Med Monthly February 2018

PHYSICIAN SOLUTIONS PRESENTS

Med Monthly MAGAZINE

February 2018

5 Reasons Content Marketing Is Key to Your Dental Practice pg. 30

Brand Identity is the Foundation of Dental and Medical Marketing

the

Your Dental Practice issue

pg. 20

Three Dimensions of Dental Practice Cohesion pg. 28

Great Customer Service Makes All the Difference to Your Dental Practice’s Patients pg. 24

contents

HOW TO DEVELOP A BRAND FOR YOUR MEDICAL PRACTICE

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features

20 BRAND IDENTITY IS THE FOUNDATION OF DENTAL AND MEDICAL MARKETING 24 GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE TO YOUR DENTAL PRACTICE’S PATIENTS 28 THREE DIMENSIONS OF DENTAL PRACTICE COHESION 30 5 REASONS CONTENT MARKETING IS KEY TO YOUR DENTAL PRACTICE THREE DIMENSIONS OF DENTAL PRACTICE COHESION

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practice tips 6

FIGHTING ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE

8

HOW TO DEVELOP A BRAND FOR YOUR MEDICAL PRACTICE

10 ARE E-PRESCRIPTIONS RIGHT FOR YOUR PRACTICE? 13 STOP E-PRESCRIBING BILL, SAYS PRESIDENT OF AAPS

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Med Monthly February 2018 Publisher Creative Director Contributors

Philip Driver Thomas Hibbard Naren Arulrajah Vishal Gandhi, BSEE, MBA Barbara Hales, M.D. Nick Hernandez, MBA, FACHE Denise Price Thomas

contributors Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete Internet marketing company which focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education and the online reputations of Dentists and Physicians. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call Naren direct at 877-249-9666.

Vishal Gandhi, BSEE, MBA is the founder and CEO ClinicSpectrum Inc. He is a well-known and widely respected authority on the “nitty-gritty� of medical practice workflow and technology. His Hybrid Workflow Model is quickly becoming a new healthcare industry standard model for combining human and computer workflow, to maximize revenue and minimize cost and he has appeared in prominent health IT publications.

Barbara Hales, M.D.

Med Monthly is a national monthly magazine committed to providing insights about the health care profession focusing on practical advice for physicians and practices. We are currently accepting articles to be considered for publication. For more information on writing for Med Monthly, please email us at medmedia9@gmail.com.

P.O. Box 99488 Raleigh, NC 27624 medmedia9@gmail.com Online 24/7 at medmonthly.com

is a skilled expert in promoting your health services. As seen on NBC, CBS,ABC and FOX network affiliates as well as Newsweek, Dr. Hales writes all the content you need to promote your medical services. Her latest book is on the best seller list and she can do the same for you. Check out her site at www.TheWriteTreatment.com

Nick Hernandez, MBA, FACHE is the CEO and founder of ABISA, a consultancy specializing in solo and small group practice management. He has consulted with clients in multiple countries and has over 20 years of leadership and operations experience. Visit www.abisallc.com for more information.

Denise Price Thomas retired in 2009 as a surgical practice administrator where she was employed for 32 years. She is certified in healthcare management through Pfeiffer College. Speaking invitations have taken her from NC to SC, Georgia, Florida, Chicago, Alaska and more. Website: www.denisepricethomas.com MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE |5

practice tips

Fighting Antibiotic Resistance: CDC Tool Maps Progress in Every State, But Still More to Be Done

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today released new data in its Antibiotic Resistance (AR)Investment Map, which shows early progress by states to combat AR. This year’s AR Investment Map features more than 170 state-reported successes—like rapidly identifying and containing rare and concerning resistant germs to protect communities. Each state reported multiple successes.

These are the first comprehensive reports on state progress made following the first year of Congress’ unprecedented investment in CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Solutions Initiative.

The AR Investment Map displays CDC’s AR activities in printable state- and city-specific fact sheets, providing a comprehensive view of CDC’s resources to protect Americans from antibiotic-resistant infections. Antibiotic resistance occurs when germs no longer respond to the drugs designed to kill them. Some germs already have become resistant to all available antibiotics, making some completely untreatable.

“Antibiotic resistance has the potential to impact all Americans at every stage of life,” said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. “This interactive map showcases the work happening on the frontlines of every state and CDC’s commitment to keep people safe from drug-resistant infections.”

In fiscal year 2016, CDC made investments in all 50 states, six large cities, and Puerto Rico to enhance laboratory and epidemiology expertise and grow public health innovations to fight antibiotic resistance across healthcare settings, food, and communities.

These investments helped states

like Oklahoma and Connecticut each successfully identify and contain a single case of Candida auris, a multidrug-resistant fungus that can cause deadly infections.

Early progress shows antibiotic resistance investments are working Also displayed in the new AR Investment Map are successes states reported for fiscal year 2017: In Tennessee, when a person got a rare and concerning infection, the state health department and facility immediately began CDC’s containment protocol and isolated the patient. Within 48 hours, the teams fully executed the containment protocol (AR Lab Network testing, infection control assessments, colonization screening). Since then, the facility has not identified additional cases.

Michigan reduced “nightmare bacteria” CRE by 30 percent in 40 facilities and prevented more than 300 infections through its surveillance and prevention initiative.

Thirty-eight states and two cities now use whole genome sequencing to monitor for outbreaks and identify antibiotic resistance for Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and coli that are commonly transmitted through food and animal contact. When these outbreaks are detected, local CDC-supported epidemiologists investigate the cases to stop the outbreaks and spread of resistance.

Since the end of fiscal year 2017, six more health departments successfully implemented whole genome sequencing.

In Kentucky, an aggressive and coordinated response to a rare and concerning resistance gene successfully contained the outbreak and stopped its spread.

California increased its local response capacity to combat resistant gonorrhea and increased its rapid susceptibility testing by eight-fold. Susceptibility testing shows how well a gonorrhea strain will respond to specific antibiotics.

These results are used to inform local outbreak response action, national treatment guidelines, and antibiotic resistance trends.

In its mission to protect people, a significant portion of CDC’s AR investments goes to enhancing infrastructure in health departments nationwide. Since 2016, CDC has provided $144 million to 56 state and local health departments and Puerto Rico to address this threat. CDC has also invested more than $76 million in more than 60 universities and healthcare partners to find and implement innovative ways to prevent resistant infections and contain their spread.

The updated AR Investment Map reflects fiscal year 2017 extramural funding and highlights CDC’s collaborations that protect people worldwide. CDC continues to partner with health departments; academia; and the healthcare, veterinary, and agriculture industries to advance the science and implement strategies that protect Americans from antibiotic resistance.  Learn more about CDC’s AR Solutions Initiative and ongoing work to combat AR at www.cdc.gov/ DrugResistance.

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/media/ releases/2018/p0110-fightingantibiotic-resistance.html

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practice tips

How to Develop a Brand for Your Medical Practice

By Vishal Gandhi, BSEE, MBA Founder and CEO, Clinicspectrum

M

anagers and healthcare PR professionals frequently favor conventional marketing and advertising methods, leading to standardizing of marketing a practice to only ads on television, newspaper ads, billboards, etc. The best way to attract new patients is not only

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through publicizing, promoting and newsletters, but also ‘Word of Mouth’ publicity, which is often overlooked.

‘Word of Mouth’ marketing is a very substantial and significant tactic to improve your response rates and patient conversion ratios. Several medical practices

today gain their patients through a solid word of mouth marketing strategy. There are online forums for patients, where they can express their judgments and views about your practice. These forums, if used properly, have the potential to make or break your reputation.

Below are a few basic points to ponder to build a brand for your practice: 1. Building a brand is very similar to building a personal reputation. Make sure to align your services with what you say about your brand. The key here is ‘consistency’. Focus on consistency in your interactions and build a strong visual impression with your brand. Being consistent in your approach will help patients to easily identify your practice and the information received through it.

2. The next crucial step is to be represented online with the help of a website. Almost 80% of the U.S. population search online for healthrelated information before going to the doctor.

Develop a mobile-friendly website with proper

SEO strategies and quality content. Your website is a virtual extension of your practice and so it is important to keep it up-to-date by regularly flushing out the unwanted content. Always request honest feedback to ensure that your brand matches with your goals.

3. Referrals are a prominent and easily available marketing method. Connect with your colleagues and physicians from other specialties and collect information on how to collect referrals. For better results, claim and verify your local listing in various search engines. Once you get verified, optimize your listing by adding all the necessary information about your practice.

