Denise Griffith, primary Financial Coordinator for Heart of the Brazos, has been with the practice since opening in June 2007, and is a native Texan. She was born and grew up in Moody and she and her husband have chosen to raise their family in the small, tight-knit community. Denise has an uncanny ability to make people feel at ease, which will greatly benefit every patient of Heart of the Brazos. She is eager to assist each patient, help them relax and make their experience in our facility much like visiting a friend.
Denise believes strongly in supporting the teachers and administration at Moody schools and is honored to sit on the Moody ISD School Board as a Board Trustee. She is an active member of the Moody Youth Baseball Association. She loves spending time outdoors gardening, watching her children participate in sporting activities and is an avid amateur photographer.
Jessi Merkel
Jessi Merkel was born and raised in South Dakota. After marrying her husband in 1999, she moved around numerous times due to her husband’s engineering career, and worked for over 6 years in the customer service field. Having been in Waco for one of his assignments, Jessi and her family loved Waco and Central Texas so much, they returned in 2004 with no intention of leaving again. Jessi has been our primary Insurance Coordinator since opening our doors, and has received additional training in insurance coding, Medicare billing, and Privacy Act Enforcement.
Jessi and her husband believe Waco is an ideal community in which to raise their daughter and have become involved in her school and activities. Jessi enjoys spending time with her family and friends and being outdoors. She brings previous dental office experience to Heart of the Brazos and looks forward to meeting and assisting each and every patient.
Scarlett Tindell
Scarlett Tindell and her three daughters came to Central Texas on a vacation in the spring of 1990 and when she saw the bluebonnets and Indian paint brush, she knew this was where she wanted to finish raising her children. Her parents and sibling live in the Georgetown, Texas area, but she fell in love with Belton and the lake where she and her husband still live. She enjoys gardening and spending time with her seven grandchildren.
Scarlett brings over 17 years of experience in the dental field as front office administration. She has excellent people and phone skills and has the ability to make patients feel very much at home when they arrive. As our primary Scheduling Coordinator, she is committed to making patients the top priority and will do everything possible to ensure their experience in the office is pleasant. She is excited to be a part of the Heart of the Brazos team and will do her very best to assist in any manner possible.
Ashley Warren
Ashley Warren was born and raised in Waco, TX. She comes from an entire family of Baylor Bears—grandparents, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and siblings. She graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Disorders and went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Audiology from the University of Texas at Dallas. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, doing gardening and landscaping work at home, and going to hear live music from any local band—especially Texas Country Music!
Ashley comes to Heart of the Brazos Oral and Facial surgery with a passion to educate patients on the options that are available to replace missing teeth. Her past experience with patient care, as well as coming from a dental family—her father is a general dentist-- will serve as tremendous assets to patients. As the Implant Treatment Coordinator, Ashley serves as the liaison between the restorative dentist, the patient, and the surgeon. Her role is to ensure a pleasant experience with dental implants and a seamless transition from the surgical phase to the restorative phase for both the dentist and the patient.
Ashley welcomes your phone calls or emails with any questions you may have regarding dental implants or other options to replace missing teeth.
Debbie Clark
Debbie Clark has been with our team since July 2008 as Marketing Director. She obtained a degree in Speech Communications from Texas A&M University and has 20 years of experience in the field of speech communications & marketing. Debbie has worked previously for a national non-profit organization, federal & state political campaigns, hospitals and the hospitality industry. Her previous professional experiences offered her the opportunity to gain valuable experience in the areas of interpersonal communication, special event planning, media relations, marketing initiatives, public relations, customer service and business relations.
Debbie and her husband reside in Hewitt and enjoy traveling, family - church and outdoor activities. She feels firmly about being involved in the community you live in, and serves on the Waco Symphony Council & the Mayor's Committee for People with Disabilities among others.
Her role as Marketing Director provides Heart of the Brazos the opportunity of stepping out into the Central Texas community and enforcing our Mission as a practice who cares about those we serve; from our referral offices, their staffs,our patients and the community. If you would like to know more about our community education programs; Wellness Programs, Protect Your Face Program for kids and Women's Health Series, please contact our office.
