December 21, 2016 · 0 Comments
An Orangeville dental practice has been recognized on a national level for its continued commitment towards improving its performance and providing a quality level of service to area residents.
Headwaters Dental Centre beat out hundreds of nominees and 18 other finalists from all across Canada to receive the 2016 Canadian Business Excellence Award for a Private Business. The annual ceremony, which took place back in November, serves to recognize organizations across the country that demonstrate a strategic approach towards achieving its goals and successfully improving business performance.
Since launching Headwaters Dental in November 2006, Dr. Raj Khanuja has prided himself on providing the best oral care possible for his patients. Speaking to the Citizen last week, Dr. Khanuja said it was “incredibly humbling” to receive such a prestigious award for something he perceives as simply being part of his job.
“My philosophy has always been very, very simple – be strong, clear and transparent with my patients and work with passion. They are simple things that are quite often forgotten in the workplace,” Dr. Khanuja said. “I’ve held on to those values strongly since introducing Headwaters Dental to Orangeville and have worked hard to build on them over the past 10 years.”
He added, “This has been a very humbling experience. I could not believe it when we got the call to say we had been chosen to win the award. I’m very proud of all my staff for the fine work they do here in Orangeville. We have been proud and happy to serve this community for the past ten years and we always strive for excellence. It’s a fantastic honour to be recognized on a national level.”
The clinic, located on Lakeview Court, offers cosmetic, family and implant dentistry and orthodontic services. Dr. Khanuja has tried to make the facility as accessible as possible for area residents over the past few hours, drastically increasing its hours. Typically, Headwaters Dental is open 11 hours a day from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the week and from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. on weekends. The clinic treats hundreds of “wonderful” patients on an annual basis according to Dr. Khanuja.
Allan Ebedes, Canada Awards for Excellence President and CEO, commended Dr. Khanuja and all the staff at Headwaters Dental for the “fine work” they have displayed in 2016 and congratulated them for what he described as a momentous occasion for the organization.
“A tremendous amount of hard work and commitment was required by everyone in your organization to become a recipient of this award, now it’s time to celebrate,” Mr. Ebedes said. “At Excellence Canada we believe that receiving the Canadian Business Excellence Awards is a newsworthy achievement and cause for celebration.”
The spirit of improving everyday business practices and promoting better community involvement and engagement has become synonymous with the Canadian Business Excellence awards since its launch in 1984. As such, the organization would have been hard pressed to find a more deserving recipient for this year’s award.
Over the past 12 months Dr. Khanuja has invested significant sums into his business to ensure it remains at the forefront of technological advances and innovations. The office is decked out with what Dr. Khanuja describes as state-of-the-art dentistry tools and devices, including a digital x-ray machine that greatly reduces patient exposure to radiation. He has also invested in his staff, bringing in additional doctors to serve his practice. At current count, Headwaters Dental has 10 full-time and part-time staff members.
The one thing that perhaps stands out above all else is Dr. Khanuja’s investment in the community. Since 2012, Headwaters Dental has supported the Doing Positive in my Backyard program, an initiative launched by Dr. Khanuja to help those who are unable to afford to see a dentist. So far he has completed more than $50,000 worth of in-kind dentistry work in Orangeville.
“I had an opportunity a number of years ago to travel to a developing country to help people and offer oral healthcare services to those that need them. Upon my return, I started to realize that a significant number of people that come into the office here with a spouse or children often forego their oral health because of their commitment to family and other things,” Dr. Khanuja said. “So I decided to launch this project right here in Orangeville in an effort to help those that need it. We’re just finishing up our fifth year and it’s been a huge success so far.”
He added, “I’m very passionate about this initiative and will continue to offer it in the hopes that we can start up a more regular monthly program that could eventually lead into some kind of community clinic. That’s my dream – having a facility with regular hours where people can go to get the help they need, but can’t always afford.”