“Leading through Change”

As Chief Marketing Officer for Heartland Dental, one of the nation’s fastest growing Dental Support Organizations, Stacy DeWalt takes a data-informed approach to the company’s marketing and business strategy. Through innovating, marketing, and office support programs, Stacy is committed to helping Heartland Dental into its next phase of expansion. Bringing more than 20 years of leadership experience spanning public and private equity environments in financial services, gaming, education, and technology, Stacy employs a holistic, cross-functional approach when it comes to differentiating Heartland from its competitors.

One of those opportunities for differentiation is deeply understanding doctor needs and the needs of their patients. “As with many industries, digital technology and communication have changed the way people stay connected, conduct business and share experiences. These things are top of mind for us as we support doctors in the communities they serve,” Stacy explains.

Like most companies looking to master their external environment, Heartland Dental is working to determine the most effective ways to support doctors with new customer acquisition and communication tools. One area of transformation is providing marketing technology that will offer more personalized, effective, and transparent marketing to all Heartland Dental affiliated offices. “Heartland Dental is undergoing a marketing technology transformation. We are enhancing our marketing analytics platform and redefining the patient experience in exciting and dynamic ways,” Stacy affirms. The company is evolving its marketing analytics and marketing platforms to provide location-specific information. From automating how people book an appointment to rescheduling made as simple as a text message, Heartland Dental is helping to create happier patient experiences that keep them coming back to their doctor’s office.

Stacy goes on to share how deeply listening to doctors, operations and other key stakeholders is key to building a successful strategy. This marketing technology transformation is meant to improve communications tools, marketing tactics and patient insights,” Stacy explains. “Having a deeper understanding for how patients search for dentists, what channels they use and who they ask for a referral when looking, is key to us following their journey to the office. This requires partnership with our supported offices, patient research and behavioral analysis.”

Stacy is committed to finding, understanding and sharing as much information as possible across key stakeholders to facilitate better discussions and decision making. “We are working hard to help make our supported doctors happy, their offices more productive and overall growing the business,” she says. “It’s an exciting time to be here at Heartland Dental as we undergo tremendous growth. This transformation is similar to what many companies I have worked with have faced. It’s about redefining the customer experience, understanding the different types of customers, and creating a relevant journey.”

Stacy joins a rich culture that promotes diversity and inclusion at Heartland Dental. “Heartland Dental does an amazing job of empowering its team members through leadership training, goal setting and mentorship,” notes Stacy.

The commitment to strategic planning involves everyone in the organization. Every year, Heartland senior executives, leaders, and supported doctors, come together to build a growth and goals strategy for the company. This serves as a way to create alignment throughout the company, but it also fosters leadership within teams and instills a strong sense of the company’s culture, mission, vision, and core values.

Stacy reflects, “I’ve been so impressed with the level of contribution, ideas and quality of the process. Not only does it build strategy, but it also brings together people and diverse perspectives and keeps us close to our mission of supporting doctors.”

One of the most impactful experiences Stacy shares, happens at the company’s annual Winter Conference event.

“The clinical and educational tracks paired with leadership events at Winter Conference is impressive, but what moved me the most was the connection between doctors and the commitment everyone had to making each other better. It is truly a community. I also had the opportunity to speak at the Women in Dentistry luncheon. It’s a unique opportunity where different generations of women in the dental industry get together to share experiences and best practices. I am very lucky to work for a company that supports and encourages the growth of female leaders,” enthuses Stacy.

Heartland Dental is well-positioned on a path of continued growth and is tapping into its greatest assets – its people power and strong cultural foundation. WL