Practice Support Team: Focused on Your Success

Comprehensive Support, Practice-Boosting Results

Burkhart helps dentists grow their production and profits by providing expert-driven practice support and consulting services they need.

Burkhart’s Practice Support Team offers customized guidance from knowledgeable industry professionals.

When Dr. Jiaying Ren and her husband, Dr. Christopher Probst, purchased a practice about four years ago, they knew they couldn’t do it alone. The practice in Frisco, TX, just wasn’t in great shape—actually worse than they had realized when they decided to buy—and they quickly became overwhelmed.

They needed a set of outside eyes to really look at their systems, so they decided to hire a dental advisor. But the advisor seemed to go through the motions, not giving the husband-and-wife team the guidance they needed at a pace they could manage.

So, they decided to part ways with the advisor and look for another solution. That’s when they learned about Burkhart’s Practice Support Team.

Their Account Manager, Karen Glessner, told them about the Burkhart’s Practice Support Team and the various services offered, so they decided to give it a shot. The fact that it was free to them as a Supply Savings Guarantee customer made the decision a no-brainer.

Righting the Ship

“The support was comprehensive but also tailor-made to what we needed to look at the practice as a whole,” Dr. Ren said. “They looked at my fee schedule and gave me suggestions to build up systems in my front desk, an area I’m not trained in. They helped me fill in gaps in the areas I didn’t know much about.”

Back then, the front desk had a lot of issues. For starters, there were no clear job descriptions. Dr. Ren worked with the Practice Support Team to create the detailed job descriptions they needed to hire qualified team members who could help them grow the practice. With guidance from the Support Team, Dr. Ren went from two front-office team members to three and brought outsourced billing duties back in-house.

“It was scary to hire another person and make all those changes, because if you hire the wrong person and billing drops the ball, that’s basically like walking to the death of the practice,” Dr. Ren said.

“But Burkhart helped me set up exactly what I wanted each position to do and then create ads based on those job descriptions. They even helped me prepare for the interviews.”

Today, the various systems are set up exactly how the doctors want them, helping them run a successful $2 million-a-year practice.

Leave It to the Experts

Burkhart offers a variety of reports and analyses through its Practice Support Team, guiding dentists through large transformations or making small tweaks to bring in extra revenue.

Whether dentists have practice management questions or need advice on how to take their practice to the next level, the Practice Support Team is there, ready to provide guidance.

“Our goal is to enhance the practices Burkhart serves,” Practice Support Team Director Margaret Boyce-Cooley said. “We spend a lot of time doing research so we can provide relevant insight on best practices, analyzing different elements of practices to provide feedback, and listening to them about what they want for their practice, what their vision is, and helping them execute.”

 

Practice Support Team

Supply Savings Guarantee and Platinum level purchasing clients have access to various reports and analyses they can use to make practice improvements.

• Fee Analysis: Burkhart will run a report that tells you how your fees compare to others in your zip code. “Those fees are the bedrock of your overhead and profitability,” Boyce-Cooley said. They go over the results and make suggestions on how to fix any fees that don’t line up with the competition said Brenna Butler, the office manager in Dr. Osterkamp’s practice.
• Practice Analysis: This is a in-depth analysis that looks at practice variables including fees, treatment mix, hygiene, perio, new patients, Annual Patient Value, and crown-to-filling ratio.
• Associate Readiness Analysis: Many dentists who feel overworked and decide to hire an associate don’t actually have the volume needed to feed that associate, Boyce-Cooley said, so the associateship fails. Burkhart can perform an analysis to see if the practice can support another doctor and, if not, what can be done to ease the work burden. Coding Analysis Doctors may be losing money simply because they’re not coding correctly, Boyce-Cooley said. Making simple, ethical changes could bring in thousands of missing reimbursement dollars.
• Hygiene Analysis: Burkhart’s team will provide insights into your hygiene program, including where it is today and what it will take to improve it. “I had two goals with hygiene: fluoride acceptance and perio maintenance,” Dr. Ren said. “Two years later, they circled back and told me, ‘Doc, congrats on your growth with hygiene; there’s nothing more you can do in this department because you’ve done it all.’”
• Other Resources: Beyond the various reports, dentists also have access to a wealth of online resources—whether they’re Burkhart customers or not. Resources include webinars, articles, and templates. Burkhart also sends the Healthy Practice Newsletter to clients monthly. Articles are driven by customer questions, with topics such as recruiting and hiring tips, an explanation of new codes, and how to start moving away from the PPO model.

 

The Support You Need

The Practice Support Team conducts research and thorough analyses before providing insights, helping practices execute on their vision and thrive.

When Dr. James Osterkamp purchased his Boise, ID, practice in 2017, there was no question who his supplier would be. He had already worked with Burkhart as an associate and appreciated the level of service they offered and that personal touch they always provided.

As a first-time practice owner, Dr. Osterkamp knew he needed outside guidance, so he turned to Burkhart’s Practice Support Team. He asked them to review where his new practice stood and advise on what he needed to do to grow it.

“That initial assessment was pretty comprehensive. In fact, they gave me a whole binder’s worth of information and what I refer to as an on-boarding report with not just percentages and numbers, but also a lot of ideas on how to make improvements as time goes on,” Dr. Osterkamp said. “It wasn’t just a production and collections report; it looked at scheduling and things I hadn’t thought of that you can’t necessarily pull from practice management software.”

The Practice Support Team’s guidance set him up for success, giving him methods to improve scheduling and grow hygiene production.

He recently completed another assessment with Burkhart, this time using his own data. The goal, again, is to make changes that will lead to growth. This time, the team is looking at “more advanced” initiatives such as the fee schedule and how to move away from PPOs.

