Integrating Your First Associate

Thomas Snyder, DMD, MBA

For some of you, 2009 will be the year for you to recruit an associate either on a full-time or part-time basis.

When we discussed the tell-tale signs of saturation in prior columns, we emphasized the importance of adequate numbers of patients and a full schedule several months in advance. If you have met these criteria and are ready to start recruiting, here are a few tips to consider getting ready for your first associate.

1. Determine the number of patients to be assigned to the associate. If you are working full time, approximately 1,500 to 1,700 active patients are probably keeping you busy. Since those who are ready to recruit have an excess of patients above these numbers, we suggest that you first generate a master patient list. Now select between 1,500 to 1,700 patients to be considered as your primary patients. Next, take the difference between that master list and the selected group of patients and calculate the number of patients to be transferred to the new associate. We have found that an associate can accommodate between 200 to 250 patients per associate day. For example, let us assume you have 2,300 active patients. If you have identified your 1,700 primary patients, that leaves a balance of 600 to be assigned to your associate. In this instance, that equates to a 2 to 3 days per week associate schedule. In this example, you would recruit for a part-time associate. However, if you plan to reduce your schedule when the associate is hired, you would reduce the size of your primary patient base and transfer more patients to the associate, thus adding perhaps another day per week.

2. Staffing Requirements. We recommend that you assign your best dental assistant to your new associate so that he/she "learns the ropes" of your practice. This assistant, if employed for a while, may be familiar with many of the associate's assigned patients, and that can serve as a bridge in patient introduction. Your top assistant is also best qualified to judge the new doctor's patient communication and clinical management skills. We suggest that this assignment be maintained for the first one to three months, based on the skill and experience of your candidate.

3. Reactivation Hygiene. Saturated practices often experience retention problems. As a result, there may be many patients who have fallen out of their normal recall cycle. This offers an ideal opportunity for your associate to provide the hygiene reactivation appointment, which is an excellent way for the new doctor to meet his/her "new" patient. It also provides a better opportunity for casual conversation between the doctor and the patient. If any treatment is needed, the associate can complete it. The next hygiene appointment would be scheduled with a hygienist.

4. Scheduling Templates. Make sure you develop the associate's time units for procedures that are commensurate with his/her level of skill and expertise. There is nothing worse than having a reception room full of patients waiting to see their new doctor because proper time management has not been factored into the equation! Also, set realistic production goals based on the anticipated service mix of your new doctor. We typically set production goals of $800 up to $1,750 per day, based again on the associate's skill and experience. The template would include a certain number of daily reactivation appointments until that task is completed.

5. Develop a Marketing Plan. Make sure you tell your associate that although you may have a busy practice; expectations are that he/she will recruit new patients as well. To assist him/her in this effort, make sure that you:

• print business cards
  
• change the signage on your building (if feasible and cost effective)
  
• modify your brochure to include the associate's name, picture and bio
  
• edit your Web page
  
• write a feature in your next newsletter about your new associate to include professional qualifications and experience as well as personal information
  
• run an ad in the local newspaper if you employ external marketing strategies.