There are various other marketing tactics such as monthly newsletters (emails, print, etc), direct mail, pamphlets, and brochures, offline ads or even press releases. It is also advised to conduct patient surveys related to patient experience for a better track of things. In conclusion, for best return of your investment, try different marketing methods instead of holding on to just one strategy. 

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practice tips

Are E-Prescriptions Right For Your Practice?

By Thomas Hibbard Creative Director, Med Monthly

It is estimated that approximately 7,000 deaths occur each year in the United States due to medication errors. These errors are predominately due to handwriting illegibility, wrong dosing, missed drug-drug or drug-allergy reactions. With approximately 3 billion prescriptions written annually, which constitutes one of the largest paper-based processes in the United States, the writing of prescriptions can be 10

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streamlined and efficient by using an e-prescribing system.

Electronic prescribing or e-prescribing (e-Rx) is the computer-based electronic transmission and filling of a medical prescription, taking the place of paper and faxed prescriptions. E-prescribing allows a physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant to electronically transmit a new prescription or renewal authorization to a local or

mail-order pharmacy. It has the ability to send error-free, accurate, and understandable prescriptions electronically from the healthcare provider to the pharmacy.

E-prescribing is meant to reduce the risks associated with traditional prescription script writing. It is also one of the major reasons for the push for electronic health records (EHR).

Small and mid-size practices are leading the way, making up

a sizeable chunk of the 58% of physicians using e-prescribing tools outside of the hospital.1

Do E-prescriptions Actually Improve Patient Health?

According to a study by Surescripts, e-prescribing is linked to an increase in first-fill medication adherence and health care savings that could lead to $140 to $240 billion in health care savings and improved health outcomes over the next ten years.

Physicians adopting e-prescribing wrote out nearly 40% of their prescriptions electronically.

This resulted in a 10% increase in patient first-fill medication adherence, which translates to fewer doctor visits and reduced risk of hospitalization.

When taking into account the 60/40 ratio of paper-toelectronic prescriptions, the study demonstrated prescription delivery rates rising to 81.8%, and 76.5% getting picked up. This is encouraging, considering how many prescriptions never make it to a pharmacy counter.

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Benefits The benefits of e-prescribing to both patients and clinicians include: l Improving patient safety and quality of care - Illegibility from handwritten prescriptions is eliminated, decreasing the risk of medication errors while simultaneously decreasing risks related to liability. Oral miscommunications regarding prescriptions can be reduced, as e-prescribing should

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decrease the need for phone calls between prescribers and dispensers. Electronic prescribing has the potential to eliminate most of these types of errors. Warning and alert systems are provided at the point of care. E-prescribing systems can enhance an overall medication management process through clinical decision support systems that can perform checks against the patient’s current medications for drug-drug interactions, drug-allergy interactions, diagnoses, body weight, age, drug appropriateness, and correct dosing. Based on these algorithms, the system can alert prescribers to contradictions, adverse reactions, duplicate therapies and flag lethal dosages and lethal combinations of drugs.

Reducing time spent on phone calls and call-backs to pharmacies - According to estimates, almost 30 percent of prescriptions require pharmacy callbacks. E-prescribing can significantly reduce the volume of pharmacy callbacks related to illegibility, mistaken prescription choices, formulary and pharmacy benefits, decreasing the amount of time wasted on the phone.

This ultimately impacts office workflow efficiency and overall productivity in a positive manner.

Reducing time spent faxing prescriptions to pharmacies - Both prescribers and pharmacists can save time and resources spent on faxing prescriptions

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through a reduction in labor costs, handling costs, and paper expenses waste due to unreliability.

Automating the prescription renewal request and authorization process With e-prescribing, renewal authorization can be an automated process that provides efficiencies for both the prescriber and pharmacist. With limited resource utilization and just a few clicks on behalf of the prescriber, they can complete a medication renewal task while enhancing continuous patient documentation.

Increasing patient convenience and medication compliance - It is estimated that 20% of paper-based prescription orders go unfilled by the patient, partly due to the hassle of dropping off a paper prescription and waiting for it to be filled. By eliminating or reducing this waiting period, e-prescribing may help reduce the number of unfilled prescriptions and hence, increasing medication compliance.

Improving formulary adherence permits lower cost drug substitutions - By checking with the patient’s health plan or insurance coverage at the point of care, generic substitutions or lower cost therapeutic alternatives can be encouraged to help reduce patient costs. Lower costs may also help improve patient compliance.

Allowing greater prescriber mobility - Improved prescriber convenience can be achieved continued on page 12

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continued from page 11

when using mobile devices that work on a wireless network, to write and renew prescriptions.

Such mobile devices may include laptops, PDA’s, tablet computers, or mobile phones.

This freedom of mobility allows prescribers to write/renew prescriptions anywhere, even when not in the office.

Challenges and Limitations Challenges and limitations that may hinder the widespread adoption of e-prescribing practices are: l Financial Cost and Return on Investment (ROI) - The costs associated with purchasing, implementing, training staff and maintaining such a system may be beyond the means of small clinical practices, and is noted to be one of the greatest implementation barriers. As a result, large urban areas (large practices) may see the greatest ROI when compared to those in rural or inner city locations (small practices). l Change Management Many underestimate the challenges pertaining to change management when transitioning from paper-based prescriptions to e-prescribing.

This is especially true in busy practices where health care providers and associated staff are accustomed to their current management system. Staff accustomed to certain work practices may have particular aversions to the technology, so it may be difficult to get everyone on board immediately when 12

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introducing such a dramatic change.

Hardware and Software Selection - Choosing the right hardware platform and software applications can be a rather daunting task for practices, especially in regards to small and busy settings. Initiatives must be put into place to allow for effective and strategic planning prior to adoption.

Integrity of Data Input Accidental data entry errors such as selecting the wrong patient or clicking on the wrong choice in a menu of dosages may occur. Software vendors should continually review user feedback and follow best practices in user interface design.

Security and Privacy - As with many eHealth solutions, privacy of patient information stored in electronic format may lead to the possibility of novel errors, such as inadvertently divulging protected health information on the internet through inadequate security practices. Instances of negligence may also arise, where employees may forward prescriptions to organizations outside its intended use.

Therefore, hospitals, practices and pharmacies should be protected with firewalls, use strict computer permission settings, and remain vigilant toward signs of an intrusion.

System Downtime - Periods of system downtime may arise, either due to network-related issues, hardware failure, or loss of electricity. The inability to use electronic prescribing when the system is not accessible is of great concern, and must be

addressed with the discussion of fall-back procedures and mechanisms when such situations arise.2 See the sidebar on page 13 for some additional concerns.

How to Get Your Practice Started l

Purchase hardware such as desktop PC’s, laptops, pocket PC’s, tablet PC’s , PDA’s utilizing a wired or wireless network. l Install an internet connection; high speed is highly recommended. l Decide whether you wish to choose a standalone e-prescription software or a full EMR system which includes e-prescribing functionality. l Choose an e-prescribing software vendor. The e-prescribing vendor will need to utilize a company which supplies the electronic prescribing network. The industry leader is SureScripts (http://surescripts.com/).

In Conclusion E-prescriptions not only fulfill Meaningful Use requirements, but it’s clear that they help reduce or prevent errors. They can aid in making your practice more organized and save your practice money. Furthermore, e-prescriptions assist your patients to adhere to their medication regimen, contributing to their improved health and satisfaction.  References: 1 http://www.poweryourpractice. com/do-eprescriptions-actuallyimprove-patient-health/ 2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Electronic_prescribing

Stop e-Prescribing Bill, Says President of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons Forcing doctors to electronically prescribe all controlled drugs, as in Oklahoma proposed bill Req. No. 8141, is a “flawed and misguided” idea that will not reduce opioid abuse, writes Albert L. Fisher, M.D., president of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), in a letter to Representative Charles McCall, Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Dr. Fisher is a family physician in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The main effect it will have on patients is to make it impossible to shop for the best price for their prescriptions, Dr. Fisher notes. Prices vary widely, but an e-prescription can be used at only one pharmacy. One pharmacy may offer a better price for one prescription but not another.

The Oklahoma bill would cover all controlled substances, of which there are hundreds, not just potent pain remedies like OxyContin that are widely diverted or abused. That includes cough syrup, sedatives, anti-anxiety medications, and testosterone.

