A Transitional “Mahalo”
Pictured above: Dr. Pfister enjoys the company of his amazing Team.
Don’t you just love the English language, with all its colorful words and phrases…
Everyone, I’m sure, has special words they love to say or remind them of a special moment in time.
On the flip-side, there are also words, for one reason or another, a person just avoids in conversation or texting. In different periods of our lives, I also think we avoid certain words or phrases because it either makes us feel too young or too old.
At this point, my readers are probably saying, we waited over two months for a blog that seems to be going nowhere!
Have faith my friends — the clouds shall soon part in my verbiage.
This past December has been the most difficult month for me, emotionally, since I was learning to walk…
Many of you, by now, have received news (or know someone who read on various social media platforms) that I have given up the reins of Pfister Orthodontics.
That is right — I’m choosing my words carefully so I don’t use one of my unfavorable words… such as quit or retired.
At this point in the Pfister Orthodontics announcement cycle, I felt a point of clarification was necessary…
Many who received the two-page letter only read the first page and decided that Dr. Pfister must be dying.
He would never leave so quickly.
To the contrary. This past December, I just had my yearly physical and my physician said you are doing great. Your blood pressure is excellent at 122/74, pulse 72, cholesterol 88. If even the Cleveland Clinic can’t find any reason to worry, you’re in great shape.
No, my cancer did not come back and I am NOT dying. Thank you to all of my patients and readers for your concerns.
Once you are over 55 and sell your business or practice, everyone seems to feel, yep, he retired.
Retired is definitely an unfavorable word in my vocab (because, in my mind, it means done with an exciting life, you are old, so just sit back and listen to your arteries harden).
The word that I am using, instead of retired, is transitioned.
If we look to Webster to shed some light on this, we find the definition of retire is “to stop working” or “to retreat and/or withdraw.”
The definition of transition is “the process or period of changing from one state or condition to another.”
Most of my readers who know me fairly well would have to agree, I fit into the latter more than the former.
My current agreement is to see patients several days a week until July 2025 and then, at that point, determine if my staying would benefit the practice and its growth for the future.
Why, then, has this been so difficult? Let me shed some light on that question…
The main reason lies at the core of why an individual becomes an orthodontist in the first place — enhancing lives and self-esteem through the creation of amazing smiles.
Take this pursuit and pair it with the opportunity to work with a dynamic population of positive individuals in Medina and surrounding areas.
Why would anyone want to leave that lifestyle to be retired?
I have been truly blessed to come back to my hometown, where I grew up, went to church… and to school.
Then, to be surrounded by the most amazing team any doctor could ever ask for — that has been truly special as we worked together to create each patient’s unique and captivating smile.
Truly, I have been blessed.
I would love to thank each and every one of my patients who let myself and my team into their lives for a few years to enhance their bites and their smiles. The relationships formed and the memories created are a priceless gift that my team and I will treasure forever.
They say our eyes are the windows to our soul. I have to believe our smile is the front door! Today’s young people are under a large amount of pressure to look good to fit in and to look good to get ahead. You can’t believe the emotional rush that an orthodontist and his or her team members share with a patient when you take the braces or Invisalign trays off and they see their shining smile for the first time!
These last 43 years with my Team — watching tears of joy and excitement in patient’s eyes after several years of work — is truly a divine gift that I have never taken lightly.
So you may say, “Dr. Pfister, if it’s that great, why would you transition now?”
Great question, let’s look at it more in-depth…
There are several things that they say never change and are always constant — namely, death and taxes.
Another old sage bit of wisdom that I like is, if opportunity is knocking, make sure you open the door.
Though my yearly physical was great, let’s be honest, I’m not going to live forever.
And when you meet someone who you think might make a great partner in your business or is so aligned with your energy and values… and you let them get away for a myriad of dumb reasons… and then both of your circuitous paths of life, by some unknown divine force, meet again 15 years later… your maturing intellect steps in.
Dr. Pfister with Dr. Dale Anne Featheringham
And that is what happened to Dr. Dale Anne Featheringham and myself.
I left Case Western and came to work in Medina for Drs. Haddad and Fuller… left… and bought the other orthodontist in town three years later.
Dr. Dale Anne graduated from OSU and went to work for Dr. Fuller (Dr. Haddad had retired); she left four years later and worked in the Columbus area and taught at OSU.
Last Spring, I contacted her to see if she knew any students looking to move up this way and be a partner. She said, no, but she had always wanted to work with me and be back in Medina, especially now that her parents were living in Mansfield.
