Support Your Dental Front Office Part One

Hello and welcome to the summer edition of my newsletter. I hope this finds you all well, happy and enjoying your profession.

Summer is here and many practices are
reevaluating where they are at this point in 2011. I say, good for them. Are you moving in the direction you had set in January? If not, let’s take a look at how to support your front office with all the seemingly countless and many times overwhelming tasks necessary to keep your office moving forward.

I have been receiving more calls and emails lately about overdue accounts receivables, holes in the schedule, low production resulting in low collections. So, below are the topics for the next several newsletters. I will provide a few tips to aid your front office in reducing their stress, which reduces that feeling of overwhelm and increases their productivity.
•Staff members’ abilities to be consistent and effective in their duties
•Treatment Coordinator’s presentation and financial arrangements
•Scheduling effectively, reducing no shows and cancellations
•The recall and unscheduled treatment system
•Incoming phone call protocol-Are you the obstacle keeping new patients away?
•New patient /Returning patient Communications
•Financial policies
•Accounts receivable systems-Overdue Procedures
A staff members’ ability to be consistent and effective in their duties must start with effective time management. Here is my time management sheet:

Time Management Sheet
Time Management for the Front Office–Fill in your own specifics
7:00-8:00 AM: Check in patients, Collect messages, return calls, pull charts for the next day. Attend to departing patients–

8:00-9:00 AM: Confirm patients for the next day, make sure pre-med patients have their meds, Attend to departing patients—don’t forget to ask the patient making that restorative appointment, “If we have an appointment open up sooner, would you like us to call you?” Keeping an active quick call list is critical to keeping your schedule full in a pinch.

9:00-10:00 AM: Fill schedule if necessary for next day–use quick call list, look at a few days out, work on claims that have not been sent out, copy necessary x-rays or send as an attachment, write narratives and put it in the #35 box on the claim form, send out.

10:00-11:00 AM: Work outstanding insurance claim aging report. Call insurance companies and find out status of claims. Send necessary information, ask to fax, or email with all necessary attachments. All confirmation calls for the next day should be done by the lunch hour. The next day schedule should be full by lunch hour.

11:00-12:00 PM–Lunch

12:00-1:00 PM Check in patients, collect messages, return calls. Work overdue patient accounts.

1:00-2:00 PM Send out at least three unscheduled treatment letters or make at least three follow up calls regarding a patient’s unscheduled treatment. Document all conversations and actions on a patient’s account in the patient account notepad on the computer.

2:00-3:00 PM Continue all of the above as well as attending to patients.

3:00-4:00 PM(Fill in your own task here, if could be calling on some patient with overdue recalls.)

4:00-5:00 PM Start end of day processing. Clean up reception area, check patient bathroom to make sure it is clean and tidy. Check floor, carpet and make sure it is clean and tidy.

Treatment Coordinator’s presentation and financial arrangements. Here is an excerpt from my Case Acceptance/Financial Dialog mini manual I sell on my website.

3. Scripts and Scenarios for Creating the Treatment Action Plan

Let’s say the doctor has diagnosed four teeth that need crowns; a couple more teeth need fillings and a gross and fine scale. I recommend breaking it down in urgency so you know where would be the most critical area to start if the patient seems reluctant to move forward with any treatment. The doctor has shown the patient these teeth needing treatment, using the intra oral or digital photo that those four teeth need crowns. Clinically speaking, let’s say, only two are putting the patient at risk of needing a root canal if they wait.

Your energy should be relaxed, enthusiastic, supportive, and confident with a willingness to serve. The patient feels that and is relaxed by it as well. Your knowledge of dentistry will help you understand the clinical need and the potential consequences of waiting. The patient is counting on you to advocate for them using that knowledge. Your knowledge and their lack of it is what makes you their advocate. The patient is brought into a private room; I introduce myself and explain why they are there.

