Episode Title: Wasted Time, Open Time, and Maximizing Your Schedule

Episode Description:
Welcome to another exciting episode of Dental Drill Bits! This week, Sandy Pardue is joined by a very special guest—Dana Pardue Salisbury, the original co-host and HR business professional. Together, they kick off the new season with a deep dive into one of the most critical topics for dental practices: managing open time in your schedule.

Discover actionable tips to identify, track, and eliminate wasted time in your practice. Whether you're dealing with broken appointments, patient no-shows, or underutilized slots, this episode equips you with practical strategies to improve productivity, enhance patient care, and boost your bottom line.

Plus, hear Dana’s unique perspective on the patient experience and why over-communicating about appointment changes can backfire. Stay tuned until the end for a game-changing resource that could revolutionize how you handle in-house membership plans!

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Dana Salisbury's journey back to Dental Drill Bits and her insights on training and development for dental practices.
• The real cost of open time and why tracking it is crucial.
• How to calculate daily, hourly, and per-unit production goals.
• Strategies to reduce cancellations, no-shows, and last-minute reschedules.
• The importance of maintaining a reliable call list and leveraging patient interactions.
• Patient perspective: Why excessive appointment changes can harm patient satisfaction.
• The role of team meetings in addressing missed opportunities.
• An introduction to Plan Forward—a custom dental membership platform offering tools for automated billing, patient communication, and more.

Sponsors:

Don’t just look ahead. Plan Forward. Discover the dental membership plan partner that empowers your entire office. Created by a team in your shoes. Find out more here, and be sure to mention Dental Drill Bits for a special offer! https://www.planforward.io/

Take Action Today:
Start tracking your open time and production goals now! Print out your schedules, analyze past weeks, and involve your team in finding solutions. Remember, every day is an opportunity to optimize your schedule and serve your patients better.

Subscribe & Leave a Review:
Enjoyed this episode? Don’t forget to subscribe to Dental Drill Bits and leave a review. Your feedback helps us continue to deliver valuable content!

This is a question Sandy Pardue gets quite often in her events, so we decided to cover it here!

Here are a couple things you want to do:

You need a time clock software. (Sandy recommends a software)

Don’t give everyone access to change their time clock.

Create a policy, and be super specific in this policy. (Sandy gives us great examples).

What to say if someone still violates the policy? (Sandy provides us with what to do, a script, and how many times should we allow it).

How to present the overtime policy at a team meeting.

Wondering how to ease the burden and stress off yourself as the doctor?

In this week's rerun episode of Dental Drill Bits, Michael and Sandy are exploring the universe of responsibilities that come with the role of an office manager in a dynamic and demanding dental practice. They break down the essential duties that will keep your practice running smoothly without the added headache.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Understand the scope of day-to-day activities a dental office manager oversees.
• Discover the role an office manager plays in shaping employee and patient relations.
• Uncover how essential marketing, compliance, and staff training duties fall under the office manager's purview.
• Realize the importance of clear and consistent communication between the office manager and the doctor.
• Appreciate effective strategies for cultivating excellent customer service and patient relations skills.
• Gain insights on the significance of consistency and communication in propelling the practice forward.
• Learn useful tips for avoiding burnout and strategies to find the right fit for your office manager role.

Tune in to this episode of Dental Drill Bits and boost your dental practice's effectiveness, efficiency, and overall success with an office manager!

(This episode originally aired on 1/3/2024)

Sponsors:

Do you need a new website or marketing agency with no long-term contracts? Visit DocSites' website here and be sure to mention this podcast episode for a special deal! https://www.docsites.com/landing-pages/ddb/

In this rerun episode of Dental Drill Bits, Sandy and Michael delve headfirst into the crucial role of an office manager in your dental practice. Listen as they unlock the job description of a successful manager and explore how imperative it is for dentists to identify potential talent hidden within their teams while filling this impactful role. Sandy and Michael dissect the cardinal role of duplication skills in a manager's toolbox and how this skill can set apart a thriving practice from a struggling one.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Understanding the crucial role and job description of an office manager in a dental practice
• Identifying and fostering talent within your team for the office manager post
• What are duplication skills and why are they important in office management?
• Strategies and tips for successful office management
• Overcoming common challenges faced by office managers.

Tune in to today's discussion and transform your dental practice with a brilliant office manager!

(This episode originally aired on 12/27/2023)

Sponsors:

Do you need a new website or marketing agency with no long-term contracts? Visit DocSites' website here and be sure to mention this podcast episode for a special deal! https://www.docsites.com/landing-pages/ddb/