New York’s I-STOP law requires e-prescribing for all drugs, with very narrow exceptions. The opioid overdose rate continues to rise in New York, writes Lawrence Huntoon, M.D., Ph.D., a neurologist practicing in upstate New York. Pharmacists strongly supported the law as it locks in their customers. Dr. Huntoon points out that electronic health records generally only allow a single pharmacy to be listed for the patient.

“The differences in medication prices vary shockingly from pharmacy to pharmacy,” he writes. “A 90-day supply of a generic medication (that has been around for decades) costs $9.99 at one pharmacy and $1,500.00 at another local pharmacy.” For a patient who has a high-deductible plan or who is paying out of pocket, “the financial consequences can be devastating,” he adds.

E-prescribing increases busy work for doctors, Dr. Fisher states, taking time from patient care. And some physicians in small practices are not at present capable of doing it but would have to buy computer equipment. Yet the majority of abusers don’t even obtain a prescription, he writes.

An AAPS action alert to Oklahoma physicians states that “Interfering with the patient-physician relationship with more rules and regulations is the wrong solution.”

In fact, “policies that impede physicians’ ability to appropriately prescribe end up exacerbating the opioid abuse epidemic.”  The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) represents physicians in virtually all specialties and every state. Founded in 1943, AAPS has the motto “omnia pro aegroto,” which means “all for the patient.”

Source: http://www.pressreleasepoint.com/stop-e-prescribing-bill-says-presidentassociation-american-physicians-and-surgeons

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U.S. OPTICAL BOARDS Alaska P.O. Box 110806 Juneau, AK 99811 (907)465-5470 https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/ cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/DispensingOpticians.aspx

Idaho 450 W. State St., 10th Floor Boise , ID 83720 (208)334-5500 https://ibol.idaho.gov/IBOL/BoardPage. aspx?Bureau=OPT

Arizona 1400 W. Washington, Rm. 230 Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602)542-3095 http://www.do.az.gov

Kentucky P.O. Box 1360 Frankfurt, KY 40602 (502)564-3296 http://www.opticiantraining.org/optician-training-kentucky/

Arkansas P.O. Box 627 Helena, AR 72342 (870)572-2847 California 2005 Evergreen St., Ste. 1200 Sacramento, CA 95815 (916)263-2382 http://www.optometry.ca.gov/ Colorado 1560 Broadway St. #1310 Denver, CO 80202 (303)894-7750 http://www.dora.state.co.us/optometry/ Connecticut 410 Capitol Ave., MS #12APP P.O. Box 340308 Hartford, CT 06134 (860)509-7603 ext. 4 http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view. asp?a=3121&q=427586 Florida 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C08 Tallahassee, FL 32399 (850)245-4474 http://floridasoptometry.gov/ Georgia 237 Coliseum Dr. Macon, GA 31217 (478)207-1671 http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/licensing/ plb/20 Hawaii P.O. Box 3469 Honolulu, HI 96801 (808)586-2704 http://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/optometry/

Massachusetts 239 Causeway St. Boston, MA 02114 (617)727-5339 http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/licensee/ dpl-boards/op/ Nevada P.O. Box 70503 Reno, NV 89570 (775)853-1421 http://nvbdo.state.nv.us/ New Hampshire 129 Pleasant St. Concord, NH 03301 (603)271-5590 www.state.nh.us New Jersey P.O. Box 45011 Newark, NJ 07101 (973)504-6435 http://www.njsop.org/aws/NJSOP/pt/sp/ home_page New York 89 Washington Ave., 2nd Floor W. Albany, NY 12234 (518)402-5944 http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/od/ North Carolina P.O. Box 25336 Raleigh, NC 27611 (919)733-9321 http://www.ncoptometry.org/ Ohio 77 S. High St. Columbus, OH 43266 (614)466-9707 http://optical.ohio.gov/

Oregon 3218 Pringle Rd. SE Ste. 270 Salem, OR 97302 (503)373-7721 http://www.oregonobo.org/optque.htm Rhode Island 3 Capitol Hill, Rm 104 Providence, RI 02908 (401)222-7883 http://sos.ri.gov/govdirectory/index. php? page=DetailDeptAgency&eid=260 South Carolina P.O. Box 11329 Columbia, SC 29211 (803)896-4665 www.llr.state.sc.us Tennessee Heritage Place Metro Center 227 French Landing, Ste. 300 Nashville, TN 37243 (615)253-6061 http://tn.gov/health Texas P.O. Box 149347 Austin, TX 78714 (512)834-6661 http://www.tob.state.tx.us/ Vermont National Life Bldg N FL. 2 Montpelier, VT 05620 (802)828-2191 https://www.sec.state.vt.us/professionalregulation/list-of-professions/optometry. aspx Virginia 3600 W. Broad St. Richmond, VA 23230 (804)367-8500 http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/ HAS-Opticians/ Washington 300 SE Quince P.O. Box 47870 Olympia, WA 98504 (360)236-4947 http://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/MedicalCommission. aspx MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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U.S. DENTAL BOARDS Alabama Alabama Board of Dental Examiners 5346 Stadium Trace Pkwy., Ste. 112 Hoover, AL 35244 (205) 985-7267 http://www.dentalboard.org/ Alaska P.O. Box 110806 Juneau, AK 99811-0806 (907)465-2542 https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/ cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofDentalExaminers.aspx Arizona 4205 N. 7th Ave. Suite 300 Phoenix, AZ 85103 (602)242-1492 http://azdentalboard.us/ Arkansas 101 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 111 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501)682-2085 http://www.asbde.org/ California 2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 1550Â Sacramento, CA 95815 877-729-7789 http://www.dbc.ca.gov/

Hawaii DCCA-PVL Att: Dental P.O. Box 3469 Honolulu, HI 96801 (808)586-3000 http://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/dentist/ Idaho P.O. Box 83720 Boise, ID 83720 (208)334-2369 http://isbd.idaho.gov/ Illinois 320 W. Washington St. Springfield, IL 62786 (217)785-0820 http://www.boardofdentistry.net/illinoisboard-of-dentistry-db13 Indiana 402 W. Washington St., Room W072 Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317)232-2980 http://www.in.gov/pla/dental.htm

Colorado 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350 Denver, CO 80202 (303)894-7800 https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dora/ Dental_Board

Iowa 400 SW 8th St. Suite D Des Moines, IA 50309 (515)281-5157 http://www.state.ia.us/dentalboard/

Connecticut 410 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06134 (860)509-8000 http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view. asp?a=3143&q=388884

Kansas 900 SW Jackson Room 564-S Topeka, KS 66612 (785)296-6400 http://www.dental.ks.gov/

Delaware Cannon Building, Suite 203 861 Solver Lake Blvd.

Dover, DE 19904 (302)744-4500 http://dpr.delaware.gov/boards/dental/

Kentucky 312 Whittington Parkway, Suite 101 Louisville, KY 40222 (502)429-7280 http://dentistry.ky.gov/

Florida 4052 Bald Cypress Way Bin C-08 Tallahassee, FL 32399 (850)245-4474 http://floridasdentistry.gov/ 16

Georgia 237 Coliseum Drive Macon, GA 31217 (478)207-2440 https://gbd.georgia.gov/

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Louisiana 365 Canal St., Suite 2680 New Orleans, LA 70130 (504)568-8574 http://www.lsbd.org/

Maine 143 State House Station 161 Capitol St. Augusta, ME 04333 (207)287-3333 http://www.maine.gov/dental/licensure/ forms.html Maryland 55 Wade Ave. Catonsville, Maryland 21228 (410)402-8500 http://dhmh.state.md.us/dental/ Massachusetts 1000 Washington St., Suite 710 Boston, MA 02118 (617)727-1944 http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/hcq/dhpl/ dentist/about/ Michigan P.O. Box 30664 Lansing, MI 48909 (517)241-2650 http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7154-72600_72603_27529_27533---,00. html Minnesota 2829 University Ave., SE. Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612)617-2250 http://www.dentalboard.state.mn.us/ Mississippi 600 E. Amite St., Suite 100 Jackson, MS 39201 (601)944-9622 http://bit.ly/uuXKxl Missouri 3605 Missouri Blvd.