TC: “Bob, my name is Sue; it is a pleasure to meet you. I am going to give you the financial breakdown of the treatment the Dr. has recommended. Do you have any questions about your treatment or why you need this treatment? Bob, is anything bothering you presently?”

In a patient’s mind, if it is bothering them, even if it is the filling, it is their highest priority, maybe not the highest clinical need but it is their highest need. This must be addressed; anything that is bothering a patient is interrupting the quality of their life.

Focus on that and address keeping the patient from having any other bothersome areas by including the two most critical teeth using this scenario I’ve created.

TC: “Ok, well let’s focus on that area and I see Dr has highlighted for me these two teeth that have deep decay and she/he is concerned they will become bothersome (use any word, but best to use the patient’s word to describe the problematic tooth previously discussed.)

“So, let’s put together an action plan for the one that is bothering you and these two. Does that sound like a good plan? You and I will call this phase one and once these are taken care of and you are out of harm’s way, we can come back to these other areas.” 

For a more detailed description of my technique you can purchase my downloadable mini manual for only $19.95.

I also have a downloadable MP3 audio instruction of my case acceptance and financial dialog techniques for $9.95.

That is it for this newsletter. Part two will follow in the next couple of weeks.

Remember to take time out for you by making an appointment with yourself.

Wishing all my best for your success,

Suzanne

Renewal for Spring: My Personal Journey

Practice with Honor LLC’s

Spring 2011 Newsletter & Blog

I am excited about this spring edition of my newsletter because it is about change.

Though change is never easy, it is a necessary component to achieving our life long goals. Everyday I am working on multiple areas in my life so I can live clearer, healthier and with unspeakable peace and joy. I hope you enjoy this tidbit of my journey. I have included a wheel of balance for your own self exploration.

If you have decided you are ready to move forward in one or more areas of your life and need an expert to get you there faster, call me. As a certified life coach and practice builder, I can move you and your practice forward faster just call 928-710-0166. Or email me at: suzanne@practicewithhonor.com

Happy Spring everyone!!!

Spring is a time for renewal. Spring is here and as much as I love the snow and chilly weather, I welcome its arrival. Most of us feel a sense of renewal when we see the buds on the trees, hear the birds chirpping and the warmth of the sun on our face.

Renewal, for me, is reinventing myself. I must let go of the old and learn new ways of being. Every year I tackle at least one obstacle that I have allowed to stand between my dreams of my overall wellness journey. I am chipping away at it one or two obstacles at a time.

In 2006 I gave up beef and that was not easy. I loved my filet mignon with sautéed mushrooms. Or an old fashioned all American hamburger cooked on the grill in the summer. Ahhh, to delight in those savory summer flavors again, with grilled onions, melted cheese and a poppy seed bun lightly toasted. Honestly, if I were to eat that now I would feel lethargic, bloated and an overall sense of flu like symptoms. Frankly, it is just not worth it. I would say it took me 6 months to stop craving beef. I had been buying grain fed, antibiotic free, hormone free beef for years. The problem was the time it took my body to digest it. I have noticed that my seasonal allergies are milder, and my lower and side back pain is reduced. I am noticing the same reaction to ground turkey, so I rarely have a turkey burger, it is just not worth it.

In 2009 I noticed my rheumatoid arthritis becoming increasingly painful. I had been managing it since my mid 20′s with over the counter meds after the initial crippling onset. Literally crippling and heavy steroids and prescription medications were necessary and that got it under control. I was told by the rheumatologist that I would be on medication my whole life and by the time I got “old” my body would not respond to prescription medications like it was presently. I decided to find out how to take care of myself through diet and I did. The
only medications I take is over the counter maybe once a week.

I had to go back to the drawing board in 2009 on what to eliminate from my diet. Google is a marvelous tool for researching food offenders for arthritis. Some common offenders that were in my present diet were caffeine, alcohol, sugar, gluten, wheat and dairy. There are others that are in the vegetable group but they are not going anywhere, I love my veggies. Ok, so what can I let go of that would benefit me the quickest. I chose alcohol, butter, cheese, gluten and wheat. I had given up milk years before this. No real sacrifice there, really. I never could have imagined the challenges that would confront me.

