,Dental practices can maximize their patient visits and get back to what matters most with this automated patient communication system,
,Essential worker. Nonessential worker. In the past year and a half, we’ve all heard these terms thrown around callously as we try to distinguish which jobs matter more than others. Which employees are important enough to be deemed essential., ,Brandi Hooker Evans, RDH-ER, MHE, has pondered this herself. “We’ve put questions and doubts into people’s heads,” she noted. “We’ve made them think, ‘Is what I’m contributing to society worth it? Am I needed?’”, ,When dental offices shut down as the pandemic quickly gained traction, some team members found themselves laid off and out of work. Now, the question is, why are practices unable to rebuild their staff after offices reopened?, ,“Whether or not you were deemed an essential worker, every single human had to decide, ‘Am I needed?’” said Evans. “Meanwhile, our patients needed us and were not getting the care that they required. It doesn’t matter if we sell lemonade on the street corner or if we assist with a temporary crown at a dental office, our contributions are needed.”, , ,
, ,“A huge benefit of Lighthouse 360 is that it keeps the schedule full for the back office. They’re able to focus on patient care, which we’ve found increases job satisfaction, resulting in better patient interactions.”,– Brandi Hooker Evans, RDH-ER, MHE, , , ,Additionally, stress levels are high for team members due to concerns about whether or not they’re safe at work. As a result, people are staying home, and the people that do show up to work are working that much harder because they’re juggling a heavier load with fewer team members on staff. Together, these issues create the perfect storm for burnt-out and disgruntled employees., ,So, what should you do? According to Evans, one of the biggest ways to prevent losing valuable staff members is to make sure that every employee knows that they are appreciated, valued, and essential to the daily functioning of the office., ,While dental offices work to replenish their staff, Lighthouse 360 helps lighten the workload. A powerful, easy-to-use patient communication system that helps dental practices grow and succeed, Lighthouse 360 becomes another valuable member of your team.,
,“My favorite way that Lighthouse helps the teams I work with and the office that I own is that it automates things that don’t necessarily need to be done by humans,” shared Evans. “I think that it’s important for people to realize that automating things can help make your work life easier and give you the opportunity to take a little personal break, but also to be mentally present for the people that are coming in, both your coworkers and the patients.”, ,You can use Lighthouse 360 to send appointment confirmations, reminders, recall messages, and even patient reactivation messages by email, text, or phone. Lighthouse 360 can also help you set up a Virtual Waiting Room for more efficient patient intake. New and existing patients can fill out paperwork easily on their smartphones, eliminating the need for paper forms., ,“The automated text reminders are incredibly helpful, and I particularly like when Lighthouse helps fill in canceled appointments,” shared Evans. “Basically, when there’s a cancellation, Lighthouse gives the front office a list of the 10 best candidates for that cancellation, which helps significantly narrow the search for how to fill the schedule.”, ,Lighthouse 360 takes a lot of tedious, menial tasks off the front office staff’s hands. It also gives the front office more time to interact with patients. “A huge benefit of Lighthouse 360 is that it keeps the schedule full for the back office,” said Evans. “They’re able to focus on patient care, which we’ve found increases job satisfaction, resulting in better patient interactions.”, ,Evans also added that since her team members are not constantly on the phone to confirm countless appointments, then when someone walks in the front door, they can greet them genuinely. “We’re seeing very tangible benefits,” she noted., ,As your practice begins to succeed in restoring your staff to its previous numbers, Lighthouse 360 can help with the next steps as well. Training a new employee with limited experience is easier when you use Lighthouse 360 software to automatically create a daily Front Desk Task List. Lighthouse 360 software automatically reviews patients scheduled for the upcoming day and scans for over 20 issues, such as outstanding payments or missing contact information. Team members need only to check the report to know what’s needed from each patient during their visit., ,“Lighthouse works so well because it is operated by people that are supporting education and patient care,” said Evans. “The folks there want to see happy, healthy office managers and dentists, and it’s very evident in every interaction that I’ve had with them, which is why I love working with them.”, ,Click here to try out a demo of Lighthouse 360 before implementing it in your practice.
