Program Overviews

Patient Management

BUILD PATIENT RELATIONSHIPS

1. Grow Your Practice: Marketing in today's world

Dentistry is quickly moving from a "need" based to a "want" based industry. Dentists now compete for patients' discretionary income against that Caribbean cruise a patient has always dreamed about! How do you currently attract your new patients, the lifeblood of a successful practice? And even more important than the number of new patients, is the quality of a practice.s new patient profile, which sets the standard for future growth and stability. Happy patients need to be asked to become ambassadors in the community. To be asked to refer their friends, neighbors, relatives, and co-workers to the practice.

It is essential to develop a Marketing Program to identify and focus on the criteria patients use to choose and stay with a dental practice. Patients learn to appreciate quality service over convenience, long term treatment options over short term savings, value over price.

Make a statement

1. Direct mail, brochures, newspapers, radio and TV ads-worth the money? Make an informed choice.
2. Social networking has redefined how patients hear about dentist and practice-be proactive.
3. Does your website reflect what you want it to say? Don.t send mixed messages.
4. How logos, business cards & building signs can either support or sabotage your marketing plan.

Patients' perception is everything

1. How to encourage your patients to spread the word!
2. top parameters patients use to judge a dentist. How many do you deliver?
3. Techniques and solutions to deliver the best telephone service possible.
4. Judge your facility through your patients' eyes - a patient's perception is everything.

2. Find Lost Patients: Do you know where your patients are?

Successful practices are proactive in setting up strong internal controls to protect themselves from losing track of patients before, during and after treatment. Doctor and Team can .drive patients away. through poor communication and/or lack of solid management systems and effective follow-up monitoring.

1. Find and reconnect with patients who went home to think about it or said they'd call back.
2. Handle patients who call to say they.re going elsewhere because it's 'cheaper' closer to home, etc.
3. 9 reasons why patients leave a practice-how the Exit Interview can fast-track a practice's growth.
4. Do's & don'ts of deactivating and reactivating patients-stay in control.
5. The system to guarantee you.ll never have to do another chart audit again.

3. Deliver Quality Service

Creating an ideal patient experience is the responsibility of every team member. From the way you answer the phone and greet patients when they arrive at your office to your post-appointment follow-up; each contact provides an opportunity to bond the patient to your practice. When Doctor and Team elevate the patient experience, patients commit to your practice, and refer their friends and family. If you choose not to deliver this personal service approach, you develop a revolving door type of practice and need to continually invest in marketing just to keep your schedule filled.

The Critical New Patient Experience

1. Provide superior telephone support, a user-friendly website, and an outstanding pre- and post-op service.
2. How to make patients' first 'check in' exceed their first visit expectations.
3. Increase new patients' comfort level before clinical needs are discussed.
4. Patient education of needs and available options during the Exam/Consultation is an art-not a science.
5. Balance hygiene needs and patients' wants-legally.
6. Your clinical team's important role in how new patients perceive the Doctor.

Existing Patients: How to hold on to them

1. Protocols to guarantee patients aren't 'lost' when treatment is delayed-for whatever reason.
2. The Quick Call List to support a full schedule.
3. Hygiene patients who don't think cleanings are important need special handling.
4. Why 'phase treating' can be a most positive approach to treatment planning.

II. PATIENTS & MONEY

Overview: You deserve to get paid appropriately for the services you provide patients. Not only do you deserve it, it is critical to the financial health of your practice. Without strong cash flow, you are not able to invest in your practice and team and are constantly worried about meeting your overhead expenses and your family's personal financial needs.

It is essential that every member of the team, starting with the doctor, be 200% comfortable discussing patients. financial responsibilities with them. A referred patient has already .bought. before they even walked in the door. They do not need to be sold; they just need to be educated about the needed treatment, the benefits they will enjoy as a result of having the treatment, and any limitations they may experience if they choose not to move forward at this time.

As Dr. Clyde Schultz says, "An educated patient can only say 'Yes'." When a patient buys into the treatment benefits, money is a non issue. The only issue the patient has is HOW they are going to pay for it, not IF!

4. Getting Paid

How you commence your financial communication with new patients dictates the respect they have for your financial policies during and after treatment. Jenny covers philosophies, tools, and techniques needed to start off on the right foot-and enjoy faster cash flow.

New Patients: Set the Financial Stage

1. How to state your payment policies on your website and in a welcome packet.
2. Why, how, and when to discuss money with new patients on the phone.
3. 7 rules to handle the Telephone Shopper in a non-stressful and positive manner.
4. 'Let me think about it' or 'Depends on how much insurance pays' are not financial comments!
5. Second opinion patients can become the practice's best ambassadors.
6. Essential that the staff proactively asks new patients to pay on the first visit.
7. How to make "It's harder to collect from insurance than non-insurance patients" a thing of the past.
8. Have fun while helping 'Telephone Shoppers' and 'Second Opinion' patients looking for 'cheap dentistry'.

