COMPANY NAME
This is the headline of the feature DIGITAL REPORT 2021
Bringing better healthcare to more people IN ASSOCIATION WITH:
DIGITAL REPORT 2022
BRINGING BET TER HEALTHCARE TO MORE PEOPLE
TAG – THE ASPEN GROUP
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TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP
TAG – The Aspen Group – is transforming the healthcare system, to bring better health to more people
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uilding teams that are passionate about delivering great care and great service, to both patients and doctors, is critically important to Bob Fontana, chairman and CEO of TAG – The Aspen Group, a business he founded more than 23 years ago – as Aspen Dental, and which recently expanded beyond dental, and into healthcare and was aptly rebranded as TAG last year. “The company has recently evolved,” explains Fontana. “We went from being a dental support organisation – supporting independent practice owners and dentists for Aspen Dental branded offices – to now, as TAG, providing support to four healthcare businesses.” Fontana’s experience across the past 25 years has significantly shaped his current role as founder, chairman, and CEO. “It's been a learning journey, there's no doubt about it,” says Fontana. “We've been doing this for a long time, but what hasn't changed is our focus on a real patientcentric and doctor-centric model. You realise during this journey that having people connected to what we're doing is critically important. We’re proud to be able to expand deeper into healthcare and continue to develop the businesses that are now in the TAG network: Aspen Dental, ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, WellNow Urgent Care and Chapter Aesthetic Studio.”
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Bringing better healthcare to more people at TAG
As part of the TAG charitable giving programme, the Health Mouth Movement – and thousands of participating Aspen Dental offices across the U.S. – have provided more than US$24mn in free dental care to people in need since 2014, through: • TAG’s annual day of service for veterans • The Healthy Mouth Mobile • The overseas outreach programme “Teams love doing that work, to be honest with you. They really do! It's a part of who we are,” says Fontana. “We've had many trips overseas to bring free dental care to some tough areas that are very undeserved. The doctors, providers and teams love to be able to do that. We expect to be able to do more of that as we continue to grow in each of the healthcare businesses we support. It's an important part of our culture, so we absolutely will continue to do that as we grow.” 6
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Supporting patients and listening to doctors Back in 1998 when Fontana founded Aspen Dental, he had a clear vision for what he wanted the company to achieve. “My vision has really remained the same,” confirms Fontana. “That's to take friction out of the system. Aspen Dental was created with the mindset that the patient experience could be better and delivering a great patient experience was the early idea. We really have led that – the consumerisation of healthcare – and that has been an important part of who we are, as part of our DNA. Building a model around that, continuing to listen to what our patients’ needs are, what their expectations are. “On the professional side, for the independent doctors we support, we must listen to the doctors' needs and expectations too. Providing and developing a great doctor model is critical, so they can focus their
TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP
“ We meet the patients where they want us to meet them, in terms of the experiences they have” BOB FONTANA
FOUNDER & CEO, ASPEN DENTAL CHAIRMAN & CEO, TAG – THE ASPEN GROUP
time not on running the business, but on providing great patient care and a great patient experience.” Healthcare companies have undergone transformational change throughout the pandemic, including at TAG. “Everybody's reimagining what they need to do, because the pandemic has shaken up a lot of companies. Healthcare is no exception.
“We meet the patients where they want us to meet them, in terms of the experiences they have. We understand access is critical, affordability is critical, and making sure that they continue to have less friction in their experiences. That remains the cornerstone of what we do for the businesses we support.” Fontana says healthcare is starting to learn that, too. “There are more emerging models now that you're seeing which say: listen, we understand technology can play a big role in providing convenience and access to patients in whatever modality they're in.” Fontana says there are more emerging models in healthcare today – especially those that recognise the role technology can play in providing convenience and access to care – regardless of where the patient may be. teamtag.com
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TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP
BOB FONTANA
KEVIN MOSHER
TITLE: FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN & CEO
TITLE: CEO
COMPANY: TAG – THE ASPEN GROUP
COMPANY: CLEARCHOICE MANAGEMENT SERVICES
Bob Fontana has served as TAG’s Chief Executive Officer since he founded the company in 1998. Under his leadership, TAG has become one of the largest and fastest-growing healthcare support organisations in the U.S. TAG now supports more than 1,000 health and wellness offices across 45 states. The company operates today in three distinct categories: Dental care, urgent care, and medical aesthetics represented by the Aspen Dental, ClearChoice, WellNow and Chapter brands. Bob has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the healthcare industry. He is a founding member of the Association of Dental Support Organisations, and he serves on the board of the National Veterinary Association.
