Finding efficiencies and filling schedules at a new practice
April Mills set her sights on growth as a new co-owner of a Columbia, S.C., dental practice, and she saw Eaglesoft as a tool to help her get there.
“In order to grow fast, I needed systems in place to get active patients back on the schedule and to reactivate patients that hadn’t been with us for a few years,” said Mills, who purchased the practice and Eaglesoft practice management software during the pandemic in 2020.
If anyone knows about fostering success in the dentistry field, it may be Mills. Her more than 25-year career includes starting as a dental assistant, gaining 15 years of business management experience, and now co-owning a dental administrative school and two dental offices while also offering consulting to other practices.
Growing quickly with Eaglesoft
After a few months at her new practice, River Oaks Advanced Dentistry, Mills made the switch from Open Dental Software to Eaglesoft with an October 2020 implementation, she says.
“It always takes about three months to really be able to measure a change. And wow! Since using Eaglesoft, we have been able to implement systems that have increased our production exponentially. This practice is hitting record numbers and production threefold,” she says.
That growth is supported by fully utilizing Eaglesoft and its tools, such as Money Finder, to quickly identify unscheduled treatment and recall opportunities, she says. “You don’t get Eaglesoft just for scheduling and holding patient data. You really need to know the reports and implement systems to put the data to work.”
Feeling fully supported
A key selling point of Eaglesoft for Mills is the support offered by Patterson Dental, she says.
“With Eaglesoft, anytime I need anything, no matter what it is, I call, and I immediately get support. I’m not put on hold. I’m not passed on through different people,” she says. “That relationship to me is really key in building any business. And Eaglesoft and Patterson together create that for us.”
Training was another Eaglesoft differentiator that helped the practice successfully implement the software, she adds. There are other vendors that point you to videos to learn on your own, whereas Patterson takes a hands-on approach to learning to set you up for success. “Our trainer is such an amazing asset, and she was great with our team. We love her so much. She taught our front desk a tremendous amount of what needed to be done.”
A few favorite features
For her part, Mills appreciates the reporting options, such as SnapShot, in Eaglesoft because they make it much easier for her to evaluate practice performance and take action to improve it. She also saves a lot of time with Eaglesoft because reports are built into the software rather than being something she needs to program or build on her own. “I love, love, love month at a glance. I see a red day, and we’re in a huddle and we know what to do to attack that morning to get us to our goal if we’re not in green,” she says.
The front desk enjoys the simplicity of using the reports to manage the schedule. The clinical team especially likes the integration of digital X-rays in the patient record because previously they had to flip between programs to see those images, she says. “If your office is not efficient, you cannot grow.”
Eaglesoft’s treatment plans and presentations are also great, improving communication with the patient by giving them a visual to help them understand the treatment, how long it will take, how much it will cost and how much insurance is estimated to pay, she says.
Making insurance easier
The practice also finds advantages in using Eaglesoft Insurance Suite, which automates workflows with electronic claims and attachments, eligibility checks and eRAs.
“It’s so much better than snail mail,” says Mills. The ability to do everything electronically and the suite’s features, real-time eligibility, and claim tracking abilities help speed up payments and eliminate delays that can occur when working with insurance companies.
“The time we used to spend on the phone with insurance companies was torture. We don’t ever want the patient experience compromised because we have to be on the phone with an insurance company,” Mills says.
In addition, Mills uses the outstanding insurance report regularly, she adds. “We have a collections rate of 98 percent because we have reports and systems in place to keep collections that way. We’re also able to keep up with outstanding accounts receivable with the ability to see who is 30, 60 and 90 days late and send those statements. That is huge.”
Recommending Eaglesoft to others
Mills would recommend Eaglesoft to other practice owners interested in growing their businesses, she says.
“Everything in Eaglesoft is a tool to improve education, efficiency and effectiveness of filling your practice,” she says. “To scale your business, Eaglesoft is much more effective and efficient than any other dental program I have ever used. It can add massive growth to your practice when it’s used properly.”
See how Eaglesoft can help your practice grow by visiting this page of our website!