Existing Patients: Maintain the momentum

1. Don't lose business by excluding an 'outside patient financing program'.
2. financial/management points your written FA's must include to eliminate surprises later.
3. Do's & dont's of charging for missed appointments.
4. Front desk collections should be fun! Do it well and enjoy a 10collection ratio.
5. Design and deliver the best 3 payment options for your practice.
6. Understand the dangers of using the 'pay as you go' payment option.
7. Learn how to work with patients who want to delay treatment because of money issues.
8. When patients ask if you 'take their insurance in full': be aware - be prepared - be proactive.

5. Dental Insurance Implications

It's harder to collect money from patients with insurance than non-insured patients. When a practice doesn't take control of insurance patients, patients take control of your money. The secret to working with insurance patients is utilizing a high level of communication in a very proactive manner.

Patient Education

1. Take Assignment of Benefits? Rules you must follow.
2. Don't take the Assignment? Learn the philosophies you need to know to make an educated decision
3. How to educate patients as to why their coverage is less than anticipated.
4. Handle patients whose insurance company has told them 'Dr has overcharged them for the area'.
5. Prevent eligibility problems and denied claims-easy when you know how.

Practice Processing

1. Guidelines to safeguard Assignment payments-what to do when checks are sent to patients.
2. Insurance fraud-don't let patients talk you into putting the Doctor and/or the Practice at risk.
3. How e-claims utilization increases cash flow.
4. Claims not being paid promptly? A simple solution usually delivers the money within days!
5. Use phase treating to maximize patient benefits-how to keep control of dates and dollars.

8. Accounts Receivables Management

The majority of practices dream that their outstanding patient/practice debt was lower. With training, commitment and focus, a practice can raise the collection % to 105-110%!

These practices offer patients a choice of Financial Options designed to guarantee full payment. Practices not utilizing this approach find themselves with a problem. Each $1 on the books for 6 months is worth cents! To solve a 'we have too much past due money on the books' requires a practice to take a two step solution.

Step Make effective Financial Agreements with patients prior to treatment
Step Make a concerted effort to reduce the current accounts receivable figure

Maximize your billing system

1. Insurance and statement billing-maximize communication, decrease misunderstanding.
2. Best dates to bill your patients, why and how to make statement billing seamless.
3. Reduce those telephone calls received after statements are mailed.

Collection Calls: Q: Can you call patients at 3 a.m. about a past due bill? A: Yes!

1. Use the 11-Step Action Plan to make collection calls productive and stress-free.
2. Close the call correctly; ensure records support the conversation-be legally compliant.
3. How to handle the 'I'm out of work-I've no money-we're getting divorced' calls, and more.

Pros & Cons of available collection tools and services
Attorneys, Interviews, Small Claims Court, Collection Agencies, Write Off.s, Skip Tracing, Bankruptcy, Credit Checks and Reports, etc.

7. Dental Bookkeeping Systems

By utilizing proven, logical and efficient bookkeeping systems, practices can speed up processing, increase the bottom line, and maintain high bookkeeping standards. Additionally, stress is reduced at tax time as you are ahead of the planning curve! Jenny brings practicality to an overlooked area in dentistry.

III. TIME MANAGEMENT

8. Schedule by Design: Decrease stress & increase productivity

Running on time doesn't happen by accident! JdSG's Rock/Sand/Water program brings law and order to dentistry. This program is packed with solid proven and practical techniques; systems and tips to put structure into the practice. Unify Doctor and Team to tackle scheduling problems with a proactive, solution-based approach. One of Jenny's most popular and dramatic programs.

Ideal Scheduling Strategies

1. Design your Ideal Day-how to adjust it for today's reality.
2. Solve your daily scheduling problems-before they happen! benefits of Morning Meetings.
3. Eliminate high/low production days-called the 'feast or famine' syndrome.
4. Maximize your software program so it works FOR you, not against you.

Eliminate Scheduling Obstacles

1. 8 rules to schedule emergencies-deliver great patient service-stay in control.
2. Techniques to save .Cancel on Short Notice. appointments.
3. Schedule Dr.'s telephone calls to maximize production and decrease Doctor/patient interruptions.
4. Educate your habitually late patients to eliminate future late arrivals.
5. How to fill early AM appointments-everyone can't come 'end of day' and 'after school'!
6. Techniques to get back on time when the practice is running late.
7. Confirmed appointments result in increased No Shows! Decrease calls and increase show rate.
8. Solutions for handling walk-in patients to prevent getting behind.