P.O. Box 1367 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573)751-0040 http://pr.mo.gov/dental.asp Montana P.O. Box 200113 Helena, MT 59620 (406)444-2511 http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_ boards/den_board/board_page.asp

Nebraska 301 Centennial Mall South Lincoln, NE 68509 (402)471-3121 http://www.boardofdentistry.net/nebraska-board-of-dentistry-db27

Ohio Riffe Center 77 S. High St.,17th Floor Columbus, OH 43215 (614)466-2580 http://www.dental.ohio.gov/

Nevada 6010 S. Rainbow Blvd. Suite A-1 Las Vegas, NV 89118 (702)486-7044 http://www.nvdentalboard.nv.gov/

Oklahoma 201 N.E. 38th Terr., #2 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 (405)524-9037 http://www.ok.gov/dentistry/

New Hampshire 2 Industrial Park Dr. Concord, NH 03301 (603)271-4561 http://www.nh.gov/dental/

Oregon 1600 SW 4th Ave. Suite 770 Portland, OR 97201 (971)673-3200 http://www.oregon.gov/Dentistry/

New Jersey P.O Box 45005 Newark, NJ 07101 (973)504-6405 http://njpublicsafety.com/ca/dentistry/

Pennsylvania P.O. Box 2649 Harrisburg, PA 17105 (717)783-7162 http://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Dentistry/ Pages/default.aspx#.VbkfjPlPVYU

New Mexico Toney Anaya Building 2550 Cerrillos Rd. Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505)476-4680 http://www.rld.state.nm.us/boards/Dental_Health_Care.aspx New York 89 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12234 (518)474-3817 http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/dent/ North Carolina 507 Airport Blvd., Suite 105 Morrisville, NC 27560 (919)678-8223 http://www.ncdentalboard.org/ North Dakota P.O. Box 7246 Bismark, ND 58507 (701)258-8600 http://www.nddentalboard.org/

Rhode Island Dept. of Health Three Capitol Hill, Room 104 Providence, RI 02908 (401)222-2828 http://1.usa.gov/u66MaB South Carolina P.O. Box 11329 Columbia, SC 29211 (803)896-4599 http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/Dentistry/ South Dakota P.O. Box 1079 105. S. Euclid Ave. Suite C Pierre, SC 57501 (605)224-1282 https://www.sdboardofdentistry.com/ Tennessee 227 French Landing, Suite 300 Nashville, TN 37243 (615)532-3202 http://tn.gov/health

Texas 333 Guadeloupe St. Suite 3-800 Austin, TX 78701 (512)463-6400 http://www.tsbde.state.tx.us/ Utah 160 E. 300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (801)530-6628 http://1.usa.gov/xMVXWm Vermont National Life Building North FL2 Montpelier, VT 05620 (802)828-1505 http://governor.vermont.gov/boards_ and_commissions/dental_examiners Virginia Perimeter Center 9960 Maryland Dr., Suite 300 Henrico, VA 23233 (804)367-4538 http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/dentistry Washington 310 Israel Rd. SE P.O. Box 47865 Olympia, WA 98504 (360)236-4700 http://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/ProfessionsNewReneworUpdate/Dentist.aspx West Virginia 1319 Robert C. Byrd Dr. P.O. Box 1447 Crab Orchard, WV 25827 1-877-914-8266 http://www.wvdentalboard.org/ Wisconsin P.O. Box 8935 Madison, WI 53708 1(877)617-1565 http://dsps.wi.gov/Default. aspx?Page=90c5523f-bab0-4a45-ab943d9f699d4eb5 Wyoming 1800 Carey Ave., 4th Floor Cheyenne, WY 82002 (307)777-6529 http://dental.wyo.gov/

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U.S. MEDICAL BOARDS Alabama P.O. Box 946 Montgomery, AL 36101 (334)242-4116 http://www.albme.org/ Alaska 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 1500 Anchorage, AK 99501 (907)269-8163 http://www.medlicense.com/alaskamedical-license.html Arizona 9545 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85258 (480)551-2700 http://www.azmd.gov Arkansas 1401 West Capitol Ave., Suite 340 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501)296-1802 http://www.armedicalboard.org/ California 2005 Evergreen St., Suite 1200 Sacramento, CA 95815 (916)263-2382 http://www.mbc.ca.gov/ Colorado 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350 Denver, CO 80202 (303)894-7690 http://www.docjungle.com/medicalboards/colorado-physician-licensing/ Connecticut 401 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06134 (860)509-8000 http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view. asp?a=3143&q=388902 Delaware Division of Professional Regulation Cannon Building 861 Silver Lake Blvd., Suite 203 Dover, DE 19904 (302)744-4500 http://dpr.delaware.gov/ District of Columbia 899 North Capitol St., NE Washington, DC 20002 (202)442-5955 http://doh.dc.gov/bomed 18

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Florida 2585 Merchants Row Blvd.

Tallahassee, FL 32399 (850)245-4444 http://www.stateofflorida.com/Portal/ DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=115

Louisiana LSBME P.O. Box 30250 New Orleans, LA 70190 (504)568-6820 http://www.lsbme.la.gov/

Georgia 2 Peachtree Street NW, 36th Floor Atlanta, GA 30303 (404)656-3913 http://bit.ly/vPJQyG

Maine 161 Capitol Street 137 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333 (207)287-3601 http://www.maine.gov/md/

Hawaii DCCA-PVL P.O. Box 3469 Honolulu, HI 96801 (808)587-3295 http://hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/boards/medical/

Maryland 4201 Patterson Ave. Baltimore, MD 21215 (410)764-4777 http://www.mbp.state.md.us/

Idaho Idaho Board of Medicine P.O. Box 83720 Boise, Idaho 83720 (208)327-7000 http://bit.ly/orPmFU

Massachusetts 200 Harvard Mill Sq., Suite 330 Wakefield, MA 01880 (781)876-8200 http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/borim/

Illinois 320 West Washington St. Springfield, IL 62786 (217)785 -0820 http://www.idfpr.com/

Michigan Bureau of Health Professions P.O. Box 30670 Lansing, MI 48909 (517)335-0918 http://michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-15472600_72603_27529_27541-58914--,00. html

Indiana 402 W. Washington St. #W072 Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317)233-0800 http://www.in.gov/pla/ Iowa 400 SW 8th St., Suite C Des Moines, IA 50309 (515)281-6641 http://medicalboard.iowa.gov/ Kansas 800 SW Jackson, Lower Level, Suite A Topeka, KS 66612 (785)296-7413 http://www.ksbha.org/ Kentucky 310 Whittington Pkwy., Suite 1B Louisville, KY 40222 (502)429-7150 http://kbml.ky.gov/Pages/index.aspx

Minnesota University Park Plaza 2829 University Ave. SE, Suite 500 Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612)617-2130 http://bit.ly/pAFXGq Mississippi 1867 Crane Ridge Drive, Suite 200-B Jackson, MS 39216 (601)987-3079 http://www.msbml.state.ms.us/ Missouri Missouri Division of Professional Registration 3605 Missouri Blvd.

P.O. Box 1335 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573)751-0293 http://pr.mo.gov/healingarts.asp

Montana 301 S. Park Ave. #430 Helena, MT 59601 (406)841-2300 http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_ boards/med_board/board_page.asp Nebraska Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services P.O. Box 95026 Lincoln, NE 68509 (402)471-3121 https://www.nebraska.gov/LISSearch/ search.cgi Nevada Board of Medical Examiners P.O. Box 7238 Reno, NV 89510 (775)688-2559 http://www.medboard.nv.gov/ New Hampshire New Hampshire State Board of Medicine 2 Industrial Park Dr. #8 Concord, NH 03301 (603)271-1203 http://www.nh.gov/medicine/ New Jersey P. O. Box 360 Trenton, NJ 08625 (609)292-7837 http://www.medlicense.com/new-jerseymedical-license.html New Mexico 2055 S. Pacheco St. Building 400 Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505)476-7220 http://www.nmmb.state.nm.us/ New York Office of the Professions State Education Building, 2nd Floor Albany, NY 12234 (518)474-3817 http://www.op.nysed.gov/ North Carolina P.O. Box 20007 Raleigh, NC 27619 (919)326-1100 http://www.ncmedboard.org/

North Dakota 418 E. Broadway Ave., Suite 12 Bismarck, ND 58501 (701)328-6500 https://www.ndbom.org/

Texas P.O. Box 2018 Austin, TX 78768 (512)305-7010 http://www.tmb.state.tx.us/

Ohio 30 E. Broad St., 3rd Floor Columbus, OH 43215 (614)466-3934 http://med.ohio.gov/

