22 January 2025

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Patient care coordinator finds her people at ASOD

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When Cathy McDermott decided to get out of human resources and organizational management and pursue dental hygiene as a second career, she didn’t realize the doors that would open for her. Initially, she was interested in a job with more flexibility so she could still be there for her young family, but that desire ultimately landed her at UNC Adams School of Dentistry, in a role where she is thriving.

“Who doesn’t want to be a Tar Heel?” she said with a laugh.

McDermott, the patient care coordinator for the graduate prosthodontics clinic at Adams School of Dentistry, was recently honored with a H.E.A.R.T. award. The H.E.A.R.T (“Helping Everyone Achieve Results Together”) award, recognizes staff whose contributions to the ASOD community have been substantial and who embody the shared values of service and teamwork.

McDermott, originally from New York, knew the reputation of Carolina and with her dental hygiene background, was able to serve as the patient care coordinator for the graduate operative clinic before landing in her current position.

“The great thing about my job is that I still get a lot of patient interaction, even though I do miss providing direct care, but I like the administrative work and like to try to look at things to see where I can make improvements,” she said.

McDermott was surprised by the award, but it was a good shock.

“It’s just so humbling to receive an award,” she said. “As much as the money is great, for me, it’s to be recognized and have people that see you and think you’re doing a good job and that you’re contributing that’s really special to me.”

McDermott describes herself as a workaholic, but she takes pride in her job and enjoys being a source of help for her coworkers, residents and patients, alike.

“The most rewarding thing is when patients tell me that they’ve had a great experience in the clinic. A lot of cases require full mouth rehab, like  gunshot wounds or cancers, and no one else would see them, and they’re smiling. Even though I’m not providing direct care, being a part of the process is really rewarding.”

When she’s not coordinating patient care in the clinics, McDermott loves to travel. Her youngest daughter is a competitive Irish dancer, and they’ve traveled to Scotland, Ireland and London due to her skills. She hopes to travel to Paris eventually, but for now, she’s happy to call UNC home, and she’s hoping her daughter – a senior in high school – will be able to call it home, too, if she gets accepted to school.

“I love Carolina, and the best part of my day is when I cross Jordan Lake and pull onto the campus,” she said. “There are really incredible people here, and I enjoy working with my team and feel really supported. This is where I want to retire.”

Source: https://dentistry.unc.edu/