Cliff's Notes

“How Much Do You Write Off?” & “A Product Review of Mr. Thiraty” & The Plan, How’s it Working Out?”

Cliff’s Notes for August 12, 2012

 

Cliff Marsh, Henry Schein ……Cell: 201-321-7494……Fax: 201-262-2210…..E-mail: cliff.marsh@henryschein.com

http://www.cliffsnotesblog.me

http://www.youtube.com/cliffmarsh100

 

The reason we do what we do, is so that we can to do what we want to do, when we want to do it!

It’s a tongue twister, but working as a team and making informed decisions, will get us there.

 

 

“Being busy does not always mean real work. The object of all work is production or accomplishment and to either of these ends there must be forethought, system, planning, intelligence, and honest purpose, as well as perspiration. Seeming to do is not doing.”

Thomas A. Edison

 

 

 

 

This Week’s Feature on the Cliff’s Notes Channel

“Offering More than Just A Check-Up”

+ 

Over 100 Dental Videos

http://www.youtube.com/cliffmarsh100

In This Week’s Issue

• The Office Manager – How Much Money am I Writing Off?
• This Week in Dentistry – Poststroke Dysphagia
• Product Review – Mr. Thirsty by Zirc!
• The Henry Schein Outlet Store – Special of the Week “Hygiene Handpiece”!
• “The Root of It Commentary – How’s That Working Out for You?
  

 

The Office Manager Blog.……………………………………………………………………………………….

How Much Money am I Writing Off?

The question I am asked most often is, “What reports can I run that will show me what I am writing off if I am no longer using adjustments for the PPO write offs?”

If you read my blogs or know me personally, you know that I am a huge fan of using Fee Schedules when an office is a contracted provider with a PPO dental plan. For the full article I wrote on Fee Schedules vs. Write Offs, you can read my blog by clicking here or you can read my article in the spring 2012 issue of the Dentrix quarterly magazine.

During the Business of Dentistry Conference, I was able to sit with one of the senior software developers and work through how the office can get a report that will show the write off amount for PPO insurance. We looked at a couple of different scenarios and found a couple of ways to locate the answer. I will explain both…

To read the rest of this article, log onto http://thedentrixofficemanager.blogspot.com/

This Week in Dentistry…………………………………………………………………………………………..

From JADA – August 2012

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation might Improve Poststroke Dysphagia

Study show Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) might enhance the outcome of swallowing therapy for patients with poststroke dysphagia, according to a study in the July issue of Restorative Neurology and Neuroscience.

Researchers from Seoul National University in South Korea enrolled 16 patients with acute poststroke dysphagia in a pilot study. They assigned them randomly to a treatment or control group. The investigators fitted all participants with an electrode on the scalp, on the side of the brain affected by the stroke and in the region associated with swallowing.

For the first 20 minutes of the 30-minute sessions, the researchers administered tDCS to those in the treatment group and then provided swallowing training alone for 10 minutes. In the control group, the researchers tapered the direct current and turned it off after 30 seconds. One patient from each group underwent positron emission tomography (PET) before and just after treatment to enable the researchers to visualize its effect on metabolism.

To read the rest of this article log onto: http://jada.ada.org/content/143/8/834.1.full

Product Review – Mr. Thirsty by Zirc!……………………………………………………………………

Ok, so the name is kind of funky! Do they stillSay funky? Anyway, this is a great product andwill get the patient out of the chair faster!Mr. Thirsty™ is your new sidekick and everyone is benefiting:  The patient is more comfortable. The doctor has a clear field to work in. The assistant is performing other duties. The hygienist works steadily without. constant interruption to use the saliva ejector.

By using tools to reduce a patient’s chair time for a clinical procedure, you are increasing production ability. What you do with that ability is should be part of your master plan. 

Mr. Thirsty – Try Me Kit #658-0225 – $49.99

Cliff’s Notes client’s discount programs will be applied.

