Family Dental has been smooth for Zimmerman, for staff and patients alike. Communication was key. When Advoca took over the practice, the only change was that it got better. They took over the management side of the practice and let the dentists and teams focus on what they love best- taking care of patients.
“You can tell that everyone is happy. Dr. Lawton has an exit plan and I have a long-term plan here. Advoca wants the best fit for longevity. If this practice wasn’t hiring, they would have found me another opportunity in time. Looking back, I wish I’d met Jason and Vijay back in my Marquette days.”