Monthly Archives: August 2014

Regular Meetings Are A Part Of A Healthy Team

At APM, we want to make sure we are walking our talk. For the same reasons that we suggest that dental offices need to meet regularly as a team, we do the same.

Especially since we are rarely ever at the same place at one time, each quarter we meet for a morning to review our progress (both as a company as well as individually), update each other on developments in our respective areas, and set goals for the next quarter. At the end of the calendar year, we run the same drill. Then, in the afternoon we go out and do something fun.

Last Friday, we had our quarterly APM team meeting. (Unfortunately, Robyn as not able to join us.) We worked hard in the morning reviewing, sharing, brainstorming and planning. We also had a photographer, come and update our team photos for our website. (Many of our clients know John Magnoski because they have had John come out to take their team photos, too. For more examples of John’s work, click here.) Then, once the work was done, we went out for an afternoon of croquet and a nice lunch (Thank you, Bill and Matt!).

APM Team MeetingAPM Croquet

 

(To see more fun pictures from our day, visit our Facebook page or our Google+ page.)

Morning Huddles Set Your Team Up For Successful Days

For many dental teams, morning huddles are an important part of the daily routine. We recommend that you consider meeting at the start of each day if possible. Having the chance to look together at your schedule and plan ahead for potential sticky spots, as well as to communicate about individual patients’ needs prepares you for having smoother days and ultimately happier teams.

Each member of the team should come prepared to contribute:

Clinical Assistants

  • Review your patients’ charts for the day. Do they need pre-medication? Any bleeding disorders? Allergies? Is the scheduled time for treatment accurate? Are there future appointments scheduled? Have financial arrangements been made? Is there incomplete treatment?
  • Review the next two days’ schedules and provide recommendations to the Scheduling Coordinator in regard to special trays and study model impressions.
  • Identify potential bottlenecks in the schedule.

Hygienists

  • Review your patients’ charts for the day. Does anyone need pre-medication? Any bleeding disorders? Allergies? Is the scheduled time for treatment accurate? Are there future appointments scheduled? Have financial arrangements been made? Is there incomplete treatment?
  • For each patient, share with the team when their last appointment was. Do they have past due family members? Any incomplete treatment? Are they a good candidates for using the digital camera?
  • Make sure the Doctor knows if they have or have not met the patient before and give them and a piece of personal information to jog their memory or for a conversation-starter.

Financial Coordinator

  • Are there any problem accounts coming in that day?
  • Are there financial conversations that need to occur that day?

Schedule Coordinator

  • Report on the day’s hygiene schedule.
  • Are there new patients coming in? What information can you share about them?
  • Are there M.A. patients coming in that day?
  • Are there any emergency patients that have been put in the schedule?
  • Ask the Doctor(s) where they want emergencies to be scheduled that day?

Would You Like To Learn More?

If you would like more information about making your team meetings more effective or about morning huddles specifically, email us or give us a call at (952) 921-3360. We are here to help you and your team succeed.