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UIC Dental Assistant Adds Worker Voice to Dentistry Committee

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When Grisel Romero-Delgado, Dental Assistant and Local 73 Steward, was asked by the Dean of the College of Dentistry about why they had difficulty retaining staff, she answered truthfully: a lack of pay, respect, and training was driving talented dental assistants away.

 “You want to recruit staff and keep them for a long time. In private practice, you consider the doctor part of the family. It’s the same at a university – we aren’t a number, we know what we’re doing and we deserve respect.”

Her response led to an invitation to join a committee with Human Resources, Faculty, and others to create a training program to address staff retention. Grisel was also invited to join a subcommittee focused on this program’s implementation.

Grisel immediately went to work. She surveyed the College of Dentistry staff about what changes they would like to see and used their responses to inform the committee’s direction. Staff input, along with surveys completed through the College, led to changes to the qualifications for entry-level positions; now, individuals with no education can be hired and trained on the job. New hires will begin training at the undergraduate level, and after completing a six-month probationary period, will be moved into a specialty focus.

Additionally, the College is now investigating pay increases for current Dental Assistants through the division’s first market pay survey. Grisel hopes this will lead to higher wages that are competitive with other Dental programs.