Being greeted with a smile when you get to work can be rare in these times of mask wearing, but Tara Lane and Brenda Cindrich make sure everyone’s day at the UMKC School of Dentistry begins with some fun.
Since the school reopened, procedures have been in place to check in all students, staff and faculty as they come in through the school’s northwest entrance. ID cards are swiped to verify access and help if contact tracing is needed later. Temperatures are checked. Entrants attest that they are symptom free.
And then there’s the music and dancing.
“We’re there Monday through Friday, from 6:45 till about 9 o’clock,” said Lane, whose regular job as a patient care coordinator involves helping dental patients when they have problems. “We play music and Brenda mostly dances. The music is something a little different every day.”
“One day it might be Motown; one day rock ’n’ roll,” said Cindrich, who helps patients schedule their dental hygiene work. “You never know what you’re going to get until you walk in the door.”
Lane added: “Some of them will even sing and dance with us, or suggest songs for us to play another day.”
Their routine seems to give everyone a lift, Lane said, even those who struggle with their morning mood.
“I don’t even remember how we were chosen for the job,” said Cindrich, but soon they knew who seemed to need a little extra cheering up. “And it’s actually starting to work.”
The two, who have about 30 years of combined experience at the school, thought their door duty might be over when an automatic temperature reader took over that task, and people got used to checking in. But apparently someone recognized their morale boosting value.
“The answer came down that no, we’re not going to stop,” Lane said, “and we were glad. It’s a great way to meet everyone, which we wouldn’t get to do otherwise. It’s something we look forward to every morning.”
Cindrich agreed: “Absolutely. It’s the best part of my day.”
Find photos here.