For the last several years I have become increasingly determined to make my “outsides match my insides”. I did not expect this to be so challenging. The butter is a rarety now. Cheese might be a couple times a week at the most. I have not had any alcohol for 15 months. The gluten and wheat I really have cut back on and that has helped as well with the swelling in my hands from arthritis. It is the simple carbs, sugar, that has become my biggest eatting challenge. I did not realize what an addiction this had become. Now with that said, I have cut back 50% of my intake on simple carbs. But like everyone else on the planet, I want these changes yesterday.

I have rediscovered my taste for fruit. I love vegetables but lost my desire for fruit over the years. Except for strawberries and watermellon. So, I started there. Now, since 2009, I eat oranges, bananas, blueberries, cherries, pineapple, pears etc… It developed organically as I traded one unhealthy choice for a healthy choice. Slowly, so as not to put myself in that place of deprivation. I even carry nuts in my purse for my busy days so I do not give in to poor eating choices in a weak moment. What I have learned is; it is in my most vulnerable moments that I will be tempted. So, here are a few questions I ask myself during those weak moments.

•Am I thirsty?
•Am I hungry?
•Am I tired?
•Am I lonely?
•Am I angry?
•Am I overwhelmed?

I know taking care of our basic needs must come first. We can not be fully present if we are ignoring a basic need. These questions have assisted me in cutting back on those simple sugars by 50%. My goal is to cut back to only eating them once a week. In an appropriate portion size of course.

My next challenge is getting into a daily exercise routine. I started with Yoga a couple of months ago to aid me with back pain. To my surprise, I broke out in quite a sweat. Whoo Hoo! It really does help with my back pain. I also noticed my overall arthritis pain was reduced as well. Due to life’s unexpected travels I have fallen out of my weekly routine. Traveling and exercising have not been ingrained in my lifestyle yet. I am grateful for all the traveling I have been doing this year but it should not give me an excuse to stop exercising.

I am finding other opportunities to get some weekly exercise. For exampe: I park my car farther away at the grocery store so I have to walk farther. I take the steps when I can, I get up and stretch once an hour when I am sitting behind my desk tippy tapping away on my computer. I am leaving March 27 for St. Louis, MO for a workshop for a new client and their staff. I choose to stay somewhere that has an exercise room and the ability for me to buy my own food and make my meals. I think that is a good start to smart traveling routines.

Setting realistic goals on a daily basis is what makes change last. So, I will keep you updated here in my blog.

The wheel of balance is a common coaching tool I and many coaches use to assist others in finding the imbalance in their lives. Enjoy this tool of self discovery.

Wheel of Balance (Email me and I will be happy to send you the document.)

Lastly, create your support system. You can find many support groups on line for many topics. I have a support group of like minded women that I check in with at least once a week. I also have my own life coach. I have lived in pain everyday for 30 years. I refuse to let that be an obstacle to my wellness. I have educated myself on my illness and know losing the extra weight and tightening up my muscles will benefit me far more than any drug I could take. Which by the way, I choose not to be medicated with prescription arthritis medications. I am determined to work this out organically.

I am proud to announce that in the last 2 weeks I have dropped 5 pounds. Last year I dropped 25 pounds. I find this very motivating.

That’s it for my 2011 Spring newsletter. Renewal is exciting, thrilling, and challenging. Choose at least one area of your life to change so you too can move in the direction of your dream life.

Wishing you much success always,

Suzanne

How to Get Organzied for the Holidays-first published on MSN.CA

How To Get Organized For The Holidays
By Suzanne Robinson
[Happy Holidays]

Well, we are entering that time of year again – the holiday season. Some of us welcome this period with open arms while others find it extremely stressful. It’s no wonder why: the countless gifts, the endless guests, not to mention all that cooking.