Utah P.O. Box 146741 Salt Lake City, UT 84114 (801)530-6628 http://www.dopl.utah.gov/licensing/physician_surgeon.html

Oklahoma P.O. Box 18256 Oklahoma City, OK 73154 (405)962-1400 http://www.okmedicalboard.org/ Oregon 1500 SW 1st Ave., Suite 620 Portland, OR 97201 (971)673-2700 http://www.oregon.gov/OMB/ Pennsylvania P.O. Box 2649 Harrisburg, PA 17105 (717)787-8503 http://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Medicine/ Pages/default.aspx#.Vbkgf_lPVYU Rhode Island 3 Capitol Hill Providence, RI 02908 (401)222-5960 http://1.usa.gov/xgocXV South Carolina P.O. Box 11289 Columbia, SC 29211 (803)896-4500 http://www.llr.state.sc.us/pol/medical/ South Dakota 101 N. Main Ave. Suite 301 Sioux Falls, SD 57104 (605)367-7781 http://www.sdbmoe.gov/ Tennessee 425 5th Ave. North Cordell Hull Bldg. 3rd Floor Nashville, TN 37243 (615)741-3111 http://tn.gov/health

Vermont P.O. Box 70 Burlington, VT 05402 (802)657-4220 http://1.usa.gov/wMdnxh Virginia Virginia Dept. of Health Professions Perimeter Center 9960 Maryland Dr., Suite 300 Henrico, VA 23233 (804)367-4400 http://1.usa.gov/xjfJXK Washington Public Health Systems Development Washington State Department of Health 101 Israel Rd. SE, MS 47890 Tumwater, WA 98501 (360)236-4085 http://www.medlicense.com/washingtonmedicallicense.html West Virginia 101 Dee Dr., Suite 103 Charleston, WV 25311 (304)558-2921 http://www.wvbom.wv.gov/ Wisconsin P.O. Box 8935 Madison, WI 53708 (877)617-1565 http://dsps.wi.gov/Boards-Councils/ Board-Pages/Medical-Examining-BoardMain-Page/ Wyoming 320 W. 25th St., Suite 200 Cheyenne, WY 82002 (307)778-7053 http://wyomedboard.state.wy.us/

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features

Brand Identity is the Foundation of Dental and Medical Marketing

By Naren Arulrajah Ekwa Marketing

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Branding is more than a logo, more than a marketing strategy. It is your image, your reputation, what you are known for, and how well you are known. Although the term “brand” is often associated with retail products, the concept is even more important for doctors and dentists.

You are not selling an item. You are selling healthcare, something immensely personal, which impacts someone’s wellbeing in every imaginable way. People want to feel like they know you, even before they visit your office. A good brand strategy promotes trust and familiarity, positioning your practice as the best choice for your target market.

Step 1: Find your niche Medical specialties came to be because the field of healthcare is far too complex for one all-encompassing title of doctor. Regulatory agencies attempt to narrow the field by defining specialties.

When someone sees that you are an orthodontist and the doctor next door is a cardiologist, that person immediately has an idea of what each practice does. However, it is still a vague notion. In reality, every specialty is far too broad-spectrum and complex for a single type of doctor.

Licensure and board-certifications broadly define your practice. It is further defined by niches, which you might think of as unofficial specialties. You’ve heard, and probably used, terms such as holistic dentist, concierge medicine, or dental spa. These aren’t just buzzwords; they describe niches and help define the practice.

Other niches are more specific, but do not have such specific titles. In fact, the possibilities are nearly endless. The more you can define your practice and audience, the more effective your branding will be. Some examples include: • High end, high class practice that takes extra steps to protect the privacy of celebrities • Catering to people with medical conditions or other special needs • Ultra-convenient with one-day treatments and flexible scheduling • Aesthetic orthodontics featuring Invisalign, Clear Correct, and other discreet options for adults

Step 2: Develop a branding message A brand message is an unspoken promise. It is like saying, “If you choose my practice, I will do this for you.” Start by identifying a specific need or problem within your target market, something that your practice is uniquely qualified to resolve.

For example, a dental practice might focus on patients with phobias, offering sedation, drill-less techniques, and making an extra effort to keep them comfortable. In this case, fear is the problem, compassion and painless treatment are the needs. The brand message says that dental treatment at this practice will not be painful, frightening, or intimidating.

Brand messaging is commonly confused with slogans or taglines.

However, there is a distinct difference.

• A slogan or tagline is written for the public. It is a specific phrase, associated with your practice. The phrase is worded exactly the same continued on page 22 MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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every time it is used. It should be unique and memorable. You might think of it as the visual equivalent of a logo. • The brand message is written for internal use. It should be simple, clear, and concise, describing exactly what message you want to convey. This is used as a guide for public relations and marketing. A brand should consistently communicate the same message, but not always in the same words – or in words at all.

Keep your brand message in mind when choosing a logo and other elements of your brand identity, as well as when approving advertisements, articles, and patient materials. Whenever possible, anything that you present to the public should reinforce the message. At minimum, you need to avoid anything that conflicts with it.

Step 3: Create a brand identity guide Have you ever looked at an advertisement and immediately thought that the business must be high-class, pricey, and offer doting customer service? Or read a blog and come away with the impression that the author is especially friendly, humorous, and casual?

These are examples of branding, whether or not they were intended.

Design elements and style of communication combine to create a certain impression, which should align with your branding strategy.

Consistency is the key to effective branding. Maybe you manage your own Facebook, the hygienist writes the newsletter, 22

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the office manager handles public relations, and a marketing company maintains your website. Each party is likely to have different writing styles and design preferences.

Therefore, one piece of content might not resemble the next.

A brand identity guide keeps everyone “on the same page,” giving your practice a consistent and distinct personality. Depending on the size of your practice and complexity of your marketing strategy, this may range from a simple memo to a lengthy publication.

Choose elements that reflect your brand message. For example, bright primary colors, fun fonts, and a casual writing style would be appropriate for a family dentist, whereas a high-end spa-style practice should choose something subtler and more elegant.

Step 4: Implement and analyze Where should your brand identity be used? Everywhere! The ultimate goal is brand awareness. You want people to know who you are, what you do, and how well you do it.

• Use consistent color and design schemes throughout your website, newsletters, patient publications, in-office signage, forms, and practice letterhead • Articles, videos, and advertisements created by your practice should communicate the brand message • Work with social media influencers whose personal brand aligns with your practice branding • Create sharable social media content, branded with your logo

The final step in branding your dental or medical practice is analyzing the results. Monitor your reputation, pay attention to patient feedback, and adjust your strategy accordingly.  About the Author: Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete internet marketing company that focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education, and the online reputations of dentists and physicians. With a team of 180+ full time marketers, www.ekwa.com helps doctors who know where they want to go, get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call 855-598-3320 to speak one-on-one with Naren.

features

Great Customer Service Makes All the Difference to Your Dental Practice’s Patients

Health Care Professional Experiences “Sparkling Service” During Her Out-of-Town Dilemma

By Denise Price Thomas After a great flight and taxi ride to the hotel, I was excited to put the finishing touches on my presentation for the health care conference the following day. I found a nice quiet spot to review my notes and get into my “zone” as I call it.

All done. I felt ready to present the program the next day and was looking forward to meeting new friends. My topic was to address experiences that were most important in the world of customer service in a hospital / health care setting. It would have been fantastic had it been a dental conference, you will soon understand why.

Entering the “sleepy zone” I had begun to prepare for bedtime. All of a sudden while brushing my teeth, “was that popcorn?” I wondered…..but I haven’t 24

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had any popcorn! Please, oh please, tell me it isn’t what I think. I was afraid to even look in the mirror!

I showered first….shedding tears from behind the curtain with just the thoughts of what was about to be discovered.

Once out of the shower, I finally found enough courage to look in the mirror. Then I had to find the courage to turn the light on and look in the mirror again. Weak in my knees…it was just as I had thought.....my tooth! My left lateral incisor (my CLOSE ENOUGH TO THE FRONT TOOTH!) had broken off! How could this happen? I’m out of town, speaking at a health care conference the following day and I was thinking, “Why couldn’t this one be a DENTAL conference?”

For my presentations, I am known to use lots of humor while getting some serious points across so, if it were a dental conference, I could see me going up to the podium with a missing front tooth, they would NEVER forget that entrance. Some people go to great lengths to make a great first impression, I am one who will. That would top them all.