Kevin Mosher has more than 30 years of experience in the dental and medical technology industries , currently serving as CEO of ClearChoice Management Services, which provides administrative, practice management support to ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers. Since 2013, Kevin has grown ClearChoice into a national category leader. In 2020, he led and oversaw the strategic acquisition of ClearChoice by TAG, expanding the ability for ClearChoice to further its mission of serving the 37mn people in the US suffering from significant or total tooth loss. Through his leadership, Kevin has more than doubled the size of the ClearChoice network to 76 centres and helped transform the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients. “The connection between dental health and overall health is well known, and poor dental health can lead patients to withdraw socially and emotionally. At ClearChoice, we’re focused on treating advanced oral health issues that impact both physical and psychological health. We believe the best way to increase access to these advanced dental services is to take a multi-disciplinary approach, centered around the patient and their comprehensive needs. Being part of TAG means we can serve more patients, more efficiently, ultimately changing more lives through our unique model of care.”
TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP
MELISSA ROGNE
JOHN RADFORD, MD
TITLE: PRESIDENT
TITLE: PRESIDENT
COMPANY: CHAPTER AESTHETIC STUDIO
COMPANY: WELLNOW URGENT CARE
Melissa Rogne is the President of Chapter Aesthetic Studio, which she originally founded as Rejuv in Fargo, North Dakota, and later rebranded under the newly formed TAG. When she opened Rejuv in 2005, her vision was to create a unique facility that provides a positive working environment for like-minded colleagues in the aesthetic industry – those who had love and passion for the work they do and for the clients they treat. Since then, Melissa grew her practice to become the largest clinic in the Midwest, proudly ranked as an Allergan Top 100 clinic, a top 250 provider of Botox and dermal fillers, and the number one CoolScultpting provider in the Midwest.
John Radford, MD, founded WellNow Urgent Care, formerly Five Star Urgent Care – opening its first location in Big Flats, New York – in 2012. He positioned the company to provide communities with the kind of quality, walk-in urgent care he saw was lacking while he served as an ER doctor. Dr. Radford became committed to serving more communities and offering care that is faster, more accessible, and more affordable, while taking advantage of advances in technology. With new centre openings, and the acquisitions of MASH and Hometown Urgent Care, WellNow’s footprint has grown to 115+ locations throughout New York, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan.
“In creating Chapter, I wanted to offer skincare “I first started WellNow because I worked in
population while offering the best customer
the emergency department for many years
service. When people feel more confident
and saw a need for more quality, walk-in care
about the way they look, it changes their
options. The ER was really your only choice
relationships with their spouses, children,
for after-hours care, and it was expensive
friends – even their workplace habits.
and not very convenient. I wanted to change
Chapter has the ability to change lives and
things to focus on putting the patient first.
transform families and communities through
So, we created a model to change that
empowerment and self-esteem. Being able to
dynamic and make care easier and more
offer that to patients on a broader level makes
accessible. Joining TAG has allowed us to
me so excited to become part of The Aspen
extend that approach to even more patients
Group family.”
in more places.”
