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Rejuvenate your Practice |
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Weekly PEARLS
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Pearl:
Internal marketing efforts result in a win-win situation.
Patients win because they appreciate a friendly and caring
environment. Practices win because of the goodwill generated and
the potential for new patient referrals.
October marketing idea, from
Marketing by the Seasons:
Invite the children in the practice to come by in costume and
pick up a special treat.
From "The Solution Forms
Kit," a component of the 3-book set,
"The Doctor as CEO"
10/15/2007
Pearl:
Define each staff member's role in the payment arrangment
system. Let's start with the doctor...
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Quote a fee range (for the entire treatment plan) only after
presenting treatment to the patient.
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Meet with the Financial Coordinator at least once a month to
review accounts receivable.
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Have the Financial Coordinator present during treatment
presentation.
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Avoid "special deals" with patients.
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Allow the Financial Coordinator to do their job.
To find out more, read "Perfect" Payment Arrangements:
Profit-Driven and Patient-Pleasing Guidelines to Ensure a
Successful Outcome Every Time" , a component of
"The Ultimate Staff", Five-Volume Boxed Book Set (8/07/2007)
Pearl:
Typical staff meetings
are a "talk soup" of general announcements, on a variety of
topics. While these meetings can be helpful, meetings that allow
you to focus comprehensively on one or two topics bring results
and greater rewards.
The following three types of meetings are:
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The Numbers Meeting
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The Training Meeting
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The Teamwork Meeting
These meetings rotate through the weeks of the month.
From
Making Meetings Work: How to Get Great Results from Working ON
Your Practice, Not Just IN It,
a component
of "The Ultimate Staff" Five-Volume Boxed Set. 7/18/2007
Pearl:
When interviewing a job applicant, know the questions you are
legally permitted to ask. Issues to absolutely avoid are age,
religious affiliation, race, disability, sex and ethnicity.
From
How to Assemble a Winning Team,
a component of The Doctor as CEO" 3-Volume Boxed Set.
7/8/2007
Pearl:
Many Doctors find that presenting the treatment plan at a
separate consultation appointment following the New Patient Exam
is beneficial to the patient and the practice.
If that is the case in your office, make sure to set that
expectation at the initial phone call so the patient knows what
to expect.
From: The Comprehensive New Patient Experience: From "Thank
You for Calling" to "When Can We Start?", a component of
"The Ultimate Staff" Five-Volume Boxed Set.6/11/2007
Pearl: For maximum efficiency, make sure your Huddle
presentations follow these simple guidelines:
- Be concise. Only report information which is important
for staff members to know.
- Avoid detailed discussions
- Proactively ask the Dr and appropriate staff for support
that may be necessary
- Make sure the Chart Review Checklist or Post-it note
stays inside the patient chart and out of the patient's view
- After the Huddle, secure all charts and take them to the
front desk where they remain until the patient arrives. This
keeps charts readily available for any necessary
documentation that may occur as a result of last-minute
cancellations or no-shows
From Making Meetings Work: How to Get Great Results from
Working ON Your Practice, Not Just IN it, a component of
"The Ultimate Staff" Five-Volume Boxed Set
Pearl: If possible, avoid scheduling multiple family
members on the same day.
Benefits of the Recommendation:
Avoids losing a large segment of scheduled appointments if the
family cancels or no-shows
Decreases the amount of time spent filling large openings in the
schedule
From Foolproof Appointment Scheduling: The 10 Things Every
Staff Member Will Need to Schedule Successfully, a component
of "The Ultimate Staff" Five-Volume Boxed Set
5/23/07
Pearl: Use a 'tickler' file
(computer or manual) to fill last-minute openings in your
schedule.
Reason: Other means are less effective, including:
post-it notes at the front desk; notations in the appointment
book; the Appointment Administrator's memory.
A tickler file provides a quick and easy way to identify
patients willing and able to come in on short notice.
From Foolproof Appointment Scheduling:
The 10 Things Every Staff Member Will Need to Schedule
Successfully, a component of "The Ultimate Staff"
Five-Volume Boxed Set.
4/11/07
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Pearl: Making a great hiring
decision takes times. Sometimes, filling a position can feel
urgent, however rushing often leads to making poor choices,
which in turn causes frustration and additional expense in
finding the right person.
