Happy New Year! As we kick off 2025, we hope you’re staying safe and cozy in this winter weather. With chilly days and frosty mornings, it’s the perfect time to bundle up, enjoy a warm drink, and read our monthly newsletter!
In this issue, we’re sharing some exciting practice updates, New Year’s resolution tips, why handwashing is so important, and photos of our team enjoying winter fun. We’re also excited to tell you about our upcoming Give Kids a Smile event in February.
Grab a blanket, stay warm, and enjoy!
In This Issue:
- Peek Inside our Practice: State of Our Union
- New Payment Options and Changes Ahead
- Handwashing Awareness
- Join Us for Give Kids a Smile
- Winter Wonderland with Our Team
- Recipe: Pasta e Fagioli Soup
- Please Leave us a Review!
Peek Inside our Practice: State of Our Union

In our practice, we conduct annual performance reviews, similar to many businesses. These reviews are guided by clearly defined job factors that are shared with team members in advance. Additionally, team members and management collaboratively set individual objectives alongside practice-wide goals. This process includes a self-evaluation by the team member and a management and/or doctor evaluation. The primary focus is to celebrate accomplishments, highlight strengths, and identify opportunities to continue career growth, expand skills, and support team members in achieving their professional goals.
At the end of 2023, management recognized that our review process had been one-sided, focusing solely on evaluating team members without assessing the practice as a whole. To address this, we developed a qualitative survey using Google Forms to measure:
- job satisfaction,
- how well management is doing,
- how well our doctors are doing,
- what are their team’s strengths and weaknesses,
- what are other teams’ strengths and weaknesses, and
- how well teams interact with other teams.
The survey was anonymous, with responders having the choice of not identifying their teams. We called this exercise our “Practice State of the Union,” giving everyone time to fill it out during our December All-Teams meeting. Our goal was to gain a well-rounded perspective, promoting both individual and practice-wide growth.
When we processed the responses in January 2024, we were relieved and pleasantly surprised that everyone was generally satisfied with their job and with their colleagues. Regarding what we could do better, the suggestion that came up most often was that teams felt that their efforts and contributions weren’t appreciated by other teams.
To address that, management implemented a new individual objective, which was to cast a vote of thanks each time someone from a different team did something that “Helped me a little / helped me a lot / lifesaver!!!!” We intended to keep this up for 9 months, but after 3 months we felt an attitude shift as people realized that in our practice EVERYONE went beyond their strict job descriptions to enable the practice to function smoothly and to help out their colleagues, which in turn improves patient care.
In our All-Teams meeting this month we honored the team members who received the most votes from other teams, and honored them for being our Super Team Players. Tied in first place, receiving the greatest number of thank-yous, were hygienist Kristen and hygienist Brandon.


We’re still analyzing suggestions for improvement proffered in the December 2024 State of the Union and will follow up on them. Meanwhile, we’re delighted to announce that when asked, “What are the strengths of other teams / What did other teams do well in 2024,” most answers mentioned the strong collaboration, communication, and camaraderie among the teams. Sometimes all it takes to change your impression of things is to notice and track instances of counter-examples!
New Payment Options and Changes Ahead

