Practice Start-Up Programs
Starting a practice within the next year?
Start your practice out right.
If you’re a dentist starting a practice...
If you’re a dentist taking over a practice...
If you’re a seasoned dentist who is moving or starting over, this program is for you.
The Practice Start Up Program is designed to provide you with the knowledge and tools in starting your practice out "right" from the beginning. You will be taught the background of the most important building blocks of a successful practice: Patients, Staff, Business Measurements, Systems, Revenue, and Overhead. We will assist you in putting together a plan that will allow you to not only start out on the right path but to continuously improve throughout your career in the following areas:
Marketing
- How to market yourself within the community & develop a patient base
- Designing brochures and marketing pieces
- Developing new patient packets
- Discovering your niche and understanding your demographics
- Demographic Community Overview Report consisting of 8 zip codes including: Competition – dentist to population is examined; Demographics – population, projected population, median age, median income, income by percentage, households, age by percentage, per capita income, average disposable income, product purchase categories: Psychographics (Lifestyles); Maps; Charts and Graphs; Data Tables – ratio of dentists to population, owner vs. renter, historical growth, major employer’s, property values; analysis report of entire data.
Employees
- How to recruit, hire and choose the right personality for the right job
- How to train employees
- How to conduct a successful employee performance review
- How and when to terminate employees
- How and when to delegate
- Developing job descriptions
- Developing a personnel policy manual
- Firing employees
Fees
- How to set a fee schedule
- When to increase fees
- Comparative Fee Schedule - 7 page report detailing 216 of the most often performed dental procedures compared to fees compiled for your zip code.
Overhead - Expenses
- How to measure your overhead
- Keeping your costs at industry standards
- Reading and understanding a profit & loss report
- Paying bills, payroll
- Bookkeeping software and account set-up
New Patients
- Development of new patient protocol
- Measuring new patient flow
Computer Systems
- The industry's computer systems review
- Report generation that will benefit your growth
- Internet involvement
Hygiene Department
- When to hire a hygienist
- What to expect from your hygiene department
- Planning for the future - days of hygiene needed per week
- How to measure the success of your hygiene department
- How to have an effective recall system that ensures successful patient retention
Scheduling
- Four types of effective scheduling from the beginning of your career to the most advanced and know when to begin utilizing each type
- Cancellations and failures
- Confirmations
- Production per hour
- Maximize clinical efficiency
Office Design
- What to look for in "efficient" office design
- How many treatment rooms you will need to start and in the future
- Technology benefits
- Review of your new office plans
Cash Flow
- Billing procedures
- Insurance techniques to maximize patient's benefits
- Effective insurance filing procedures
- Establishing an effective financial policy that encourages patients to buy-in to the treatment you recommend
- Financial arrangement scripts
Clinical
- Starting an inventory control system to control dental supply costs
- How to develop clinical efficiency with your assistants
- The how, when, and why of treatment planning
- Effective treatment plan presentation
Patient Records
- What is the most efficient records and filing system
- Going paperless
- Treatment progress documentation
- Patient registration information
Telephone
- Telephone protocol
- Telephone systems and lines
- Telephone techniques to enhance patient rapport
- Telephone voice mail
- Telephone features
Implementation
At the start of training, you will be given a comprehensive Practice Start-up Reference Manual that can be used as a daily guide when you begin implementing your practice systems and throughout your career. Special attention is given to the organization of the report allowing you to follow along and record notes special to your situation.
Support Materials
The following educational books will also be provided and will be referenced throughout the training:
Cash Flow Management
If you're falling short of consistently meeting benchmarks such as: 98% collection ratio, % of accounts receivable over 90 days less than 12%, 45% over the counter collections, 55% overhead expense, 15% minimum increase in collections each year then this book is for you. Chocked full of proven "scripts" that will make you feel comfortable in collecting money from your patients. Step-by-step training protocol on how to achieve the industry objectives that are accomplished by highly successful practices. Techniques are given to increase your production 15% a year by scheduling more effectively. And...ways for the team to reduce your overhead in the most common "out of control" areas: dental supplies, laboratory expense, salaries and miscellaneous categories.