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EXECUTIVE BIOS
and aesthetics services to the broader
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“ Providing a great doctor model is critical so they can focus their time on really providing great patient care” BOB FONTANA
FOUNDER & CEO, ASPEN DENTAL CHAIRMAN & CEO, TAG – THE ASPEN GROUP
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TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP
Supporting the entrepreneurial aspirations of employees and healthcare workers in their personal and professional development Dentistry is certainly an essential service and a high-risk occupation during an infectious pandemic. “The providers and healthcare teams who we support are essential workers and we’re proud of what they do,” says Fontana. “If you think about dentistry and the needs of so many patients across the country that we serve, being there for them is really, really critical.” TAG has also made sure that teams have had the right tools, PPE and critical training – as well as the right support. “Quite frankly, making sure the team felt good about what they were doing – and knowing they were supported – was essential. Beyond this, we provide support through ongoing training, learning and development, and mentorship. Every time we invest in the providers we serve, their business and the quality of service they provide to patients becomes stronger. So while that was really important during the pandemic, we know it's important on an ongoing basis, as we continue to grow.” Fontana believes the strategy that has helped to grow Aspen Dental from a small practice in upstate New York to nearly 1,000 dental offices nationwide can also serve as a model for other consumer-focused healthcare businesses. Through the recent transformation to TAG, the model is now being applied across dentistry, dental implants, urgent care and medical aesthetics. “It goes back to the foundation of who we are: understanding the needs of patients, understanding the needs of providers. WellNow is currently one of the fastest teamtag.com
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TAG - THE ASPEN GROUP
growing urgent care platforms. They're continuing to refine their model to meet the needs of patients across the country. “ClearChoice is able to deliver implants in one day. Chapter, our medical aesthetics business, has one of the largest practices in the country, and we’re continuing to scale that business as we speak. They're all brand-forward, consume- focused, and understanding of the needs of their patients. “The DNA of these brands are very similar to our origins, and we know there are other healthcare-adjacent opportunities and other verticals that TAG can provide the same level of support to in a way that allows each business to scale and bring better healthcare to more people. We're consistent with all that we believe in, when it comes to breaking down barriers for the patient and the provider.” Beyond what exists today, Fontana can envision the TAG model working for other healthcare verticals as well. “We believe there are so many other places in healthcare that we can take our lessons, our core capabilities, and our skill sets into at TAG,” said Fontana. “23 years on the journey we've had, and there's so much embedded talent in the people we have here that we think we can help other teams who are developing other concepts, other healthcare verticals – supporting them in a way that helps refine their models and scale their businesses – the lessons we’ve learned through refining our business model throughout the past two decades. “We're excited about the businesses we support today, but we're also excited about the providers and patients we can serve as we continue to grow.” Within the past five years, Fontana has brought Aspen Dental, ClearChoice Dental Implants, WellNow Urgent Care, and Chapter 12
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Aesthetic Studio all under the TAG umbrella. How does Fontana identify the healthcare spaces to move into? “We look at each of the healthcare spaces and categories and try to understand their trends and what the needs are across the country. We also look at the different models and how they are consistent with what we know works and what we're passionate about. Are they brand-forward? Have they created a platform? Are they trying to create better access and less friction in their respective space? “We're continuing to search for those opportunities. We think there are great opportunities in new verticals and certainly new emerging platforms that we think we can help support at TAG to continue to grow them
efficiently at scale. That's what we're really good at doing and it’s a part of who we are.” The next move for TAG At Aspen Dental, the company is doing what it’s always done — more of the same. The company opened up nearly 90 new locations in the US through what Fontana sees as organic growth. Another 90 sites will be added this year, as TAG continues to identify communities where they can help meet the needs of patients, who may otherwise be underserved. “We're at an inflexion point – continuing to make strategic investments in Aspen Dental advancing the technology and digital capabilities in every office across the country,” says Fontana. “The providers are
excited, the teams are excited; we think it'll be not only a better team experience, but better outcomes for patients. We also know the investments we are making in learning and development are critical. In addition, the TAG Oral Care Centre for Excellence will be opening later this year in Chicago. It will provide free care to the most in need part of the population, and it will provide an opportunity for doctors within the TAG network to learn and develop skills in advanced clinical procedures – which can then be taken back to their own practice – to ultimately live out the TAG mission on providing better care to more people.
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