We are excited to announce that we have transitioned our payment platform to one that allows additional features for our patients. You now have the ability to:
- Pay account balance and co-payments via text or (new!) via email links;
- Make payments using ACH, by providing your bank account’s routing and account numbers. through a secure interface.
In a few months credit card transactions will incur a surcharge of 3%. You do not need to ever be subjected to this 3% surcharge: Debit cards, ACH, cash, and checks will incur no surcharge.
We’re not willing to compromise our standard of care, which includes:
- not setting production quotas,
- taking the time to answer your questions, and
- never recommending dental treatment that we feel isn’t truly needed.
The cost of doing business in this “old-fashioned” way has been rising steadily over the past several years, but we chose not to raise our dental fees. Instead, we decided to reduce our overhead by paying fewer fees to financial institutions. This way, only those patients who choose to use credit cards will notice an increase on their bills.
We will continue to offer additional financing options via Cherry and Care Credit.
Handwashing Awareness
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/clean-hands/about/index.html
Washing your hands isn’t just about maintaining hygiene—it’s one of the simplest, most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs and illnesses.
Why Hand-Washing Is Essential
Hand-washing helps prevent respiratory and diarrheal infections that can spread when you:
- Touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
- Prepare or eat food and drinks without washing your hands.
- Handle surfaces or objects contaminated with germs.
- Blow your nose, cough, or sneeze into your hands and then touch others or shared objects.
Regular hand-washing is crucial to stopping the spread of illnesses and protecting both yourself and others.
Key Times to Wash Your Hands
To reduce the spread of germs, wash your hands with soap:
- As soon as you arrive home
- Before, during, and after preparing food.
- Before and after eating.
- Before and after caring for someone who is sick.
- After using the toilet or changing diapers.
- After touching animals, pet food, or garbage.
- Before brushing or flossing your teeth to avoid introducing germs into your mouth.
How to Wash Your Hands Effectively
Follow these five steps for proper hand-washing:
- Wet your hands with clean, running water (warm or cold), turn off the tap, and apply soap.
- Lather your hands, including the backs, between fingers, and under nails.
- Scrub for at least 20 seconds—hum the “Happy Birthday” song twice for timing.
- Rinse well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands with a clean towel or air dryer.
When soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
Your Dental Health Routine
Hand hygiene is especially critical for maintaining good oral health. Before brushing or flossing, clean hands prevent germs from entering your mouth. In addition to clean hands, a healthy smile depends on a consistent oral hygiene routine:
- Brush your teeth twice daily for at least two minutes each time.
- Floss daily to remove bacteria and food particles between teeth. If you are unable to floss effectively, consider a water flosser such as a Waterpik or equivalent.
- Use fluoride toothpaste, maintain a balanced diet, and visit your dentist every six months for cleanings and exams, more often if you have gum disease.
By pairing regular hand-washing with proper dental care, you protect your overall health and maintain a bright, healthy smile. This December, take the time to refresh your hand-washing habits and celebrate the small steps that make a big difference in your well-being. Remember, oral health is part of your overall health.
Join Us for Give Kids a Smile Day 2025!
February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, and we’re excited to participate in the American Dental Association’s Give Kids a Smile (GKAS) Day once again! For the past 20 years, Dr. Harvey Levy & Associates has been proud to offer free dental care to underserved children in our community, and we can’t wait to do it again this year! The entire day will be dedicated just for this event.
Mark your calendars for the First Friday in February!
We’ll be providing free cleanings, exams, and x-rays to children from low-income families. It’s a fantastic opportunity for kids to learn about taking care of their teeth and for parents to ensure their child’s smile is healthy and bright!
Plus, every child who attends will receive a goodie bag filled with a toothbrush, toothpaste, and fun prizes!
We will not be able to see children unless they have an appointment. We look forward to seeing you and helping little smiles shine!
Winter Wonderland with Our Team
We’re excited to share some snapshots of our team embracing the winter season! From festive holiday celebrations to snowy adventures, our incredible crew made unforgettable memories this winter. If you haven’t had the chance to see our adventures on the bulletin board in our waiting room, check out some highlights below!











Recipe of the Month: Pasta e Fagioli Soup

Source: https://www.cookingclassy.com/olive-garden-pasta-e-fagioli-soup-copycat-recipe
This Pasta e Fagioli is an all time favorite and one of Cooking Classy’s most popular recipes! It’s loaded with vegetables and brimming with Italian flavor. It’s perfectly comforting, hearty and absolutely delicious!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 1 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium)
- 1 cup diced celery (about 3 stalks)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbsp)
- 3 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
- 2 14.5 oz cans low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup water, then more as desired
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup dry ditalini pasta
- 1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
- Finely shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, for serving
- 3 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium high heat, crumble in ground beef and cook, stirring occasionally until cooked through.
- Drain fat from beef then transfer beef to a plate, set aside. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in same pot.
- Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium-high heat until tender about 6 minutes, add garlic and saute 1 minute longer.
- Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, water, canned tomatoes, sugar, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram and cooked beef then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover with lid and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, about 15 – 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile prepare ditalani pasta according to directions on package, cooking to al dente.
- Add cooked and drained pasta to soup* along with kidney beans and great northern beans. Thin with a little more broth or water if desired.
- Allow to cook 1 minute longer. Stir in parsley, serve warm with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese