Dr. Tamera Haines is an orthodontist in Lithia Springs, Georgia, who specializes in providing superior care for adults and children. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychobiology from Binghamton University in New York in 1999, and her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree in 2004 from Meharry Medical College. Dr. Haines was one of a few select students inducted into the National Dental Honor Society, Omicron Kappa Upsilon.
After graduation, she studied an additional two years and received her Certificate in Orthodontics from Columbia University in New York. A National Dean's List Scholar, Dr. Haines has received many awards, including the American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Aptitude and Achievement Award and the United States Achievement Academy All-American Scholar Collegiate Award.
Dr. Haines is an active member of the American Association of Orthodontists, the American Dental Association and the Georgia Dental Association. The New York native now resides in Lithia Springs, Georgia. She enjoys the theater, traveling and spending time with her husband and two young children.
The Orthodontic Practice
Dr. Haines has built a thriving orthodontic practice. She has a strong reputation for quality results with both children and adults and can tackle the most severe orthodontic cases with excellent results. Dr. Haines and her husband Stephen (a school teacher) are raising their two young children in the community and frequently make substantial and frequent donations to local community organizations. Despite the declining economy, the practice growth has been pretty steady. As of Nov. 30th Tamera had 525 cases in progress. Given the negative economic reports being broadcast she was pleased as this represented only a slight decrease over last year.
The orthodontic practice is conveniently located in the downtown district with plenty of parking. They are open from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday. Dr. Haines has an excellent reputation and her services are in high demand. Accordingly, her schedule is usually full and in many cases she has a waiting list for premium times. Because of this, she has a strict policy about missed appointments. Patients must cancel 24 hours before their prescribed appointment slot. Dr. Haines is aware that unforeseen events and last minute emergencies can arise and therefore allows her patients two free missed appointments. After missing their second appointment, however, patients are charged a $25 fee for any subsequent absence. This fee must be paid (in cash) at the time of the next appointment or treatment is suspended.
Dr. Haines has three, very experienced certified dental assistants working for her. Because of their expertise, Dr. Haines can see as many as 70 patients in a given day. Dr. Haines recognizes that her staff works very hard & that their experience and training add greatly to the quality of treatment she provides to her patients. Because of this, she goes to great effort to keep the work environment pleasant and to great expense to offer a competitive benefits package. Although it is standard practice for an orthodontist to reimburse the dental assistant for their uniforms Dr. Haines is the only orthodontist in town that pays 100% of the employee's health insurance.
These strategies have not gone unnoticed and (other than an occasional maternity leave) her team has loyally stayed with her since she first opened. Dr. Haines also believes that the warm environment and pleasant personalities of her staff have contributed to her high retention and referral rates. Although Dr. Haines does a substantial amount of advertising, she believes "the best advertisement comes from a satisfied customer". Consistent with this belief she implemented a new plan to reward her patients (and staff) for any eferral. So far the promotion has been very well received and Tamera plans to continue with it. Under the program, the individual can choose between receiving a $100 visa gift card or a $100 gift certificate to use toward their orthodontic treatment. Patients must initially turn in a referral form. They collect their gift later, after the newly referred patient has actually started treatment.