Episode 19
Systems That Drive Success
How can a mentorship-driven approach create an orthodontic practice where both staff and patients thrive? Today, Lacie Ellis is joined by Melissa and Katelyn from Horsey Orthodontics to discuss how their leadership fosters a culture of teamwork and patient care. You don’t want to miss Melissa and Katelyn’s insights on digital marketing or the secret of hiring the right talent. Tune in for strategy-driven actionable insights on building efficiency and collaboration in the orthodontics industry.
IN THIS EPISODE:
- (00:00) Introduction
- (01:53) Inspire a positive culture by focusing on leadership and teamwork
- (03:37) Daily morning huddles can enhance collaboration and set daily expectations
- (05:44) Utilizing a clinical manager as your "air traffic control" to improve efficiency and maintain patient flow
- (09:00) A listener's question about the clinical and admin team getting along and how cross-training may help
- (13:56) A listener's question about involving the team members in marketing and events
- (17:02) Patients leave referrals because they are rewarded with giveaways and incentives
- (19:57) Hiring strategies and finding people who fit the team’s culture
- (28:27) Creating a family-like patient experience through personalized care
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Fostering a positive culture through leadership. Daily morning huddles can enhance teamwork and patient care in your orthodontic practice.
- Clinical managers are like your practice’s "air traffic control" because they oversee and manage patient flow, which can help improve efficiency in your office each day. Utilizing a templated schedule enhances efficiency and collaboration, resulting in seamless patient flow.
- Internal referrals for hiring, as well as digital marketing strategies such as social media and patient contests, enhance engagement for both patients and staff, thereby bolstering practice success.
RESOURCE LINKS:
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KEYWORDS: Orthodontics, Hiring Strategies, Teamwork, Digital, Marketing, Culture, Leadership, Mentorship, Patient Care, Collaboration, Communication, Efficiency, Hiring, Family Experience Orthodontic Practice, Clinical Manager, Admin. Team, Personalized Care, Clinical Manager, Cross-Training, Horsey Orthodontics, Positive Culture, Patient Flow, Patient Referrals, Referral Programs, Marketing, Events, Community Events
Transcript
[00:00:17] Lacie Ellis - Host: Welcome to Practice Talk, brought to you by people in practice where we specialize in digital marketing, website development, SEO, and so much more. I'm excited for today's discussion as we dig into the topic of systems that drive success with my two guests, Melissa and Katelyn. With over 23 years in the dental field, Melissa brings a comprehensive understanding of orthodontic operations starting at age 16.
[:[00:01:00] Katelyn has been a key member, of course, the orthodontics since 2014, starting as a clinical assistant. After her externship, her dedication and growth led her to the clinical manager and now the clinical director where she oversees the entire clinical team. Passionate about patient care and mentorship.
[:[00:01:36] Listener Q 1: Yes, thank you.
[:[00:01:54] Melissa: So, um, that's a really good question.
[:[00:02:34] So, um. Over the past couple of years we've worked really hard along with Dr. Ey as well on um, just making sure that our team members are happy, um, and just refining our protocols and, um, that that area as well. And just fine tuning a lot of stuff there.
[:[00:02:58] Do you do morning, I [00:03:00] assume like a morning meeting, quarterly meetings? Like kind of walk me through how you guys collaborate together. Because I think, I think that's the part people miss about culture, right? Is there, like, we are just gonna come in and be positive and always be happy and they forget that piece that like we have to actually talk to each other and like realize that we're all human and like, um.
[:[00:03:33] Melissa: Yes. So we do, we start every day with a morning huddle, um, and we, you know, all get together and each day is a little, looks a little different.
[:[00:04:07] Um, they, you know, we, you can only plan but so much, but they kind of know what to expect, what we're getting into, what we're looking forward to, that kind of stuff. Um, so I think it really starts the day off Great with that morning huddle because we're able to. Shout each other out and see each other smiling faces.
[:[00:04:47] So.
[:[00:05:08] Talking about work, and then part of that is like, oh, how's the baby? How's this? Like, did you get that door? Did your husband finally hang that door up? Um, and just being connected in a way that like. Fosters that, um, collaboration. I think that's really healthy and really important. So, Caitlin, as the clinical director, what is your strategy for staying on time?
[:[00:05:40] Katelyn: Yes. I feel like the key thing that helps us is each office location. We have a clinical manager and they don't particularly like see patients, they don't run a column. Um, they're more just kind of air traffic control.
