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How to Effectively Integrate Your Associate
By Thomas L. Snyder, D.M.D., M.B.A.
For those who are considering hiring an associate, here
are a few tips you should take to ensure your relationship
will become most effective.
Patient Reactivation
Reactivating patients is a key ingredient to successfully
integrate your new associate. If you have an excess of patients
and find that you are booked weeks in advance, you are probably
suffering from saturation. Saturated practices, as we've stated
previously, typically have retention problems, meaning,
patients are not participating on a regular basis in your
recare program. So, it's logical to assume that if you reactivate
patients your new associate can become the initial contact
upon their return and hopefully become their new doctor.
We recommend that the associate provides the initial reactivation
hygiene services. This is the perfect opportunity to allow
your associate to get to know the patient in a more relaxed
setting and spend some low anxiety time with them. If treatment
is needed, it can then be scheduled with the associate. Moving
forward, however, future hygiene services will be provided
by a hygienist.
Scheduling Templates
We strongly recommend that you design a scheduling template
for your associate. This template should incorporate a set
number of reactivation hygiene appointments for the number
of weeks/months necessary to meet the needs of the reactivation
patients. We typically recommend no more than four reactivation
hygiene appointments be scheduled per day, thus allowing the
associate time to perform and meet the necessary production
goals that are needed to offset their financial requirements,
particularly if you are paying them a guaranteed day rate
or salary at the outset. Usually, our production goals vary
anywhere between $1,000 to $2,500 based, again, on the experience
of the associate and your fee schedule. The reactivation hygiene
phase typically takes two to three months, based upon the
number of patients available for reactivation.
Staffing
It is imperative that the associate learn how to do things
the right way the first time! Therefore, we strongly recommend
that you assign one of your top dental assistants as
the associate's assistant. Since you will have to hire a new
dental assistant, especially if you are recruiting a full-time
associate, the most logical person to train the new dental
assistant is the practice owner.
It is important to utilize experienced staff to indoctrinate
the associate into your policies and procedures, especially
in the clinical area. This relates to tray set-ups, use of
instruments, use of dental supplies, etc.
The final and most important reason why we believe this personnel
assignment is necessary is to maintain quality control.
There are several reasons why we make this recommendation:
observe associate's patient management and communication skills;
ensure proper record keeping protocol. Your experienced assistant
will be your best ally in these areas. We have documented
cases where issues arose regarding the associate's lack of
technique or patient management skills, which, if not detected
early on, could have led to problems in the practice.
Marketing Plan
Proper introduction of your associate is key for their
initial success in your practice. It's important to have business
cards prepared, signage modified for the practice, updating
of your website, as well as other marketing literature. Introducing
the associate through your practice newsletter gives your
patients a more thorough approach on a professional and personal
level.
We do not recommend that you announce the associate's affiliation
to your entire patient base during the first 60 to 90 days
of their employment as we typically recommend a probationary
period. So, in the unlikely event that the associate is
not the right candidate for the position, only a handful of
patients will be introduced, not your entire patient base!
That only raises more questions if they are gone.
Verbal communication, therefore, will be the key ingredient
during the probationary period. When staff place calls for
reactivation appointments, create a story line for your patients
as to reasons for hiring a new doctor attempting to build
new confidence in your patients as they are scheduled
with the new doctor. The same holds true if you assign your
associate for an emergency appointment or schedule them with
a new patient.
Doctor Communication
Weekly Meetings
One of the common reasons of failure for associates is
a lack of communication between the owner and the associate.
We recommend weekly meetings for the first six months of your
relationship, particularly, if the associate has limited clinical
experience. The purpose of the weekly meeting is to discuss
treatment planning, scheduling issues and clinical matters.
We also urge that some "over-the-shoulder" training
be encouraged for the associate to observe more complicated
procedures.
Monthly Meetings
We suggest that monthly meetings also be scheduled without
fail. The purpose of this meeting is for you to review your
associate's production and collection statistics, to discuss
staffing issues, and gradually get them more involved in management
aspects of your practice. It's also a good idea to review
ways to attract new patients on your associate's efforts.
Developing the habit of scheduling regular meetings will bode
well for the future when you eventually become partners.
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