A new office manager brings new processes and new patients to an existing practice.
When she joined East End Dental in 2015, the first thing Mysti Lunsford realized was that this was going to be a comfortable laid-back office that would require a major effort to keep running smoothly. She was the new office manager, who came with a lot of perspectives from other practices. She would need to draw on all her experience, because as a staff of one person, she was responsible for everything from scheduling to billing.
Dr. John B. Downs opened his practice in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1986. His patients love him for his caring nature that makes them feel right at home. Some patients drive hours to his office, because they will only go to “The best dentist ever.” Dr Downs prides himself by the way he’s able to match his relaxed and friendly atmosphere with the highest-quality dental treatment possible. His fillings, veneers, crowns and other procedures make people look as good or better than what nature provided.
Change is Hard
Mysti quickly identified two big challenges. First, she was being swamped with manual tasks that she knew could be automated. “We were doing nothing with digital records,” she said. She spent her time managing papers, filing records, making phone calls to patients and working out issues with insurance companies.
Her second big challenge was convincing Dr. Downs that the office should move to a more automated system. This was not going to be an easy change. Dr. Downs was comfortable with the way the office was running. He was concerned about both the disruption of learning new skills and the cost. And money was tight. Mysti and Dr. Downs discussed making this change for the next two years.
Settling on the Right Solution
Mysti finally convinced Dr. Downs that the office needed to upgrade its software. East End Dental had been using practice management software, but it couldn’t handle digital records or patient communications. They could add these for several thousand dollars, but it still wouldn’t let them attach X-rays. They needed a system that was affordable and easy to use. They also needed to be able to add capabilities to the base software that would easily integrate with the system.
Mysti had experience using Easy Dental from Henry Schein One and included it among their options. After much discussion and consideration, Mysti and Dr. Downs decided that Easy Dental offered everything they were looking for: Patient communications, digital records, digital insurance submissions, and even a new website. They also chose the Easy Dental Complete Service Bundle, which included the ability to attach X-ray images.
Everyone is Happy
Mysti loves that she now has everything in one place, without all the manual work and piles of paper. She also likes that she has one number to call whenever she needs support, because, “I’m pretty much technology support around here,” she said. “Easy Dental is intuitive.” When the practice hired a new dental assistant, she was able to get up to speed in almost no time.
Dr. Downs is also happy that Easy Dental has given East End Dental a substantial financial boost. He especially likes the new capabilities it gives him in the operatory. Pictures from his intraoral camera display on the monitor with the patient’s chart. “It all comes up on the computer, and that shows the patient exactly what their treatment needs are, so that makes case acceptance easier” Dr. Downs said.
The new website that came in the bundle not only provides information about the practice such as hours, location and accepted insurance plans, it also lets patients schedule appointments, fill out forms and access their account. The website has also been a great source of new patients.
“Easy Dental is helping us get the practice to where we want it to be,” Dr. Downs said.
Working as a Team
We at Henry Schein One are happy that the doctor and office staff at East End Dental are working smoothly as a team with Easy Dental. If you would like to see how simple it is to take your practice where you want it to be with Easy Dental or add time-saving features to your existing Easy Dental platform, please contact us at www.EasyDental.com or 1-800-768-6464.