There are many ways to stay organized during the holiday season. The thing that doesn’t get emphasized enough though, is implementation. You can have all the great ideas in the world, but unless you put them into action, they won’t do you much good. You’ll find that my advice is not only practical, but it’s also achievable. Put these tips into practice and you’ll definitely see how much easier things can get.

Make Lists

This is a common suggestion for organizing our time and a very valuable one too. I love to make lists. It is the number one component to getting things done in a timely fashion with minimal stress.

How to take it a step further:
Categorize your lists. You can categorize in terms of priority, subject, importance, etc. An example could be:

a. People I want to give gifts to
b. Stores where I can find those gifts
c. Self crafted gifts
d. Internet sites where I can purchase my gifts

Instead Of Merchandise, Give Money

Some people equate the gift of money with laziness, but if it’s done in a creative way it definitely doesn’t need to come off as such. It also doesn’t need to be cold hard cash. You can give a gift certificate, passes to a show or prepaid store credit cards.

How to take it a step further:
There are places where you can purchase a Visa that has a monetary limit. These are always impressive gifts. Who wouldn’t like to get a Visa they do not have to pay back? Check out the other major credit card companies and see if they have gift cards as well.

Bake Your Gifts
I used to make strawberry jam and can it. I would decorate the glass jars with ribbons and festive tags and give them to my friends. I would also bake dozens of cookies and fudge. This also made for a nice gift.

Baking is an economical and welcomed expression of holiday cheer. The convenience of this gift is you can bake cookies early and freeze them. So rather than waiting until the week before, get a head start and begin your baking now. Best of all, you’ll be avoiding the busy mall.

How to take it a step further:
Try to customize your baked goods in some special way. You can write a message in icing or wrap the goods in a personalized package.

Avoid The Last Minute Rush

Try a new approach to getting things done by writing things to do on your calendar every day. I have a big desk calendar that I review several times a day. I started using this technique a few years ago and it assists me in getting something done each and every day. It is my personal assistant. We get along great.

By stretching your tasks out, you’ll find the overall burden of the holidays will be removed.

How to take it a step further:

Give yourself a window of time between when you need to finish all your tasks and the day you will actually be celebrating the holidays. That way you’ll have some leeway if there are things you didn’t get around to. An extra three to five days should be all you need.

De-stress When Necessary

If you find that your head is about to explode as you get caught up in the frenzy of the holiday season, let me offer you a quick de-stressing tool. Close your eyes (not while you are driving please), take a deep breath and exhale slowly allowing yourself to feel all the tension leave your body.

Now, with your eyes closed and body relaxed, let your mind think of a fun holiday memory you have always cherished. Try to re-experience the emotions you felt at the time. Now, take another deep breath and envision as you breathe in, that you are breathing in all of the positive feelings associated with that memory. As you exhale you are only letting go of any lingering stress or tension.

Before you leave this warm feeling squeeze two fingers together. This will be your instant passport back to your memory.

How to take it a step further:
Use this tool anytime of the year. Just squeeze those two fingers together and you are back in time. It is a great de-stressor in the moment – my holiday gift to you.

Envision The Perfect Holiday

Let’s go to the extreme for a minute. Write down your vision of the perfect holiday. This does not have to be a long story – a few sentences will do. Writing it down seems to give it life. It will give you a visual purpose and a goal to achieve.

Put this vision statement somewhere you will see at least once a day. Your vision statement combined with your lists and tasks written on your calendar will assist you in creating the holiday of your dreams.

Success: Define and Achieve It!

Success: Define it and Achieve It
Getting it Done in The Soko(First published in 2005)
by: Suzanne Robinson CC

Many people define success in many different ways. Do you consider yourself successful by your standards? Better yet, are your standards high enough? Suzanne Robinson tells you how to define and achieve success.
Is your definition of success getting in your way? Do you even have a definition? To some, the measure is about the amount of money and possessions they own. To many though, the definition is evolving to include body and mind.