I literally cried myself to sleep, not knowing where to turn. I awakened hours before the sun began to shine and as soon as I could, I was making calls.

I called the concierge and they gave me several dentists names and numbers to try. The answering services that I had reached had NOT been trained in compassion, customer service or care, they didn’t even LISTEN! Oh how I WISHED they would be attending

my session of the conference!

Finally with the 11th number I had dialed, I reached a person, a real person, answering the phone.

She listened to my story and could detect the fear and anxiousness in my voice. She didn’t rush me, she was quietly taking it all in. After hearing my story, she responded with, “I am just so sorry this has happened to you. I can imagine that you would be a little afraid, being out of town and knowing no one.” I said, “Mam, you are correct about everything except for one thing….I am not a little afraid…..I am AFRAID BIGTIME!” She asked if I could hold on just for a moment, she wanted to check with the dentist. continued on page 26

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She quickly returned to the phone to tell me that he would see me as soon as I could get there. Knowing I was expected at the conference at 1:00, I was upset, I needed to hurry. I could not stand the thought of someone riding in the car with me, the “snaggletooth speaker.” My personality is such that I speak with and smile at everyone. That morning, I practiced smiling with my lips closed. I decided to call for a limo, not wanting to take a chance on others riding along. I didn’t want to have to explain. Now just who do you know that takes a limo to the dentist?

A very nice limo driver arrived in a sparkling clean black limo, I felt as though I was headed to the morgue. I smiled with my lips closed and my hand in front of my mouth as I talked with him, explaining what had happened just so he would know we were headed to the dentist vs. the funeral home. Before arriving at the dentist, we were friends….I even revealed my “toothless speaker” face to him in the parking lot! Walking up to the front door, knowing nothing about the dentist other than the exceptional customer service I had received by the “girl at the front desk” and I was finally there! There were beautiful urns and flowers by the doorway, a nice clean lobby and I was greeted by a wonderful smile from the “girl at the front desk” who had all of her teeth!

She was very aware of my embarrassment, so as soon as I had completed the necessary paperwork, she brought me around to another room.

I didn’t want to open my mouth, I was just so humiliated and embarrassed but when the dentist arrived, I knew I was in the right place. He was kind, very patient with me, told me exactly what he could do and said he would get me “up and running my mouth in no time”. And he did just that. I was able to make jokes about it myself, however I noticed they did not. They would smile with me but they were encouraging me all the way.

As I was leaving, I was no longer embarrassed to talk to everyone and you will never believe what I learned. The “girl at the front desk” was the dentist’s wife. They were closed that day, but a patient of theirs had a problem and they had opened the office just for that patient, meeting them there early. I had called while the dentist was seeing that patient. She explained the situation and asked him if he would see 26

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me. They had planned to meet their builder at their house but they called to see if he could meet them at their office. Recap…they were closed that day, they saw their patient with a problem and gained a new patient (and I didn’t even live there!) They rescheduled a meeting with their personal builder to meet in their office vs. their home just so that they could stay in the office to help me. They listened, they truly cared and they delivered “Sparkling Service!” They literally put a smile on my face.

This story is a great reminder of just how important it is to always treat people the right way. The way that you would hope to be treated if and when you or your family member is out of town and in need of assistance. Kindness cost nothing and it is very contagious. This is a first-hand encounter that illustrated to me the best way to teach customer service is to experience it and then to live it daily.

Their kindness, compassion and willingness to see me, along with excellent workmanship will always be remembered, and practiced, by me. The tooth is still intact and just like the dentist said….I’m “up and running my mouth every day!” 

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Professional Listing In addition to the benefits in the standard listing our Professional Listing affords you access to services provided by our expert legal and marketing team and a Bizscore Practice Valuation. This valuation compares your practice with other practices in your area, provides projections and determines what your practice is worth.

Visit us today at www.medicalpracticelistings.com to learn more.

919.848.4202 | medicalpracticelistings.com

features

THREE DIMENSIONS OF DENTAL PRACTICE COHESION

By Nick Hernandez, MBA, FACHE CEO and Founder of ABISA

Cohesion is the intense bonding of employees, strengthened over time, that results in absolute trust. It is characterized by the subordination of self and an intuitive understanding of the collective actions of your dental practice and of the importance of teamwork, resulting in increased productivity. Cohesion is achieved by fostering positive peer pressure and reinforcing your practice’s core values. Cohesion provides practice staff with supportive relationships that buffer stress and increases their ability to accomplish the mission or 28

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task. Strong staff cohesion results in increased productivity and the achievement of greater successes.

There are three dimensions of cohesion: individual morale, confidence in the dental practice’s capability, and confidence in practice leaders. In combination, these dimensions dramatically affect the effectiveness of your practice.

1. Individual Morale Unhappy employees can be detrimental to your dental practice.

Not only are they less productive and absent more, if they end up walking out the door, you’ll be paying the price for months or years to come. Turnover costs are estimated to be from 30 percent of annual salary for an entrylevel employee up to 400 percent of annual salary for a high-level employee. As a leader, you must know your staff and look out for their welfare. Leaders who understand that morale, only morale, will bring success are more likely to keep morale high among employees. Morale is the level of

enthusiasm, confidence, loyalty, and satisfaction within a practice, and it has been widely recognized as having direct ties to productivity.

Every person contributes to the collective morale of their practice.

A high state of morale, in turn, enhances practice cohesion and productivity.

2. Confidence in the Practice’s Capability Dental staff members’ confidence in their practice’s effectiveness is gained through training. The

longer employees work and train together in a practice, the more effective they become and the more confident they are in their practice’s capabilities. They know what their practice can do because they have worked together before. Keeping staff members together through practice cohesion is a workforce multiplier. Success in healthcare can be directly attributed to a practice’s overall confidence in its level of performance. Of course, the opposite holds true; lack of cohesion, lack of confidence, and poor performance preordain a practice’s failure. Practices that have experienced workforce reductions through downsizing, restructuring, or a merger place extremely high expectations on the remaining workforce. Restoring selfconfidence to face the impending challenges is critical to meet organizational demands. Another key to confidence is transparency in communication. Keep employees informed right away; as soon as there is a whiff of something coming down the pipeline, employees need to know about it.

Also, keep communications going both ways by collecting feedback at meetings and having department heads collect suggestions and ideas from their people.

3. Confidence in Practice Leaders The issue of confidence in the workplace can make or break a practice’s culture. No confidence means a hostile, toxic work environment where productivity is severely limited. No confidence also means an environment where people are not living up to the standards of physician owners.

Confidence in practice leaders’ abilities is earned as staff members spend time in the company of their supervisors and learn to trust them. Practice leaders must earn the respect of their staff, and doing so takes time. As staff members develop confidence, based on their prior achievements, in their practice’s ability to accomplish tasks, they also develop confidence in their leaders as they work and train together.

In order to earn confidence, the leadership needs to fulfill their obligations and commitments.

Promises and good intentions are not enough; confidence requires competent performance that fulfills expectations.

Practices with open cultures, where information is easy to obtain and communication flows regularly between leadership and employees, allow strong teams to grow and thrive. Practices that lack two-way communication between managers and employees will also lack cohesion. As cohesion increases, team communication continues to grow and thrive.

But, team cohesion is not possible without trust, and trust is a trait that must be present among team members, between team members and their manager, and between the team and practice leadership.

Ardant du Picq, a French Army officer and military theorist of the mid-nineteenth century, perhaps summed up the need for cohesion best. “Pride exists only among people who know each other well, who have esprit de corps, and company spirit. There is a necessity for an organization that renders unity possible by creating the real individuality of the company.” 

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features

5 Reasons Content Marketing Is Key to Your Dental Practice

By Barbara Hales, M.D. www.TheMedicalStrategist.com

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Dentists have started health marketing relatively late in the game and quite rightly wonder whether there is merit to the type of time and energy they are putting in to strengthen their brand, attract new patients and exert their authority.

This thought is being considered in every office across the country. Why not be the one who makes use of it successfully and stands out in the crowd?!

Quality Content Fills the Cavity Did you know that content marketing is actually less expensive than traditional marketing? Just think of the money you spent on mailers that go into people’s homes and into their trash!

According to a study by DemandMetric, “The quality of work does not always correspond to the cash on hand.

The difference? Great content trumps the size of a budget every time, and that comes when we blaze new trails, take leaps, and meet our audience where they are.”