How to Hire the Best Employee
Now there is a complete guide to help dentists in hiring new employees. Chapters include: developing a job description, advertising, reviewing the resumes, initial telephone screening, the interview process, the application form, asking the right questions, testing applicants, and checking references.
The manual includes ads that generate responses, a ready-to-use application form, over 100 questions designed specifically for business, hygiene, and clinical assistant positions, as well as competency tests.
Building A Successful Recall System
Unfortunately, patient retention is not guaranteed by pre-appointing, sending postcards, letters, or even phone calls. But an effective use of an integrated retention system can significantly improve your ability to keep patients returning. With the help of this step-by-step guide and telephone scripts, you can overcome patients saying, "Not right now. I'll call you back." You'll learn how to:
- Get Recall Patients to Schedule
- Turn Around Those Patients Who Cancel
- Overcome Patient Objections with Field-Tested Techniques
- Develop an Effective Presentation Script
- Strengthen Overall Communication Skills
How Personality Styles Affect Practice Success
Problems in dental offices are caused by a breakdown in communications due to different personality styles. Understanding your employees' personality traits can help to better match your staff with the work they are likely to do best.
Based on the Myers Briggs Temperament Type, each job position in dentistry, business, clinical and hygiene is matched with the best temperament type suited for the position. Dentists will learn how their personality affects their ability to successfully manage the business and its employees. Included is the book Please Understand Me that provides the personality test and scoring form.
Performance Measurements for the Dental Team
Rating employee performance is a dreaded task for most dentists. Now it will be easier for you using objective performance measurements that are specifically designed for the dental practice. These extensive, ready-to-use appraisal forms help you measure an employee's performance based on:
- Job description
- Job performance
- Productivity, innovation
- Work ethics
- Cooperation
Your Performance Measurements kit includes an extensive workbook with copy-ready appraisal forms and measurement graphs to use for each employee. In addition, the CD-ROM allows you to generate electronic reports on your computer and/or e-mail them to staff members. You will learn: how to determine the number of employees needed for a successful practice, how to design results-oriented job descriptions for all business and clinical staff, use performance charting to objectively measure your employees, and make sound hiring and firing decisions.
How to Reward Your Dental Team
Learn when and how to reward your staff. Understand why saying "thanks" can mean more than dangling a financial carrot. This book is full of checklists and questionnaires to help you determine what rewards are best suited for each of your team members. You will understand when to use non-financial versus financial rewards, when to use group versus individual rewards, plus how important it is to set performance goals so you know when to give a reward. You will learn the difference between rewarding employees for outstanding performance versus paying them a bonus for simply doing their job.
Support Follow-Up
Six telephone meetings are available for you at your request and can begin after the Program or once you are in your new practice. You tell us what will work best for you.
For more information on McKenzie Management's Practice Start-Up Program call 1-877-777-6151 or email info@mckenziemgmt.com.
Client Comments:
“The Practice Start-Up Program went above and beyond our expectations. Not only do we now know how to set up our systems, the consultant reviewed our floor plans, made a terrific suggestion, which we implemented and even advised us on our logo selection.”
Dr. Jim and Debby Wright
"After the training, I feel better and more confident about opening my dental practice. For anybody thinking about opening his/her own dental office this training is a must. I received a tremendous increase of knowledge about dental management. Now I know the game plan!!!"
Dr. Tony Kuo
"I just wanted to drop you a line to let you know that things at the office are progressing well since our visit. The program was absolutely essential for me in order to get a comprehensive understanding of what it takes to have and maintain a successful dental practice. Some of the tools that we left with were implemented immediately, while some of the other things will take a little longer to get in place. Nonetheless, I am confident that with patience, over time our full potential will be realized. Again, I just wanted to say thank you for sharing your knowledge and wisdom because I truly left feeling enlightened." -
Dr. Darnell Kaigler ("Jr.")