How will you know when you have reached success?

Defining Success

This is an individual assessment. I define success using multiple areas of my life. One is the quality of my relationships with family and friends. Each family member has their own unique gift to bring to the circle to enhance the memories we create when we are together. I consider myself to be very fortunate and successful in this area.

I also define success by my spiritual and emotional maturity. My spiritual path has been well set for years and I grow in this area daily. And I continue to work on my emotional maturity on a daily basis.

Next, I define success by my financial maturity. To me, that is about understanding the concept of money, using it to my advantage, and planning for my future. I have a monthly, an annual, and a three-year plan. I know what I want to see in the bank and where I want my business to be within the next three years and on. I am still a work in progress in this area.

The last area I use to define success is my health. I have taken aggressive measures this year to get healthier. I have included an exercise regime that I did not have last year. I am eating healthier and with purpose.

My advice to you is simple: Define success. I hope I’ve given you some ideas of where to begin.

Create a Path to your Goals

There are several systems I use to walk toward my goals. One tool that I use myself and with my clients is called the more or less tool and I want to start with this one. Here’s how you do it:

Grab a pen and paper and create two columns on the page. Label one column ‘more’ and the other ‘less.’ Now answer the following questions by writing down the first thing that comes into your mind.

What do you want more of in your life? Jot down five items in the ‘more’ column. Now, in the ‘less’ column, jot down five things you want less of. As you see this in your own writing, it will move you towards those goals. Once a goal is put on paper it seems to take a life of its own.

For example, in the ‘more’ column you may want more money, more friends, more quality in your family relationships, etc. In the ‘less’ column you may want less stress, less conflict at work, less conflict with family, less troubles with money, etc.

The bottom line is that this is about you. It is very important again, to do this from the top of your head – no analytical thinking should come up. For each item on your list, you will need to ask yourself several questions to get clear on how to proceed.

What would it take to make that happen? What would you be willing to give up to make that happen? What will you do and when will you do it? This may seem like a lot but again, you are answering all this off the top of your head. You already know the answers, you just need to trust yourself.

Handle Obstacles

The biggest obstacle I have found is fear. Fear of success, that is. We may fear the hard work to be successful, we may fear what others may think and we may fear failure.

The solution here is quite simple: Plan for these obstacles. They are a part of the process and if they didn’t exist, succeeding wouldn’t be much fun! Be your own support system and encourage yourself. At the end of the day, the only person who can cause you to fail is you.

_______________________________________
Success is What You Make It

By defining your goals clearly; you will turn seemingly unreachable dreams into clear objectives. But you have to crawl before you can walk. So start at the beginning and define what success is to you. Then build a path to success and factor in obstacles, because they will occur.

Along the way, you may have days when you can barely pull two thoughts together. That’s fine though – I believe we all need to take mental breaks now and then. This will generate more creativity and enthusiasm.

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Be in Control Without Being a Control Freak

Be In Control – Without Being A Control Freak
Let’s Get Personal in The Soko(First published in 2004) 

 

Do you find you always need the last word? Are you never able to admit that you might be wrong? Suzanne Robinson teaches you how to retain control without being a control freak. (2004)