“The production numbers are there and there are no issues with collections, so the basics are under control,” Dr. Osterkamp said. “Now, it’s more, ‘How do we start to maximize what we have in front of us so we’re not so dependent on insurance companies moving forward?’”

No matter where dentists are in their careers or what issues their practice is facing, the Practice Support Team can provide the guidance needed to be successful. From fees to hygiene to overhead, the team provides comprehensive analysis and support tailored to the individual practice.

Many dentists are referred to the Practice Support Team by their Account Managers, who typically visit offices twice a month to check in and order supplies. Their focus is not only on helping dentists save money by getting them the best rates possible, but also helping them grow their revenue. Dr. Osterkamp’s Account Manager, Mallory Maurice, noted that if she sees dentists struggling with something the Practice Support Team can help with, she tells them about the free program and makes the introductions.

“Our Practice Support Team builds relationships with our clients,” Maurice said. “They’re all on a first-name basis, and they feel comfortable reaching out to the team if they have follow-up questions. That’s huge for a lot of these private practices.”

 

Today’s Hot Topics

PPOs are a chief pain point for dentists, as many are heavily contracted with fees that haven’t in-creased in years, Boyce-Cooley said. Dentists are working harder but paying themselves less, so having more control over how they’re contracted is top of mind right now, and an area of focus for Burkhart Dental Supply.

Through Burkhart’s PPO Impact Analysis, the Practice Support Team analyzes up to 10 contracted PPO fees. Dentists can see how much they’re losing as a result of their PPO participation with individual contracted providers and what percentage of revenue is with their patient base, Boyce-Cooley said. This allows them to make an educated decision about their PPO engagement.

Based on the report and advice from the Practice Support Team, dentists can determine which contracts are the least impactful to step away from. The team provides the verbiage for them to do so, which is what they’re currently working on with Dr. Osterkamp.

“A doctor with 23 contracts might say the goal is to be fee-for-service in 5 years,” Boyce-Cooley said.

“We can walk them through the process of how to gradually unwind contracts to become a true fee-for-service practice.”

Dr. Ren is also working with Burkhart to break away from the PPO model.

“I know a lot of consulting firms you can pay tens of thousands of dollars so they will help you get out of network, but when I talked to Burkhart, they said there are two things you have to consider first,” she said. “One, are your fees high enough? Because if they’re not, there’s no point in doing it anytime soon. And two, is your team strong enough? If not, let’s train your team first.”

Staffing, of course, is another pain point for dentists right now, with shortages making it difficult to find experienced, dependable team members. Many dentists have had to increase pay to attract high-quality hygienists and assistants, pinching them even more financially, Boyce-Cooley noted.

Through targeted job descriptions and guidance on the hiring process, the Burkhart Practice Support Team can help create a strong team of loyal employees who are ready to do their part to move the practice forward.

“The Practice Support Team provides a lot of resources for offices that may be short on staffing,” Maurice said. “I don’t think a day goes by that I don’t hear about staffing issues.”

 

Supply Savings Guarantee

Through the Supply Savings Guarantee, Burkhart Account Managers look at what practices are spending on consumable dental supplies and measure that number against their gross production, said Jerry Ritsema, Burkhart Regional Sales Manager. So, if an office produced $1 million in dentistry and spent $50,000 on dental supplies in a year, the overhead is 5%.

Burkhart promises to lower your annual supply costs below the determined percentage and if they don’t, they will write a check to cover the difference.

This helps Account Managers stay focused on saving practices money in various ways so they rarely have to write that check.

 

Getting Started

Dentists who aren’t working with Burkhart yet can schedule a lunch-and-learn to hear more about how the family-owned supply company can help you save money on supplies, service equipment, and get consulting support.

Current clients can be introduced by their Account Manager, contact the Practice Support Team directly at PracticeSupportTeam@BurkhartDental.com, or call 800.665.5323. They might just have a simple question, like where to find resources that can help the practice reduce cancellations, or they may want to set up one of the analyses the support group offers, Boyce-Cooley said.

Non-Burkhart clients have access to free online resources and can schedule an analysis for a fee (though Account Managers often set up a free fee analysis to show potential clients the value Burkhart provides).

All Practice Support Team analyses and consulting services are complimentary to Burkhart clients on the Supply Savings Guarantee.

“It’s such a great value. We guarantee that we’ll save them money in supplies and give them access to the Practice Support Team, who are experts in the business of dentistry, and it’s all free,” Maurice said. “And because we work with so many different offices, we have a wealth of resources and knowledge of what’s going on out in the world of dentistry.”

 

Why Work with Burkhart

While Dr. Ren wishes she had been better prepared for the challenges that came with buying an existing practice, she’s thankful she found Burkhart’s Practice Support Team. The team tailored its guidance to what her practice needed, focusing on filling in the gaps and teaching her what she didn’t know, rather than rushing through several issues before actually fixing anything.

Dr. Ren appreciates Burkhart’s personal touch and their approach to supply sales.

Her Account Manager simply orders what the practice needs; she may suggest equipment or services that could help her office thrive, but she’s never pushy. Everyone is great to work with and helpful, and that keeps Dr. Ren loyal to the family-owned supplier.

Dr. Osterkamp agrees and appreciates how personable and honest the team is. He never feels like they’re trying to sell him on this subscription or that product—they’re truly in it to help him succeed. And they don’t just drop reports off and say good luck; they’re there to answer any questions, whether it requires a quick email response or a detailed phone call.

“They don’t charge you extra fees for all this support. They want to see you be the best that you can be, not just send you a bill and collect a check each month,” Dr. Osterkamp said. “When you think about it, that’s pretty rare.”

 

 

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This article was written and originally published by Dental Product Shopper

Published in Catalyst – Q4 2024.

Category: Practice Consulting, Supply Savings Guarantee

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