I said, “Hey, come on up and let’s talk.”
She told me later that, when she hung up, she started crying and her husband said, “What’s the matter, who died?”
“Nobody died. We’re headed for Medina!”
It was exciting catching up on what each of us had done over the last fifteen years. We both used similar techniques and she had been to Dallas to see my mentor. The brackets I use now were created by his philosophies.
She has served as the President of the Ohio Association of Orthodontists and the Great Lakes Association of Orthodontists, along with serving on the National Board of the American Association of Orthodontists.
She is also involved with LifeWise Academy, which helps provide Bible-based leadership and character education to school-aged children in Ohio… not to mention mission trips to Honduras.
Last, but not least, she is involved with Hearts in Action, which runs Christian schools in the jungles of Guatemala.
As you can see, Dr. Dale Anne is deeply committed and passionate about helping people create a better future for themselves.
Over the last six months I’ve had five different groups wanting to purchase Pfister Orthodontics…
Several I had known for over 30 years. They had cash, but no heart or soul for continuing the love and compassion that my Team and I have invested over the last 43 years.
Only Dr. Dale Anne and her Team showed (without ever trying) their love of humanity (and especially young people) and their heart-felt desire to continue on the Pfister Philosophy and Traditions.
Yes, 2025 will bring with it changes…
Pfister Orthodontics will become Up-Beat Orthodontics; but the core, drive, and reason for our being will never change!
I will be the first to tell you, these changes have not been without my family feeling some tinges of pain, and yes, there have been tears… but of joy, not sadness.
Personally, I feel this is the greatest gift that I could give Medina County and neighboring areas — a gift that will keep on creating incredible self-esteem, building smiles for generations to come… a gift in the form of the most loving and passionate orthodontist I have ever met — Dr. Dale Anne Featheringham.
In closing, please grant me the opportunity to introduce and thank the greatest orthodontic team alive who, without them, I could never have created beautiful smiles or lasted this long…
Dr. Pfister with wife and fellow adventurer, Terri Pfister
Dr. Pfister with wife and soul mate, Terri Pfister
I would like to thank Terri, my wife, who has been our bookkeeper, sounding board, and my soul mate since high school.
My sons, Steve and Trent, who have worked in the office since they were in junior high at all aspects of smile creation, thank you, boys. For a dad to be able to work with both of his sons into their 20s is truly a blessing.
Connie... 38 years of smile creation, being the Tooth Fairy for Give-Kids-a-Smile school visitations, an elf at Christmas, an instructor for vocational students, my sounding board, treatment coordinator… she has held every position (and with a smile).
Donna... 38 years of smile creation, coordinator of Invisalign, chairside, receptionist (and knows everyone in Medina).
Kelly… 28 years of smile creation, our dynamo and energizer, treatment coordinator, an elf at Christmas, chairside, an instructor for vocational students, our Northern Medina County connection.
Nikki… 26 years of smile creation, front desk coordinator, creative marketing coordinator, financial team, and was a patient who just couldn’t leave us.
Trisha... 29 years of smile creation, chairside, receptionist, records coordinator, our strength and shoulder of support.
Jackie... 20 years of smile creation, front desk, financial and insurance coordinator, every position in the office.
Pam... 18 years of smile creation, treatment coordinator, chairside, instructor for vocational students, records coordinator, and a patient of ours who truly enjoys making others happy.
So there you have it, the Reader’s Digest condensed version of my life.
It’s been an incredible journey… with more adventures and excitement ahead.
The 124 blogs I’ve published started during Covid, became an amazing stress releaser, and gave my patients and readers a window into my life… and theirs into mine (by way of the 2-way conversation in-office and on-the-web).
Anyone thinking of writing, just start doing it and find your writing zen (or zone) that becomes a portal to your soul. Your writing will flow subconsciously. It has been as good as yoga for me in finding another plane of stress-free consciousness.
On behalf of my Family and Team, I would like to wish all of our patients and readers a healthy and prosperous New Year!
In the meantime, just remember, there are special (and not-so-special) words in the English language.
I have not retired. I am just transitioning.
But the most important word in my vocabulary today, and always, might be a word that is not English at all, yet embodies everything I hope to convey — mahalo. An undeniable expression of gratitude.
Thank you.
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your life… your journey… and yours a part of mine.
Until the next time…
Mahalo,
- Dr. Pfister