Welcome Letter

Welcome to the Keith and Associates Team!  

This portal and documents are used to make sure your employment at keith + associates dentistry is smooth from the start.  Each section breaks down processes and protocols that will help you be successful in our office and provide the best service and care to our patients. 

I want to start by personally welcoming you to the team.  This section was designed to streamline our thoughts on how our office will operate, treat our patients, and treat other members of the team.  By aligning our skills and talents to support our purpose and serve our niche. 

Purpose/Cause/Passion:

• To better our community through amazing experiences and raving fans

Niche (how we accomplish our purpose):

• Leveraging technology to make patients more comfortable and increase positive outcomes in dentistry.

Who do we target?

• Individuals who prioritize experience and value premium results for their health.

Our Three Unique Qualities (what makes us special):

• On Time
• One Stop Shop
• Technology Forward

Our core values:

• Empathy toward patients and team members
• Individuals that take initiative
• Clinical excellence
• Friendly, comfortable environment for patients and team members
• If you are on time, you are late
• Fearless to forward progress and change
• Results oriented

Many of our patients have been here a long time! We treat them like family, and they continue to come back because of this. We think it’s important that even our newer team members know where we came from, because often our patients will ask you about different parts of our past! 

My dad, Dr. Don Keith graduated dental school in 1983 from UMKC School of Dentistry. Prior to and while attending dental school Dr. Keith was a practicing pharmacist. He started the practice in 1983 down the street from our current location near Shawnee Mission Parkway and Metcalf in the building where Friends University is now. Shortly after starting his small practice, he purchased his childhood dentist’s (Dr. Ernie Laws) practice.

About a year after he began practicing Dr. Mike Jurkovich joined the practice. Don and Mike were dental school classmates and had become friends in the process. Mike had completed a GPR (graduate program) in Hawaii and came back to become partners with Don. Unfortunately, in the early 1990s Mike had some complications related to carpal tunnel syndrome and had to retire. He now teaches at the dental school and was one of my professors. 

Dr. Barry Wilson joined the practice while Mike was still practicing. The three quickly realized they did not have enough space. Shortly after Mike had to retire, the practice moved to its current building. Originally located on the second floor on the north side of the building, we ultimately outgrew that space as well and when the space became available, we moved to the south side of the 2nd floor. We stayed here for about 15 years under the name Keith & Wilson DDS, until we moved upstairs into our current location. Don and Barry were the only dentists for some 20+ years. In 2015 Dr. Wilson had to retire due to complications from shoulder surgery which left him numb in his hands. 

I graduated in 2017 and purchased the practice from Don in 2018.  I started life as an accountant and realized after being in the business world for several years that I really wanted to be in a position where I could help people. I realized I loved dentistry and went back to school to earn my DDS. 

I married Ashley (Barry’s niece) in 2016 and made the second-best choice of my life by having her come on as office manager in 2018. She is now our Chief Operating Officer. We have two kids, Wilson (2020) and Holland (2023).

We are a growing, vibrant, family-focused dental office and are so glad you are a part of the team!

 

Sincerely,

Bill Keith, CEO