SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – Dr. Thomas A Jarrett has officially retired, and here to take over his business and make it her own, is Dr. Madeline Connick, DDS. 

Dr. Connick and her husband previously lived in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. 

“We really love mountain life and mountain living. I just couldn’t find the right fit for me there,” said Connick.

It wasn’t long before their quest to find a well-suited match for both career goals, and a place to call home, began.

“We started looking all over the country for different spots to go that had a similar, small-town feel as well as outdoor recreation feel to Steamboat. I was able to find this practice and Dr. Jarrett, and when we met it was obvious that this was going to be a really good fit for me to take over.” Connick left her job of seven years at a public health clinic, and made the move to Tahoe.

Among Thomas and Connick’s shared goals, Connick is just as passionate about taking care of people in the community. Living up to Jarrett’s exceptional standing is a priority for her.

“He’s an excellent dentist, so just making sure we maintain that reputation and level of quality that he had is really important to me,” Connick said. “As well as people feeling like this is a place where we genuinely care about them.” 

Small business owners like Connick recognize the value in treating patients with the highest standards of care. “These are eventually going to be your friends and neighbors.”

Taking over a business harbors its share of challenges, and Connick is currently navigating ways to make changes that benefit her practice, with upgrades such as new technology, new phone systems and a new digital intraoral scanner – a device used to create an accurate 3D digital impression of a patient’s teeth. 

“I think the thing that’s made those challenges manageable is all the staff are still here. Everybody has been super supportive of all the changes I’ve made because everything that I’m doing is focused on, either a better patient experience, or higher quality care outcome,” said Connick.

Luckily, her experience as director of the public health clinic in Colorado, prepared Connick for her new role as business owner. “I got to practice a lot of management, leadership, and ownership skills in that environment, and I think it’s helped me a lot.”

Now that she’s getting established, Connick is excited to see where her new practice takes her. 

South Lake Smiles is located at 965 Tahoe Keys Blvd in South Lake Tahoe. To learn more about the practice, its mission, or to book an appointment, visit southlakesmiles.org or call (530) 541-4405.