The Henry Schein Outlet Store: Special of the Week!………………………………………………

Outlet Store offers are limited in quantity and only available on a first come-first serve basis. The inventory is very fluid so it pays to check back frequently for new listings.

http://www.henryschein.com/us-en/sites/outletcenter/

HYGIENE HANDPIECE FOR DISPOSABLE PROPHY HEAD
Condition: Overstock
Part Number: SPH0004N / Manufacturer Part Number: SPH0004
Catalog Price: $349.00 / Outlet Price: $209.00

Warranty: 6-Month 

Product Categories

OVERSTOCKED:	New Products that are in the manufacturer’s original sealed package SAVINGS UP TO 35%
DEMO MODEL:	Open-box products that have had no clinical use SAVINGS FROM 35% TO 50%
RECONDITIONED:	Products in excellent condition, restored to the manufacturer’s specification SAVINGS UP TO 80%

All products include comprehensive warranties backed by Henry Schein

“The Root of It” Commentary for Sunday July 22, 2012 ………………………………………….

How’s that working out for you?

 Question? How are you 2012 plans working out? I know you planed on refining your marketing. And I know you created your tax plan and revenue forecasts back in April and are scheduled to meet with your accountant in early October to review and adjust for the year end. How did the updated employee manual come out and how did the staff respond to the change? Did you refine and implement the systemic health protocol? 

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) once said “quitting smoking is the easiest thing in the world; I’ve done it a thousand times” and if you are like most of the dental offices I go into, you just didn’t get it done. There are probably a million reasons, but it just didn’t get done. Well, think of it this way, tomorrow is the first day of the rest of the year and that means there is still time.

To start, tomorrow morning call your tax advisor and scheduled a current year review 15 days after the end of the third quarter. Your advisor will instruct you as to what you need to send a head of time so they can be prepared. A good advisor will be able to predict the year end by evaluating the first 3 quarters of the year and comparing them to previous years. A “dental” orientated advisor will also consider industry trends. If your advisor is not dental orientated please call me and I will fill you in on what to look for. These meetings need to be private and only include your most trusted inner circle. That allows you to talk honest and openly. The price of carbide burs means very little compared to your overall financial outlook.

Step 2 is to take a good look at your staff and the image they project to your patients. Are they following office protocol? Do you have a written protocol and more important, do you have an up to date employee manual? Again, probably not. An employee manual that is up to date can protect you against most type of employee related litigation. It’s not expensive and when done correctly the first time, updating is easy. How do you get started? You don’t! You hire a qualified employment law specialist. My suggestion is Employee Relation Solutions in Hackensack, NJ. Check out their blog and tell them that Cliff sent you.  www.employeerelationssolutions.com/blog.

Step 3 is to take a good look at you marketing efforts. There are 2 types of marketing, in-house & outside. In house is very inexpensive and needs to be coordinated with your patient protocol and become routine! Maintaining routine is the hardest thing to do and it is your responsibility as the business owner to oversee it. Pick someone in your office to be the “champion” that will keep the staff on track and be accountable for the programs. You should also consider replacing wage increases with a “bonus on production”. I am available to discuss a bonus concept at any time. As far as outside marketing, examine the formats your patient base lives in. Is it the cyber world or the world of print? Do you need to optimize your web presence or drive new patients through community involvement? Either way, you need to commit 5% of your gross production to marketing efforts.

There is still time to save your 2012 financial outlook and formulate a solid base for 2013. Please feel free to contact me at any time to review your plan for growth.

Today is Sunday, August 12^th. Enjoy the day and please be safe, there are a lot of people that need you.

 

Join the ADA on Friday, February 8, 2013 to Give Kids A Smile

Call Cliff @ 201-321-7494 for details…It’s feels good to “give back”

Cliff Marsh

Henry Schein Dental

P.O. Box 663 / 45 Rt. 46East

Suite 605

Pine Brook, NJ 07058

201-321-7494

cliff.marsh@henryschein.com

www.cliffsnotesblog.me

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August 12, 2012 - Posted by Cliff's Notes Blog | Uncategorized