As the professional’s coach, I work in offices to improve the effectiveness of business operations. I recently finished a contract at a surgeon’s office and everything is running smoothly now – but it was not like that when I arrived last year.When I first got there, the office was in a state of utter chaos. One of the key issues I had to tackle was with a valuable staff member who had serious control issues. She has a heart of gold but old habits die hard. Her habit of needing to be in control at all times was distrupting the flow of business. Learning how to make a point and achieve your goal in an positive way, takes practice. And it takes even more practice to learn how to concede with grace. Whether you’re right or wrong, being a control freak is not the way to go. HOW TO #1 People with control issues are usually good speakers. They learned early on in life that to get their way, they needed to put together hard-hitting words in a very convincing manner. First off, be clear on your point when you speak. Before you say one word, ask yourself if the point you want to make adds to the success of the mission at hand. If it does then proceed with caution. If not, keep it to yourself. The trick is to make your point in a few sentences. Make the request, state when and how you would like the request implemented and then be done with it. Now comes the hard part, once your request and action plan are stated, say nothing. Smile. It is as easy as saying nothing after the last person speaks. If questions come up answer them in five or fewer sentences. Keep referring back to your point and smile. Say nothing. HOW TO #2 Be Clear on your Point Being clear is not as easy as it sounds. Putting your thoughts together in your mind is one thing, but try putting those thoughts on paper. That’s a different story – and here’s how you do it. Treat the process as if you were about to make a presentation to a group of your peers. Write out your presentation, read it aloud, edit it, and rewrite it. Reading it aloud enables you to hear what the listener will hear. It increases your ability to communicate on a positive level by hearing the inflections of the words you use when you are making the point. If you don’t want your statement to sound harmful, edit out words that could be interpreted as harmful. HOW TO #3 Evaluate your Intentions In the work place, the one and only reason to make a strong point is when the situation is affecting the flow of business. But of course that’s not why most people make points. Many of us have an axe to grind and that’s why we make strong statements. If there is a co-worker you don’t get along with and your intentions are to belittle or take this person’s dignity so you can satisfy your own ego, your intentions are harmful. Trust me. My suggestion is to put your point on paper and follow step two. If you really want to make a lasting positive impression in your work environment, work through your dislikes. This is not personal so don’t make it personal. If it is a personal relationship, you still need to ask yourself what your desired outcome is. Are you willing to lose the relationship over this? Do you believe having harmful intentions will serve you well for your future? HOW TO #4 Say a Lot with Few Words Avoid the Temptation to Keep Speaking Once you’ve said what you have to say, you’ll have the natural urge to keep on talking. Stop. If questions come up just go back to your point. Remember, you have already stated it clearly. That’s why it’s so important to eliminate any possibility of you having to indulge the need to bulldoze your point across. Go back to step two and learn how to get your point out in a few precise sentences. HOW TO #6 Use your Body Language Pay attention to your body language and your blood pressure. Are you standing while they are sitting? Stop right there and begin with a friendly, “Let’s sit down”. Sit eye to eye. Choose not to use the old manipulation tactic of you standing over them to show superiority. You will have lost them out of fear or anger and your message will not be heard. Also, when you are delivering the message notice the emotion you are experiencing. If it is fear, anger or any negative emotion – just let it go. Those negative feelings will disappear as you talk. Remember, the intention is not to be harmful – it’s to make a point. HOW TO #7 Concede with Grace As brilliantly executed your presentation may be, you could be wrong. Your overall perspective could have been wrong all along. Be open to that. No one is right all the time. If the other person presents a different perspective tell them to present their facts and you will have another look. Maybe you already know they’re right and the next step is an apology. Be full of grace my friend, and say you were wrong. You will be respected on a whole new level. ______________________________ control yourself I was asked by the person who I coached through her control issues, to wait and only write about this topic once I left the surgeon’s office. She worked very hard with the coaching challenges I gave her so I honored her request. And taking my points into account, she is not the same person. I can honestly say, her control issues rarely come up anymore. Remember that there is a big difference between being a strong person and being a control freak. As Mohandas K Gandhi said, “strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”

My blogging days are finally here.

I am excited about blogging. My newsletters typically go out once a month but during the month I think of ideas, get asked questions from clients and hear of new people who can support your success and mine. I decided I needed to start sharing those moments to get you the information in a timely manner.

If you have any ideas or comments about my blog send them my way. Many of you have subscribed to my newsletter for years and I hope you find this different and unique from what you are presently getting out there on the internet.

All my best for your success,
Suzanne Robinson CC