Employee Spotlight: Commitment to the Mission Drives Christopher Fisher in His Career
Part of the U.S. Army’s Soldier Creed states, “I will put the mission first.” While Christopher Fisher is no longer serving on active duty, it is clear that the creed still resonates in his career with Benevis, where he has served in a variety of roles for the last 12 years.
“I, myself, was a patient of Medicaid, part of the underserved community. The impact is great to be able to help these patients and it is the reason I’ve been with Benevis so long, to create a world of happy, healthy smiles,” Fisher said. Benevis has a unique focus on providing dental care to traditionally underserved patients and their families, with over 80% of patients across the organization’s 120 practices being covered by Medicaid and/or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
“I’ve had great leadership and mentorship along the way too – people who believed in me to help me become the professional I am today,” Fisher said. “But it’s that mission to provide a variety of services that many of the patients wouldn’t be able to obtain or access otherwise that is priceless. That’s why I’m still here 12 years later.”
Fisher grew up in Baltimore and joined the U.S. Army after high school, serving on active duty for eight years. After leaving the service, he worked as a youth mentor for a while before pivoting to healthcare, ultimately attending dental assistant school. Upon graduating, Fisher used his skills in corrections dentistry for about a year before joining Benevis. Fisher currently serves as clinical operations manager, providing oversight and support for the eastern region, including offices in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, South Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, and Indiana.
“The position gives me the opportunity to connect with other professionals, mentor them, and help them grow to be successful in their profession and provide quality care to the patients that we serve,” Fisher said. “I really like getting to mentor and help the new dental assistants grow and possibly have a similar journey that I’ve had with Benevis.”
The mentorship Fisher provides has transcended some of his official professional duties when he inspired patients to pursue a new career path. “When I was a dental assistant, I had patients bring their child into the office, and we would talk during the appointment. They saw how I was able to communicate with their child and it sparked interest in them to investigate becoming dental assistants. Two of those moms came back to work for us and are still with Benevis today so I get to see them as colleagues now, which is cool,” Fisher said.
For his current role, Fisher travels every week to connect with clinical professionals in Benevis practices across the East Coast. Despite the busy travel schedule, he says he wakes up early to exercise to get his day started off right, and that audiobooks help him pass the time on the road or in the air. It is all worth it to help other clinical professionals develop their skills and be able to contribute to the company’s mission in a meaningful way. “I’m just grateful and happy, given the opportunities that I have, to be impactful to someone. I am thankful for Benevis, and I’m happy to be part of a great organization that cares, gives back to the community, and allowed me to be able to grow.”