5 Statistics that Highlight Successful Content Marketing 1. Mobile vs. Desktop Studies show that viewers read from their mobile devices by more than 42% to 51% as compared to a desktop.

(From SmartInsights).

Providing a consumer-friendly and efficient mobile experience for viewers gives you a leg up on your competitors who are failing to do so. The thing is, having your content creation formatted in a mobile-friendly way is neither difficult nor costly. The thing is, the format is not the same for both. Check out your content on a mobile device to see how it looks before losing your viewership.

2. Short vs. Long Copy According to studies by SearchMetrics, the average word count of Google’s top ranking content is 1,140 – 1,285 words. SearchMetrics points out that “the importance of quality, relevant content cannot be understated.”

Long-form content is one way to create engaging informative and relevant content for your viewers and followers.

With all the health information now online, viewers and prospective patients want to arrive at a site that gives the whole picture of the topic they are searching for where all their questions are answered and the topic is covered in depth including the latest breakthrough news. A long-form guide accomplishes this. Just bear in mind that your content should be in sync with the services you provide.

3. Importance of Blogging Unlike just a few years ago, dentists are joining the rest of the public in blogging.

Shockingly, there are 2 million blogs posted every day according to MarketingProfs. So it’s no longer effective to just post anything and everything that comes to mind or what you did socially.

In order to get patients to your site and attract prospective readers over your colleagues, you must be relevant, in sync with your field and your services and engaging. Remember, it may be easy to create content, but to create content that stands out so that you can dominate your blogosphere world, is not easy without effort. However, putting in the effort will be worth it, bringing in new patients, growing your practice and increasing your revenue.

4. Curate Your Content It is not easy to be creative consistently. This is where curation comes in. According to Curata, “82% of companies with over 600 marketers, have a specific process in place for repurposing content.” continued on page 32 MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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By repurposing content, you can get the maximum use out of the content that you have already created.

Taking a topic that is trending and writing a long form blog guide will also give you enough information to produce an ebook as a premium or bonus for a call-toaction like signing up for blogs or newsletters (which then enables you to include them into your evergrowing database). Consider also using it for video marketing, audios, info graphics, white papers and social media.

According to the SocialMediaExaminer “68% of business-to-business marketers and business to consumer marketers use blogging in their social media marketing.” Their studies reveal that this content actually ranked higher than both podcasting and video marketing - Good news for those that are not skilled in creating them.

Content marketing needs relevancy and in-depth information to strengthen you and your practice as a brand. Figure out what your patients want and give it to them - it’s that easy. After working with patients daily and weekly, you must have a good idea of what problems and questions they are struggling with. By giving them the solutions to these problems, you will be their hero!

5. Video Marketing As health marketing becomes more sophisticated, new ways are constantly being added to attract prospective patients to grow a practice along with maintaining current patients.

Videos have been a great method of differentiating one practice and website from all others in their field. By watching a video, viewers can understand the scope of a dentist’s services, the way in which procedures are performed and why, or even what a patient may expect upon arriving at the dental office.

It is far more memorable than reading a description alone.

Creating small videos with a smart device still works well; it’s not necessary to spend a fortune on professionally shot videos.

Benefits of Videos: • Video sharing increases your visibility and audience (92% of mobile video users share videos with others) 32

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• Prospective patients are more likely to make an appointment with you rather than the dentist down the street (52% of consumers say that watching product videos makes them more confident in online purchase decisions) • Sharing is likely (70% of consumers say that they have shared a brand’s video) • As your video is shared, assuming it is engaging and captivating, those who view it will be more likely to check your practice out along with your website and make that appointment to consult with you.

A video of a webinar or an interview that you gave makes a great short video that highlights your services, and benefits, differentiating you from others in your field. Remember - “Perception is everything!”

Your Next Action If you’d like to get more active in content marketing but it is too time-consuming for you, no worries… outsource it! Contact Barbara@TheMedicalStrategist. com and we can discuss your needs, customizing a stellar marketing program for you. 

The Write Treatment

Ezines and NewslettersCost Effective Powerful Tools • Drive traffic to your business website • Build relationships between yourself and patients • Get new patients • Announce a new service or product • Give great impact Have you got a newsletter yet or want to spread a message?

Contact Barbara Hales, M.D. for a free consultation.

Barbara@TheWriteTreatment.com 516-647-3002

Practices for Sale Medical Practices Pediatric Practice Near Raleigh, NC Location: South of Raleigh, North Carolina List Price: $145,000 Gross Yearly Income: $350,000 Year Established: 1980(s) Average Patients per Day: 16 to 22 Total Exam Rooms: 5 Building Owned/Leased: Owned. Will sell or lease.

Contact: Philip or Marisa at 919-848-4202

Orthopedic Practice Serving Eastern NC Location: Eastern NC List Price: $135,000 Equipment: X-ray Total Exam Rooms: 3 Average Patients per Day: 10 to 15 Contact: Philip or Marisa at 919-848-4202

Urgent Care in Raleigh/Garner, NC Location: Serving Raleigh/Garner NC Average Patients per Day: 25 to 30 patients Total Exam Rooms: 4 List Price: $200,000 Contact: Philip or Marisa at 919-848-4202

Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Practice in Eastern NC Years Operating: 11 years Average Patients per Day: 15 to 18 Gross Yearly Income for Gastroenterology: $625,000 Gross Yearly Income for Endoscopy: $900,000 Combined Gross Yearly Income: $1,525,000 Building Asking Price: $1,700,000 List Price for Combined Practices: Check back as practice is being valuated Contact: Philip or Marisa at 919-848-4202

Virginia Pediatric Practice Years Operating: 2 years Location: Serving Alexandria, Annandale, Springfield, Newington, Franconia, VA Average Patients per Day: 14 to 16 patients Gross Yearly Income: $200,000 Total Exam Rooms: 6 Square Footage: 3,245 sq. ft.

Building: Leased or Purchased for $1,200,000 List Price: $125,000 Contact: Philip or Marisa at 919-848-4202

Urgent Care in Raleigh/Cary/Apex, NC Location: Serving Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay Varina, Brier Creek and South Point Mall Average Patients per Day: 28 to 30 patients Equipment: X-Ray Total Exam Rooms: 6 List Price: $260,000 Contact: Philip or Marisa at 919-848-4202

Special Listings Offer We are offering our “For Sale By Owner� package at a special rate. With a 6 month agreement, you receive 3 months free.

Considering your practice options? Call us today.

MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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What’s your practice worth?

When most doctors are asked what their practice is worth, the answer is usually, “I don’t know.”

Doctors can tell you what their practices made or lost last year, but few actually know what it’s worth.

In today’s world, expenses are rising and profits are being squeezed. A BizScore Performance Review will provide details regarding liquidity, profits & profit margins, sales, borrowing and assets.

Our three signature sections include:  Performance review  Valuation  Projections

Scan this QR code with your smart phone to learn more.

919.846.4747 bizscorevaluation.com

Pediatrics Practice Wanted Pediatrics Practice Wanted in NC Considering your options regarding your pediatric practice? We can help. Medical Practice Listings has a well qualified buyer for a pediatric practice anywhere in central North Carolina.

Contact us today to discuss your options confidentially.

Medical Practice Listings Call 919-848-4202 or e-mail medlistings@gmail.com www.medicalpracticelistings.com

Primary Care Practice For Sale in Wilmington, NC

CALLING ALL WRITERS

Established primary care on the coast of North Carolina’s beautiful beaches. Fully staffed with MD’s and PA’s to treat both appointment and walk-in patients. Excellent exam room layout, equipment and visibility.

Contact Medical Practice Listings for more information.

Are you educated in the medical and health care field and looking to showcase your exceptional writing skills?

Med Monthly

To become a contributing writer in Med Monthly magazine, please contact us at medmedia9@gmail.com

Editorial Calendar: March - Travel Nurses and Doctors April - The Business of Medicine

Medical Practice Listings

919.848.4202 | medlistings@gmail.com www.medicalpracticelistings.com MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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MODERN

Urgent Care

MD STAFFING AGENCY FOR SALE IN NORTH CAROLINA The perfect opportunity for anyone who wants to purchase an established business.

Serving Raleigh, Cary, Apex, Holly Springs, Fuquay Varina, Brier Creek and South Point Mall areas.

This is certainly one of the most consistently utilized practices serving a large demographic area. 6 exam or procedure rooms, 1 X-Ray in a well appointed and nicely designed practice. Averaging 28 to 30 patients per day, year round and open 365 days per year. The staff includes two providers and full experienced staff to include X-Ray personal. The gross revenues of this practice exceeds one million two hundred thousand yearly. Priced at $260,000.