Use a 3-Step Interview Process to allow you and your team
the time to get to know the applicant in different settings and
situations. By doing so, your chances of making the best
decision for your practice is greatly enhanced.
Step 1: Get to know the applicant
Step 2: The Skills Assessment Interview
Step 3: Lunch with the staff
From
How to Assemble a Winning Team, $99, a
component of "The
Doctor as CEO" 3-Volume Boxed Set, $269. 4/4/07
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Pearl: If your hygiene
production is not 'ideal', check these factors to see if they
are having a negative impact, and then take action (through
training or professional management consulting) to address them:
- Poor case acceptance
- Not effective in motivating patients to return for
appointments
- Cancellations/No-shows
- Periodontal care system is not a designated
responsibility of a specific staff member
- Inappropriate scheduling guidelines
- Lack of periodontal treatment planning
- Poor patient compliance
- Unfilled hours
- Inaccurate billing procedures
From Take Control of Your
Overhead (in 7 Easy Steps),
a component of "The Doctor as CEO" 3-Volume
Boxed Set. 2/20/07
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Pearl: Use a Telephone
Screening Form when interviewing job applicants.
Reason: It’s your chance
to get to know the applicant, communicate important information
regarding the position, and weed out those who may not be
suitable for the position. It’s a significant time-saver, and an
opportunity to reveal your professionalism!
From How to Assemble a Winning
Team, a component of The Doctor as CEO"
3-Volume Boxed Set. 2/12/07
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Pearl: When patients arrive
late (more than 10 minutes) for their scheduled appointment, do
this: acknowledge their late arrival and let them know you will
have to check to see if there is still time available to perform
the care you had scheduled.
Benefits:
- Illustrates a respectful approach to patients who arrive
late for their appointment.
- Leads to less stress for Doctors and staff who may
otherwise struggle to “catch up” after squeezing in
treatment.
- Reminds patients of the importance of being on time in
order to have scheduled treatment provided.
From Foolproof Appointment
Scheduling: The 10 Things Every Staff Member Will Need to
Schedule Successfully, a component of "The
Ultimate Staff" Five-Volume Boxed Set. 1/29/07
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Pearl: End every staff
meeting with an Action Plan in place that outlines:
Reason: A well-thought out
Action Plan has 3 main benefits:
- Action items are listed in an organized manner.
- Assignments are specifically spelled out.
- Assignments are easily managed by posting the Action
Plan in a central area.
From Making Meetings Work: How to
Get Great Results from Working ON Your Practice, Not Just IN It,
a component of "The Ultimate Staff"
Five-Volume Boxed Set. 1/26/07
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Pearl: Provide staff members
who speak to new patients on the telephone with a Telephone
Communications Slip.
Reason: The Telephone Communication Slip provides a
template for asking questions in a sequence that builds rapport
with the new patient, and gives your practice the opportunity to
begin learning what is important to them about their dental
care.
From The Comprehensive New
Patient Experience: From "Thank You for Calling" to "When Can We
Start?", a component of "The Ultimate Staff"
Five-Volume Boxed Set. 1/17/07
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Pearl: Be creative when
promoting job openings in your practice.
How to: In addition to
the usual methods - newspaper ads and placement agencies -
consider using the following:
- Your patient base (for positions not requiring a
license).
- Your lab personnel and dental sales representatives.
- On-line job sites.
- Dental assisting and hygiene programs.
- Your own website.
Don't put all your promotional eggs in one basket. Interview as
many people as possible who fit your criteria.
From How to Assemble a Winning
Team, a component of "The Doctor as CEO"
3-Volume Boxed Set. 1/3/2007
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Pearl: Provide your
Financial Coordinator with specific, written internal credit
guidelines.
Reason: Regardless of
experience in dentistry or willingness and ability, if the only
guidance you're giving your FC is "Make sure our patients pay",
or "Just collect the money", you are setting your practice up
for unnecessary confusion and stress.
Taking the time to develop a specific set of credit guidelines
(and then sticking to them!) eliminates that confusion, and
benefits everyone on your staff.
From "Perfect" Payment Arrangements:
Profit-Driven and Patient- Pleasing Guidelines to Ensure a
Successful Outcome Every Time, a component of "The
Ultimate Staff" Five-Volume Boxed Set.
