Office Showcase
Espire Dental (Oklahoma City & Norman) By: Jim Spurgeon, DDS and Brett Leemaster, DDS As dentists dedicated to our local community in Norman, we never imagined we would join our office with a group dental practice. For some time now, we have noticed more and more offices changing ownership to corporate chains, and we had always fought against doing that. We did not want to become “production focused” or lose all that we have built over the past 30 years. At the beginning of COVID many things started to change in the dental industry, and we decided to investigate why so many practices were being purchased by corporate owners. Although we were not really interested in joining a dental group, we felt it would be prudent to at least learn more about the corporate world to help us compete more effectively. We met over Zoom with about 16 different group dental organizations. One of the 16, Espire Dental, stood out as being different than the rest. Espire Dental was looking for top-quality, high-end practices that give their patients a “Ritz Carlton” type of experience. Espire was the vision of three incredible dentists fighting against what group dentistry was, and shaping their organization into what group dentistry could be. For us, that aligned with our philosophy of providing elevated, quality clinical care while creating incredible patient experiences. Since joining Espire Dental in 2020, we have access to newer technology and a network of incredible Espire dentists— two of whom serve patients right here in Oklahoma City, Dr. Kevin Rykard and Dr. Greg Stewart. Not only are we clinically supported by our strong network of dentists, but we also have the support of an expert business team to allow us the time to focus on treating patients. What Sets Us Apart Every team member at Espire understands the team goal of creating an exceptional patient experience. We’re combining the world’s best dental care with inspired hospitality. We’re putting future-forward, cutting-edge technology into the hands of our very capable team, and giving them freedom from all the barriers, limitations and frustrations that keep them from focusing on their patients. That’s what the power of group dentistry can be. An “IDO” not a DSO As an “IDO”, an integrated dental organization, we are one group operating under one brand umbrella. We work together as a dynamic team across a network of locations to offer our patients access to the highest quality of dental care. Each practice receives business support from our Practice Support Center, Patient Care Center, and the network of other Espire dentists. It is invaluable to have like-minded dentists in the group for all to use as a resource for guidance and support. Doctor Led As a group working collectively toward one mission, the organization truly values the dentists’ knowledge and expertise to drive the excellent care our patients have come to expect. Our clinical director leadership model ensures care quality and continual development that drives progressive dentistry 38 journal | july/august 2022
throughout the organization. We continue to take our practice to the next level with the latest in dental techniques and advanced dental technologies. Equipping our practices with innovative technology such as CEREC machines, intraoral scanners, digital radiography equipment, and soft tissue lasers, allows us to provide the best treatment for our patients. Many of these tools are not available at other dental offices, but we believe prioritizing technology is an important way to demonstrate our commitment to providing patients with convenient and effective care. Culture First A distinct difference in Espire’s model is to fuel our success through outstanding employee culture. We put our employee experience first, because we believe that superior patient outcomes and practice results are the byproduct of this focus. During our daily morning huddles, we share WOW stories with one another and discuss the enormous impact we have on our patients’ confidence and wellbeing. When you love what you do, work doesn’t feel like work! We employ the best and brightest who put patient care above all else. Next Level Support Services When you spend your entire day providing dentistry to patients, the last thing you want to do at the end of the day is work in QuickBooks, post to social media, or struggle with all the tasks that go into the “business” of dentistry. Through financial, marketing, operations, and human resources support, Espire helps dentists like us get their lives back, because they take care of everything we don’t have time to do. Here are some of the ways that our support team continues to elevate the business of our practice: Recruiting, hiring, and onboarding of all positions (front office, clinical, and doctor) • Workplace safety • Team member training, engagement, and retention • Proven marketing strategy and initiatives that drive new patients • Support with AP, AR, and practice-level accounting • Insurance eligibility, benefits, and management of contracts • Preferred vendors, pricing, and access to leading technology and equipment • Operational support for day-to-day practice and schedule management