[:[00:06:15] But you know, we've done it before where everyone's in a chair and you didn't have that air traffic control person. So I feel like. Switching to that strategy is what truly helped our patient flow. Um, we also do a templated schedule. Mm-hmm. So we also, you know, it's staggered. Like we try not to do too many bonding side by side where you're gonna need the doctor all at the same time.
[:[00:06:59] But I do [00:07:00] think the key factor in, you know, maintaining that patient flow is that clinical manager, um, you know, they're the ones. But the, it's their floor. It's literally their floor and they run it and they're the boss and you know, they keep everything running smoothly. But yeah, I think between the template and the clinical manager, um, those are probably our two key points that help us stay on time.
[:[00:07:44] Yeah. And he get, I worked for such a wonderful man for the longest time, but he loved to like, you know, they loved to dig in on the treatment, right? Like that's what they went to school for. That's their like. Jam they wanna shine and be like, this is [00:08:00] all my education. I'm gonna tell you in this 40 minute exam, and we're gonna pack it in there.
[:[00:08:32] I feel like they do work really well. And, and it comes down to, again, the people in charge, helping the doctor stay connected, but also the doctor like. Being mindful of it as well. Yeah. Like it can't all be on the air traffic controller. It has to be on, uh, the plane and where they're headed as well. Right.
[:[00:09:02] Listener Q 1: Do you have problems with the front and back office understanding each other and getting along?
[:[00:09:14] I've been able to really fine tune that, um, because, you know, it is hard during the day. You have your clinical team where they are working really hard together. They're on a tight schedule. They're wanting to make sure that the, the patients are getting the proper care. But then you also have the same thing with the admin team.
[:[00:09:55] Mm-hmm. Um. Katelyn and Amber do a really good job with making sure that [00:10:00] managers are constantly communicating together. They work really hard together as well as making sure that, um, what they're telling one set of managers, the other set of managers knows, and just rolling out, um, those protocols and any issues that we have, making sure that it is addressed right then and there so we don't.
[:[00:10:28] Lacie Ellis - Host: So it sounds like what I'm hearing is, again, it's your leads that are helping facilitate these conversations and keeping everybody in the loop. I think that is really smart.
[:[00:11:00] Um, there was some frustration that happened and I think the smartest thing that the doctor I worked for the longest finally did about it, was cross training. Mm-hmm. I started as a chairside clinical person and, um, he was like, all right. Tomorrow you're gonna be front desk. And I learned so much about the pressures of sitting up front and that not only does the patient need you, who's in front of you, but the phone's ringing on three lines and the doctor just asked you to print this letter out to go to a referring office.
[:[00:11:40] Melissa: sitting up front looking pretty.
[:[00:11:59] And [00:12:00] he even had front desk sit back in the clinic. They didn't do a lot of. You know, they, they were kind of the sterilization, uh, person for that day when we did cross training. But they got to see the pressures of all of the checklists you have to follow in the back and making sure that, um, not only are you letting the doctor know what's going on with treatment, but that you're letting the parents know what's going on and that you're doing what needs to be done for the patient without breaking a bracket and screwing up the whole schedule.
[:[00:12:48] Oh my gosh. She's not just a princess that sits all day. Um, but like she really, you know, they're working really hard in there to make a connection with a patient in a [00:13:00] very short amount of time. And if they don't, you know. Present the practice and the treatment plan in a way that the patient accepts. You know, we all don't have a job, so, right.
[:[00:13:22] Melissa: Yeah. Yeah.
[:[00:13:24] Melissa: Yeah, they do a, they do a good job. We have, we're very lucky. We have a really good team and you know, we couldn't do what we do without them, and it is just.
[:[00:13:44] Lacie Ellis - Host: Yes, I agree with that, David. That should be like above everybody's computer. You can't over communicate with me. No.
[:[00:13:52] Lacie Ellis - Host: Alright, so let's listen to our next question.
[:[00:14:05] Melissa: Yeah, so we, um, we have a marketing, a dedicated marketing coordinator. She actually is currently a maternity lead. Um, so Katelyn and I are jumping into us now. But no, we, our team loves to be in reels and, um, on Instagram, TikTok, they do a good job too of, um, getting, helping us get content for social media posts.
[:[00:14:48] So, um, you know. We always have a signup. It's never mandatory. It's always, you know, a volunteer. But they do get paid their hourly wage for those times too. [00:15:00] So, but they are, they're really good about helping and, and jumping in wherever we need help. Wherever the crazy, silly ideas go. Yeah.