12/28/2006
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Pearl: At a training
meeting, with the entire staff present, brainstorm what a
'remarkable recare' departments means to you. Think big! List
your ideas on a flipchart and then list the steps you will take
to achieve your definition of 'remarkable'.
Reason: The success of the
recare department requires total staff commitment.
Everyone, not only the Hygienist and the Doctor, play a role in
keeping patients motivated and returning on a regular basis.
From The 1-2-3 of Remarkable Recare: How to Keep Patients
Active, Motivated and Invested in Their Oral Health, a
component of "The Ultimate Staff" Five-Volume Boxed Set.
12/18/2006
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Doctor: What is the best way
to deal with a patient who calls to cancel an appointment within
24 hours - or 48 hours, per your protocols - of their
appointment time?
Pearl: Ask the patient for
permission to be put on hold, pull their chart or file and
motivate them to keep their appointment. If they still insist on
re-scheduling, do so, or fill out a Delayed Treatment Slip.
You can find out more about Delayed Treatment Slips in
Foolproof Appointment Scheduling: The 10 Things Every Staff
Member Will Need to Schedule Successfully, a component of
"The Ultimate Staff" Five-Volume Boxed Set.
12/11/2006
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Not sure whether your overhead is 'healthy' or not?
Determine actual overhead by subtracting any personal items that
are run through the practice from the Profit & Loss statement.
Consider actual personal expenditures such as meals and
entertainment, custodial services for the home, tickets to local
events, and household items.
Reason: It's common for
dentists to be discouraged by their overhead only to find, after
going through the process of analysis, that a significant
percentage of overhead was actually due to personal items.
From Take Control of Your Overhead
(in 7 Easy Steps),
a component of "The Doctor as CEO" 3-Volume
Boxed Set.
11/20/2006
When adding staff, it is vital to
always have a clear picture of
the person you want to hire.
Reason:
Begin with the end in mind. Having a crystal clear picture of
the person you would like to hire will ensure that every step of
the hiring process draws you closer to making the best decision.
Things to consider:
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Level of experience
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Personality style
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Complementary values
Once you have a clear picture of the person you want to hire,
focus on that goal during the interview process.
From
How to Assemble a Winning Team
a component of "The Doctor as CEO" 3-Volume Boxed Set.
10/13/2006
To ensure you meet your daily production goal, always pre-block
the appointment schedule.
Reason:
Pre-blocking is a method of establishing designated 'targets'
for specific appointment types throughout your day. With a
pre-determined plan, outlined on your schedule, you dramatically
increase the odds of scheduling your ideal day.
From
Foolproof Appointment Scheduling: The 10 Things Every Staff
Member Will Need to Schedule Successfully,
a component of "The Ultimate Staff" 5-Volume Boxed Set.
10/23/06
Use a 'Huddle Checklist' to cover all necessary issues during
your huddles to maximize productivity and minimize stress.
Why? Doctors and staff love productive, well-run huddles. A
checklist (that has been customized specifically for your
practice) is the cornerstone of a great huddle. It's
comprehensive, directs staff members from each department to
report on specific items which impact others, and is a great
time management tool.
From Making Meetings Work: How to Get Great Results from
Working On Your Practice, Not just In It, a component of
"The Ultimate Staff" 5-Volume Boxed Set. 10/16/2006
To increase treatment acceptance by as much as 57%, do not
present your treatment plan at the new patient exam, but rather
at a second, later consultation.
Why? "Thinking time" is critical to making the decision-making
process easier and more successful. Time to think allows the
patient to imagine the end results and let the "want" grow.
From The Comprehensive New Patient Experience: From
"Thank Your For Calling" to "When Can We Start" a component
of The Ultimate Staff 5-Volume Boxed Set. 10/09/06
Use a Delayed Treatment Slip to capture thousands of dollars
of treatment that may otherwise "slip through the cracks".
From The Solution Forms Kit: Must-Have Forms,
Checklists and Letters to Deal with the Most Common Practice
Needs, a component of The Doctor as CEO 3-Volume Boxed Set.
10/2/06
Establish production goals on history, expenses and
potential, not on a 'whim' or 'shoulds'.
From "Take Control of Your Overhead (in 7 Easy
Steps", a component of The Doctor as CE 9/25/06
Always schedule a Skills Assessment Interview. Don't rely on
applicants' self-evaluation only.
From "How to Assemble A Winning Team", a
component of The Doctor as CEO) 9/18/06
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