The Recall System for the best ROI

1. Communication tools to encourage 8of patients to commit to pre-booking hygiene.
2. Protect your practice growth and stability with a strong hygiene presence.
3. Maintain flexibility in hygiene for new and perio patients.
4. Work with dental insurance limitations so patient's health is not compromised.
5. Integrate Dr.'s hygiene check-off so Doctor and RDH both stay on time.

Harness the Clinical Team's Expertise to solve major scheduling issues

1. Seat and release patients so clinical and management team work as one.
2. Handle record keeping in a timely manner so everyone is on the same page!
3. How chair side scheduling delivers a higher standard of appointment customization.
4. How clinical staff prevent confusion when patients come late, early, no shows, walk-in, etc.
5. When Doctor completes more dentistry than planned-how the clinical team can save the day.
6. Pros and cons of having clinical staff 'work at the front desk'.

IV. LEGAL ISSUES

9. Risk Management: From a non-clinical perspective

Patients instigate legal action against dentists for a variety of management issues; confusion over fees, incomplete post-op instructions, lack of informed consent, un-met expectations, misunderstandings, etc. Increased practice-patient communication, supported by quality record keeping systems, protects Doctor from frivolous legal action. A patient's perception is everything.

1. Record Keeping - guidelines to protect practice and prevent patient misunderstandings.
2. Dental software - a management tool or data collector? Be sure you're in control.
3. Paperless practices must make 100% commitment-no paper backups under the counter!
4. Malpractice prevention - be proactive, plan for the worst, hope for the best.
5. Doctor's defense is as good as their recordkeeping; set your standard high.
6. How a casual remark to a patient can have legal repercussions for Doctor and practice.
7. Fire patients in a positive, professional manner so they remain fans of the practice.

Team Management

Overview The corner stone of your success as a practitioner is your team. Building your dream team is as simple as finding the right talent, motivating and training them, and establishing accountability as you empower them to excel.

Did we say 'simple'? We don't think so! In the corporate world, a top HR Manager makes $100,000 per annum and that is after years of training and practical experience in staff management and the law. Dentists are expected - no, required - to provide the same HR services with no support, having received no training and wait for it... NO TIME TO DO IT!! And we have not even addressed the many dentists who actually would prefer not to not to deal with this area of being an employer.

As joint owner/manager of a practice for eighteen years, and founder of a speaker/consulting business for many more years, Jenny's #1 focus has always been working with employers to help them hire and retain quality staff. The complex field of HR management can be summed up in three short, pithy phrases:

V. HIRE FOR RETENTION

10. Attract Quality Staff

The best ROI a small business owner can get is from hiring quality staff. Most dentists, unfortunately, haven't received any (or sufficient) training on this complex subject. Jenny estimates the majority of dentists are legally noncompliant in hiring and other HR issues. Jenny is passionate about this area as she found herself handling HR as joint practice owner and made every mistake in the book. Learn from her experience and protect yourself.

Hire the Best: An employer's out-of-pocket cost for any staff change is approximately one year's salary. Jenny provides the dentist/employer tools, techniques & knowledge to reduce making hiring mistakes.

1. Ads to attract top applicants.
2. Effective pre-screening techniques which deliver quality not quantity.
3. Create an interview format to deliver the best chance of finding talent.
4. What role does the staff play in the hiring process?
5. Be in compliance with hiring laws (Federal/State).
6. Staff Manual's role, compensation rules, personalized agreements.
7. Check references legally and always.

VI. MANAGE FOR HARMONY

11. Manage Team & Communications

Employers benefit from providing employees with a supportive work environment. Open positive communication between Doctor and Team ensures everyone is on the same page and the patients appreciative the genuine 'team approach'.

Communication

1. Productive staff meetings are an investment in the practice. No griping allowed!
2. Handle perfectionism and staff morale in a win-win manner.
3. Constructive Performance Reviews provide legal protection, increase staff morale, and practice productivity
4. Practical Job Responsibilities are the basis of creating, and then maintaining a strong team.
5. Dental Spouse involvement can elevate team morale to new heights-or not!

The Incentive Program to increase profits

1. Design must be simple to motivate staff, and clear to prevent misunderstandings and mistakes.
2. Rules to ensure the Incentive & Bonus Plan is successful for both Doctor/Practice and Team.
3. Hygiene bonus must be both an individual and team program.
4. A well-designed program doesn't cost the Doctor a penny!

Resolve minor issues promptly

Email & Internet misuse, lateness problems, dress code violations, absenteeism issues, poor attitude, confidentiality & legal implications, etc.