[:[00:15:13] A pinch me kind of situation from what I hear from a lot of offices, because I hear all the time, like we've got a handful of ladies who don't wanna be on social media, and I'm like, great. They don't have to be in the pictures or in the reels or the tiktoks or anything, but they can help you find the, you know, the great patient who had a really.
[:[00:15:54] Coming up and guess what? There's nobody signed up to go and even the doctor doesn't wanna go. And so, [00:16:00] no. Um, then we ran into problems and we learned really quickly that we needed to find events that our team wanted to be at, because those are the events that our patients want to be at. You know, these like health fairs are fun.
[:[00:16:33] I am glad you guys have the dream team though, when you have none of those issues.
[:[00:16:53] Lacie Ellis - Host: Do you have a system in place for getting reviews or refer patient referrals that you guys feel like is really [00:17:00] working for you, that you would want to share?
[:[00:17:16] So we'll always run like competitions within the office mm-hmm. To get them, you know, because this can be awkward, like asking a patient like, Hey, leave us a five swab review. Like, that's really awkward. Or like, right now we're running a. October and September, like a patient contest where they had to do five things like, like us on Instagram.
[:[00:17:53] Um, ticket. We have, it's called the Kings Dominion. I dunno if y'all have King's Dominion, wherever you are, like amusement parks. Um, [00:18:00] we gave out a nice Yeti cooler last month. Um, so we do a lot of kind of like raffle patient contest raffles where we get a lot of engagement with that. And then we always do a reel with like Dr.
[:[00:18:17] Melissa: way.
[:[00:18:18] Melissa: helps to give team members doing it that way too. It helps to give team members something to talk about instead of just being like, Hey, can you give me a five star review?
[:[00:18:29] Lacie Ellis - Host: Yeah. I love that. I love, um, you know, I've seen lots of practices that have that like. Do these things and you get entered to win this bigger thing. And, um, the ones that do it really well, and the teams involved, they go, great. It's the ones that, like, nobody's talking about it.
[:[00:19:11] Um, and then we had a lady come in and talk to us and she was like. Don't you get sick of talking about like, oh, what sports do you play? And look it, it's so pretty out there today. I'm like, while you're waiting for the doctor, you're always like reaching for something to talk about. This is just a tool in your toolkit of something that you can bring up and talk about and like, it doesn't have to feel like pressure.
[:[00:19:43] Katelyn: Right, definitely.
[:[00:19:59] Katelyn: Yes. [00:20:00] So we have honestly found our, you know, best team members within the team itself. So when we are hiring, we let the team know and we start with them first. Like, do you know anyone, a cousin, a friend, a sibling, a any, you know, we like to do it that way. We've found that's where we have, you know, retained our best team members from.
[:[00:20:42] So it's kind of incentive for the trainer to really invest in that new hire and give it their all. Um, so I feel like. Once we've kind of instilled that, I feel like that kind of opened a new world to us too. Um, but I feel like definitely the hiring, like from with the end, like a networking, you know, yourself has been a key factor in [00:21:00] us finding good team members.
[:[00:21:24] And I, you know, I never really met the dad, but the mom was the sweetest lady. And one day she was like, so my husband is an orthodontist and he's looking for an assistant. And I said, no thank you. I
[:[00:21:36] Lacie Ellis - Host: I said, the last thing I could ever do is stare at somebody's tongue all day. Like that is what I thought an assistant did.
[:[00:22:01] I was like, fine. So I went in. And I spent two hours there that day. He had me handing instruments, he had me like sitting in different places and looking at how things ran. And I fell in love so hard and fast. And I've been in orthodontics now since then, which I'm gonna really date myself and tell you that it was 1999 when this happened.
[:[00:22:46] It was just so interesting to me, and I often in my career have stepped back from like changing wires and some of the things that feel a little mundane and just was like, what made you fall in love with this in the first [00:23:00] place? And that was it. And I just am so grateful that. That doctor's wife saw something in me that she felt like it would be a good fit for the practice.
[:[00:23:38] I'm like, those are the people that's, mm-hmm. That's who you wanna hire. You are not gonna find that on an Indeed Post. You're not gonna find that, um, you know, in a form somebody fills out. You really have to go out there and find these people and then be like, Hey, we've got this perfect place that you're gonna fit.