Call 919-848-4202 or e-mail medlistings@gmail.com www.medicalpracticelistings.com

l One

of the oldest Locums companies client list l Dozens of MDs under contract l Executive office setting l Modern computers and equipment l Revenue over a million per year l Retiring owner l Large

Please direct all correspondence to driverphilip@gmail.com.

Only serious, qualified inquirers.

PEDIATRIC PRACTICE WANTED

Areas of Consideration; Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill, Holy Springs, Apex, Morrisville, Pittsboro and Fuquay Varina

Physician Solutions is working with a well qualified Pediatrician to find a Pediatric Practice to purchase. If you would like to discuss your practice options, confidentially of course, contact me. The doctor we are working with is looking to purchase a practice within the next few months. If you have a friend or colleague that has mentioned selling their Pediatric practice, I would appreciate your referral.

Contact Philip Driver at 919-845-0054 or email medlistings@gmail.com 36

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PHYSICIANS NEEDED: Mental health facility in Eastern North Carolina seeks: PA/FT ongoing, start immediately Physician Assistant needed to work with physicians to provide primary care for resident patients. FT ongoing 8a-5p. Limited inpatient call is required. The position is responsible for performing history and physicals of patients on admission, annual physicals, dictate discharge summaries, sick call on unit assigned, suture minor lacerations, prescribe medications and order lab work. Works 8 hour shifts Monday through Friday with some extended work on rotating basis required. It is a 24 hour in-patient facility that serves adolescent, adult and geriatric patients.

FT ongoing Medical Director, start immediately The Director of Medical Services is responsible for ensuring all patients receive quality medical care. The director supervises medical physicians and physician extenders. The Director of Medical Services also provides guidance to the following service areas: Dental Clinic, X-Ray Department, Laboratory Services, Infection Control, Speech/Language Services, Employee Health,

Pharmacy Department, Physical Therapy and Telemedicine. The Medical Director reports directly to the Clinical Director. The position will manage and participate in direct patient care as required; maintain and participate in an on-call schedule ensuring that a physician is always available to hospitalized patients; and maintain privileges of medical staff.

Permanent Psychiatrist needed FT, start immediately An accredited State Psychiatric Hospital serving the eastern region of North Carolina, is recruiting for permanent full-time Psychiatrist. The 24 hour in-patient facility serves adolescent, adult and geriatric patients. The psychiatrist will serve as a team leader for multi-disciplinary team to ensure quality patient care/treatment. Responsibilities include:

evaluation of patient on admission and development of a comprehensive treatment plan, serve on medical staff committees, complete court papers, documentation of patient progress in medical record, education of patients/families, provision of educational groups for patients.

Send copies of your CV, NC medical license, DEA certificate and NPI certificate with number to Physician Solutions for immediate consideration. Physician Solutions, P.O. Box 98313, Raleigh, NC 27624 PH: (919) 845-0054 | email: physiciansolutions@gmail.com

North Carolina Dentist Opportunities

We have several qualified MDs seeking established Urgent Care Practices in North Carolina.

Urgent Care Practices Wanted

Physician Solutions currently has the following positions available: l Wilson

Practice – General Dentist Full-time, Monday – Fridays – Full-time Dentists (2) Positions l Henderson – Part-time Pediatric Dentist (DDS/DMD), Thursdays and every other Monday l Washington/Williamston

Top wages, professional liability insurance and accommodations provided. Please contact Physican Solutions at 919-845-0054 or physiciansolutions@gmail.com

If you have an urgent care practice and would like to explore your selling options, please contact us. Your call will be handled confidentially and we always put together win-win solutions for the seller and buyer.

Call Medical Practice Listings today and ask for Philip Driver 919-848-4202.

MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Practice for Sale This large and modern practice has been serving Eastern North Carolina for over 11 years including Goldsboro, Kinston, New Bern, Greenville, New Bern and Jacksonville. The building that houses this practice is a stand-alone with spacious parking and outstanding street appeal. The full time staff consists of 15 to 18 clerical and nurse staffers. Fully equipped and furnished with G-Med EMR system in place. CON in place and transfers with the practice ownership. The owning physician is moving out of the area and is selling the practice as well as the building.

Gross Yearly Income for the Gastroenterology: $625,000 Gross Yearly Income for the Endoscopy: $900,000 Combined Gross Yearly Income: $1,525,000 Building Asking Price: $1,700,000 List Price for Combined Practices: Check back as practice is being valuated

MedicalPracticeListings.com | medlisting@gmail.com | 919-848-4202

Pediatric Practice Available Near Raleigh, NC

Pediatric practice located minutes south of Raleigh, North Carolina is now listed for sale. Located in an excellent area convenient to Raleigh, Cary, and Durham, it is surrounded by a strong health care community. This is a well established practice with a very solid patient base. The building is equipped with a private doctor’s office, five exam rooms, and an in-house lab.

Urgent Care serving the South Raleigh and Garner, NC area Established practice averaging 25 to 30 patients per day, year round. Open 7 days a week with two providers and established staff members. 4 exam rooms, 1 procedure room and 1 lab-phlebotomy room.

This is a very well laid out and attractive practice in a heavily traveled area with excellent parking. Gross revenues of about one million per year and positioned for continued growth. Priced at $200,000.

Established: 1980s l Gross Yearly Income: $350,000 Average Patients per Day: 16 to 22 l List Price: $145,000

Call 919-848-4202 or e-mail medlistings@gmail.com www.medicalpracticelistings.com 38

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Medical Practice Listings Call 919-848-4202 or e-mail medlistings@gmail.com www.medicalpracticelistings.com

Orthopedic Practice serving Eastern NC, minutes from the Atlantic Ocean

PSYCHIATRIST PRACTICE LOCATED IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA Orthopedic practice for sale on the coast of North Carolina, established with a solid patient base. The demographics for this practice are excellent and the location impressive. This newly listed practice is fully furnished, staffed and ready for a fresh face to see orthopedic patients in this beautiful part of North Carolina. The ingredients for success have been established and the owning doctor is willing to stay with you for a reasonable time to assure a smooth transfer of care. This is the perfect practice to add on to your existing practice as a satellite or to make it your main orthopedic practice. Includes X-Ray, 3 exam rooms and could be easily converted into an urgent care.

Average Orthopedic Patients per Day: 10 to 15

l

Located in Charlottesville in a professional business community, this well established psychiatry practice offers a comfortable therapeutic setting with easy access to street level entry and parking. This shared transitional suite comprises approximately 1,129 square foot including; large clinician office, patient waiting area, two-bathrooms, storage supply room, kitchen and reception & greeting areas. There are a total of 435 active patients; sees an average of 14 patients per day.

List Price: $135,000

Contact Philip or Danielle at 919-848-4202 or email medlistings@gmail.com

Contact Philip or Danielle at 919-848-4202 or email medlistings@gmail.com

VIRGINIA PEDIATRIC PRACTICE AVAILABLE -

Serving Alexandria, Annandale, Springfield, Newington, Franconia and surrounding areas Pediatric practice listed in a beautiful part of Virginia. Surrounded by medical providers and services; radiology, pharmacy, lab & dentist to name a few. Treating 14 to 16 patients on average daily and growing. The gross yearly revenue is $200,000 for this two year old practice and it is realizing steady growth and patient volume. This beautiful practice condo has 6 exam rooms, two doctor offices, a large procedure room, manager suite and lots of storage in this 3,245 sq. ft. practice.

You will find this practice to be well designed, modern and tastefully appointed.

The numbers: Practice Price is $125,000 and the building can be leased or purchased for $1,200,000.

Contact Physician Solutions today at (919) 845-0054 to discuss this practice opportunity, confidentially of course.

MedicalPracticeListings.com | medlisting@gmail.com | 919-848-4202 MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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Physician Solutions, Inc. Medical & Dental Staffing Physician Solutions is now hiring doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners in North Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. We can help match you with medical opportunities that fit your professional and personal goals.

Ongoing and intermittent shifts are available, as well as permanent placement.

Physician Solutions, Inc. P.O. Box 98313 Raleigh, NC 27624 phone: 919-845-0054 fax: 919-845-1947 www.physiciansolutions.com physiciansolutions@gmail.com

Scan this QR code with your smartphone to learn more.