12. The Spouse as a Dental Partner: The Unsung Hero

As a practice partner, the spouse has the potential to bring a wealth of management experience, talent, support, and guidance to the team and the practice. This employer only program is a must for partners working together. With over years of experience working 24/7 as a dental spouse, Jenny brings a very unique approach to this complex subject. A spouse does not need dental management background to be the Practice Administrator. The Job Responsibilities can be handled on a full or part time basis and can cover any or all of the following management areas.

The Team

a. Increased communication
b. Organize effective practice meetings
c. Raise morale
d. Performance reviews
e. Implement stress-free change
f. Address HR issues promptly

The Business
Human Resources

a. Hire effectively.
b. Manage the team; address staff issues promptly.
c. Staff Leaving: whether terminations or resignations, know the law and payroll issues.
d. Doctor and Spouse: work as joint managers; balance practice and private lives.

Dental Bookkeeping

a. Payroll & Payables: streamline systems, prevent waste & overpayments; be legally savvy.
b. Patient billing: monthly statements rules; reports to keep you stay in control.
c. Bookkeeping: audit trails, adjustments, courtesies, write off's, PPO adjustments.

Practice Monitors

a. Vital signs: New Patients Tracking; finding lost patients.
b. Embezzlement: warning signs. Protect profitability-2of DDS's experience theft.

Patient Experience

a. Marketing: choices to make, actions to take; elevate the patient experience.
b. Patient Finances: formulate strong policies and practical implementation.
c. Scheduling: set daily goals, eliminate re-confirmation calls, and reduce no shows.
d. Legal: educate staff to legal pitfalls of poor communication; set recordkeeping standards.

VII. HANDLE STAFF ISSUES PROMPTLY

13. Payroll Pitfalls

Payroll processing is fraught with legal, financial and management concerns for an employer. Most dentists process payroll in-house without strong HR management and legal training. Jenny covers the following payroll issues in-depth from a very practical perspective.

14. Today's Hot Staff Issues

This fast-paced program provides employers correct solutions to staff management issues with legal implications. Great focus is placed on how employers introduce new and/or updated management guidelines while maintaining or even improving staff Morale.

• Recording Time
• Employer Issues
• Payroll
• Hiring
• Termination and Resignation
• Management issues impacting HR

15. Part Company for Sanity

Whether their choice or yours, the separation process must be handled promptly and within strict Federal/State legal quidelines. Employer reasons for termination range from drugs, theft, sexual harrassment, embezzlement to poor attitude and everything in between. The name of the game is following strict procedural guidelines, over the top communicating, and documenting everything. Rules to handle the employee who quits. Following strict protocols protects the employer from unlawful dismissal lawsuits.

16. Embezzlement: Detect & Prevent

One of four dental practices has, is, or will experience embezzlement. Dr. Lewis and Jenny have presented this program at the ADA and other associations'/societies' conferences. Attendees leave with a great understanding of how embezzlers work, how to detect fraud, how to handle it when found. A program no dentist can afford to miss!

• Scams, schemes and tricks dental embezzlers use.
• Participate in a short confidential self-audit to assess your risk and vulnerability.
• Analyze your software system to see if it prevents/catches fraud. Most don't!
• Bookkeeping/backup systems to reduce vulnerability to embezzlement-be proactive. Utilize your monthly reports to find out what is
• actually going on under your nose.
• Strengthen bookkeeping monitoring systems without staff being upset or feeling threatened.

Business Management

17. Sleep Well at Night: Your Practice & Financial Stability Plan

Most small business owners are guilty of working in their business to the detriment of working on their business. A Dentist/Owner needs to be involved in their business - the captain at the helm.

Take your Practice Pulse-how healthy is it?

1. Identify your 3 major Profit Centers-then springboard to the next level.
2. Do your daily/monthly production goals meet your needs? How to check and what to do.
3. A/R ratio-are you strangling your growth by taking the wrong approach?
4. Hygiene-why it's essential you know your true pre-booking percentage.
5. Utilize your NP value statistics to gauge which way your practice is heading.

How to turn your Findings into an Action Plan

1. Design your Business Plan to fast track your future growth.
2. Create and maintain a budget-eliminate financial surprises.
3. Staff your practice correctly-don't sabotage your practice expansion.
4. Why most CPAs' P & L design formats undermine a dentist's financial health.
5. Analyze your practice statistics relevant to the industry 'norms'.

From Plan to Action-reap the rewards

• Techniques to get the Plan's #1 issue resolved first-and then move on.
• Plans are wonderful-but often unworkable. Make yours practical.
• Plans that are not monitored are worthless. Three methods to safeguard your practice future.
• Perfectionism is a positive/negative issue in implementation. Tips and tricks to harness the positive.
• Incentive and Bonus: Make it a practice profit center and a staff motivator.
• How personal budget setting and implementation impacts professional financial goals.