[:[00:24:18] Um, that's just how it kind of went for me. But I think it really, you know, it, it can go beyond just your usual channels of finding great people. And then I do think you have to work to make people feel that like joy again of what you're doing. Like remind your team frequently of why, like the big picture.
[:[00:24:52] Katelyn: Yeah. I would say some of our best, I mean best, best team members we have hired solely just on their personality.
[:[00:25:16] Experience if I have someone with no experience who's just a better personality fit. Sure. Um, so I know we are not shy to hire, you know, someone without experience and just solely off personality.
[:[00:25:39] Person who we think would just fit our team really well. We are just always on the lookout for that next great person. Yes. Even if we're not like, actively looking, so,
[:[00:25:48] Lacie Ellis - Host: Mm-hmm.
[:[00:25:49] Lacie Ellis - Host: Awesome. And I
[:[00:26:03] So a lot of two, what she's looking out for is. Protecting the team that we already have and if this person's gonna add value, um, and help the, our current team too. So, um, you know, you would, you don't wanna hire the wrong person and throw that team off either. So that's a big, huge thing that we look at when we're, when we're looking for new team members as well.
[:[00:26:47] Integrating her into the team, and I kind of feel guilty about the way we treated her now. But you know, I, I do think you have to know your team, and I think that's really smart that you guys take that into consideration when you're hiring somebody [00:27:00] because not everybody is the right fit for every group of people.
[:[00:27:04] Lacie Ellis - Host: way it is.
[:[00:27:15] Lacie Ellis - Host: spend. More time collectively, usually with these people that you work with in your own dang family sometimes.
[:[00:27:38] They shouldn't want that and neither should you, you know? So. No,
[:[00:27:54] Lacie Ellis - Host: I love that. Um, so for my last question, I'm wondering is there anything that your office does to [00:28:00] provide a unique patient experience?
[:[00:28:25] Melissa: Experience? We always, um, you know, Katelyn and I started. A while ago when we were a lot smaller of a practice. And so we always, and you know, along with Dr. Sey, we just never want, we always want patients to feel like part of a family and we don't ever want them to feel like a number. So that really starts, you know, from that very first phone call.
[:[00:29:11] And, um, I think that is a big thing because. We're in a fast peace world and everybody's so busy and just moving around, and so we want them to come here and, and feel relaxed and feel cared for. Um, so. Even from, you know, tcs getting to know them a little better, we try to keep them with the same assistant mm-hmm.
[:[00:29:52] Ey does a really good job too, of making sure that each patient is seen by him and, um, that they feel cared for and valued at the [00:30:00] practice.
[:[00:30:18] So I think starting at that core of like, we just take really good care of people and we get to know who you are as a person and talk to you like a person, not like my next patient. You're Melissa, you're Caitlin. You know, like that we're gonna talk to like the people that you actually are. Um, I think that's really valuable.
[:[00:31:02] Lily here, and she's our therapy dog. We just want you to know if she's gonna be here and wandering around the practice and, um, you know, that works for that practice. My mom would be horrified by that. She's not an animal person, so she would specifically not go there just because of that. So I think you have to be careful about how far you go with some of the.
[:[00:31:40] Like your smile's gonna be beautiful whether you go to these three doctors, but you're gonna walk out of it feeling like you've got new friends if you come here. Right,
[:[00:32:03] Lacie Ellis - Host: Yeah, I, I agree with Leanne that like my goal, um, when I worked Chairside was like. I'm gonna make this person's day better 'cause they sat in my chair today. Like that was, yes. My ultimate goal every day is like, this person's day is gonna be a little bit brighter or a little bit like, we're gonna laugh about something ridiculous or, you know, I miss the chair and end up with my butt on the floor.
[:[00:32:45] I'm sure that is what's leading to a lot of the success that you guys have. So well done.
[:[00:32:53] Lacie Ellis - Host: So I really hope you enjoyed our conversation today as much as I did. Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your valuable insights, [00:33:00] Melissa and Caitlin. Thank you for so much. Absolutely. So our goal with this podcast is to give you truly tangible items that you can use in your day-to-day life at the office, and to elevate the voices of the people who actually work in an office and sit in the same chair that you sit in every day.
[:[00:33:34] And don't forget to listen to our original podcast called The Golden Age of Orthodontics, hosted by the founders of people in practice, Dr. Leon Klempner and Amy Epstein. Until next time, thank you for joining us on Practice Talk where your voice has. Value.
[:[00:33:53] Head over to practice talk.com to ask us questions or tell us your stories. Until next [00:34:00] time.
