Not only is it challenging to recruit and retain a great dental team, but it is also challenging to keep staff costs under control. Your greatest asset, your team, is also your greatest expense. The balancing act involves offering competitive pay and benefits while also keeping dental staff costs under control. How do you do it?
Start with your schedule. How effective are you at filling the schedule with productive appointments? One of the best ways to keep staff costs under control is to maximize production and collections, and your schedule drives everything in your practice.
But what about when your schedule has openings? Does everyone affected get involved with trying to fill those openings as well as contacting past due patients or patients with unscheduled treatment? One of the most productive activities for your team during downtime is to help keep the schedule strong.
In addition to the schedule, you can also control staff costs by focusing on overall time management. Do you need everyone to start and end the day at approximate the same time or can you stagger times? Teams with multiple assistants and front office members can often stagger starting and ending times.
How efficient is the team at completing chart notes, posting payments, setting up rooms, and closing out for the day? Improving efficiency in these areas not only saves time and expense, but it also typically makes teamwork even better.
If the ways for improving staff costs also look like ways to make your practice more efficient and productive, then you are paying attention. If your dental staff costs need fine tuning, then recognize this as an opportunity to make your practice even better.