Nobody Told Me That! A Dental Podcast with Teresa Duncan

Edie Gibson is a well-respected hygienist and a personal long-time friend. Although we met while educating about implants one of her personal passions has been to discuss addiction and mental health. I've learned over the years that just because someone is quiet and says they're fine that it may not always be the case.

At some point you'll come across someone who needs help. I hope this helps you if you find yourself in similar situations. In the meantime, I'm sending hugs to you. Life can be hard but there is help available.

Full show notes on the podcast home page! https://nobodytoldmethat.libsyn.com/

Quotes

• "We as human beings are not built, bred or created to be alone."
• "Addiction is the inability to stop - regardless of negative consequences."
• "Thanksgiving through New Years is the prime time when depression kicks in for those who are using and abusing."
• "Personal responsibility goes out the window, because their obsession takes over."
• "You can put your human heart on, and say this is a human being, who may need help."
• "Sometimes we want to be the little spoon!"
• "It's okay to not be okay, and it is okay to need help."
• "Know when enough is enough for you."
• "A brief intervention by a healthcare provider has been shown to help people seek treatment more often than not."

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Resources from the episode:

• Life's Healing Boundaries
• Boundaries Drs. Cloud and Townsend
• Edie Gibson LinkedIn
• Edie's Website
• Charlie Mackesy's book
• COVID-19 Mental Health Resources from the ADA

Don't forget to check out my other podcast Chew on This - A Dental Podcast!

Links

Download an Ebook that is completely free for you. 50+ pages of knowledge, checklists and job descriptions including the Dental Insurance Coordinator Mini-Guide. Enjoy!

Click here for the Prepare Protect Prosper eBook

**If you like the show then I'd appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

• Teresa's Website- https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ (sign up for my newsletter!)
• Teresa's Book Moving Your Patients to Yes! Easy Insurance Conversations

My friend Kevin Henry joins me to illuminate the case of Dr. Seth Lookhart and his manager Shauna Cranford. You may know the doctor best as the Hoverboard dentist - he worked on patients while riding his hoverboard! I know! Hidden in the legal case documents are a bunch of texts between the doctor and manager. They showed just how they planned to get as much reimbursement as possible. Honestly, the hoverboard is the tamest part of the whole case.

We took a little creative license and read the tweets in character. Ethical challenges exist in our daily dental lives. These texts are an example of ethics being thrown out the window. We hope it's as educational for you as it was for us.

Also! We wrote an Ebook that is completely free for you. 50+ pages of knowledge, checklists and job descriptions. Enjoy!

Click here for the Prepare Protect Prosper eBook

Quotes

• "These text messages are something else."
• "Nothing deleted, is ever deleted."
• Dr Lookhart: "Let's build a practice around it: Sedation. Let's Medicaid it up!"
• When doctors take blind advice from employees: "If someone tells you 'oh it's okay' is it really?"
• Kevin reacts to his character statements: "I felt slimy saying that."
• New dental motto? "Grip and rip and make a denture."
• "Our patients don't know better and they trust us."
• Teresa is appalled: "Office Manager to Office Manager, shame on you."

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Resources from the episode:

• Article About Case: Hoverboard-Riding Dentist, Found Guilty of Fraud, Is Sentenced to 12 Years
• Court Documents: State v. Seth Lookhart, Shauna Leigh Cranford, Lookhart Dental LLC Information
• Chew On This Episode about Hoverboard Dentist

Links

**If you like the show then I'd appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

• Teresa's Website- https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ (sign up for my newsletter!)
• Teresa's Book Moving Your Patients to Yes! Easy Insurance Conversations

http://odysseymgmt.corecommerce.com/Book/ (use 'newsletter' for $3 off)

Master communicator Katherine Eitel Beltshares different ways she coaches offices through difficult conversations. Whether it's the team, doctor or the patient, you'll have to deal with intense and surprising situations. Katherine has some great diffuser solutions. Her talk about setting your own boundaries really resonates with me. I have personal boundaries but what are my business 'heck no' lines in the sand? Check out Katherine for communication workshops - she's popular for a reason!

Episode 69 Highlights

• Executive Brain and Lizard Brains
• Practice Equals Mastery, Not Understanding
• New Managers and Communications
• Coaching Models and Growth Culture
• Vision, Missions or Driving Forces - what are they?

Quotes

• Regarding office culture and communication: "If they were a challenge for people before COVID, they are a full on fire now."
• "We are all hardwired for survival."
• "I think there is a way to have conversations on your feet, feeling guided and confident."
• "We have amazing millennials working for us, and I don't know what we would do without them. They bring so much to the plate."
• "That old-school supervision model… has changed."
• "Our goal is to have a breakthrough on whatever is holding them back."
• "If you try to align a team with a vision they don't understand, you will seem like the big bad manager."
• "You can be empathetic and still hold your line."
• "You can't motivate your team if they are falling asleep during your presentation."

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Resources from the episode:

-Courageous Conversations On-Demand Workshop (released January 2020)

-Courageous Conversations Live Virtual Workshops

-Vision Calibration Retreats (Virtual and live)

Facebook @lionspeak.net

Twitter

LinkedIn = @lionspeak

Instagram = @lionspeak_communication

Links

**If you like the show then I'd appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

• Teresa's Website- https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ (sign up for my newsletter!)
• Teresa's Book Moving Your Patients to Yes! Easy Insurance Conversations

http://odysseymgmt.corecommerce.com/Book/ (use 'newsletter' for $3 off)

The upcoming year is already looking remarkably busy on the insurance side. I wanted to give you three areas to watch that will affect your practice. Throughout the year I'll keep you updated on this podcast and in my newsletter. I appreciate that you see me as a resource, and I will continue to monitor carrier and revenue cycle management news for the industry. Thanks for helping the podcast grow this past year – I very much appreciate you. Here's to a fantastic 2021!

Episode 68 talking points:

1. National Council of Insurance Legislators (NCOIL) adopting the ADA's recommendations for dental insurance guidelines. Covered topics:
2. 1. Network clarity
   2. Virtual credit cards as payment
   3. Ensuring that pre-authorizations are held accountable when treatment is performed
   1. Lots of institutional opposition (hospitals and American Medical Association)
   2. Administrative burdens and concerns over lower provider fees are cited as reasons
   3. Judges are not so convinced: Why is an X-ray price 'unknowable?' (recent court case)
   4. Will it affect dental?
3. Legislation requiring pricing transparency in healthcare passed as part of the 2021 Budget Plan
   1. Overturns McCarran-Ferguson Act that removes antitrust restrictions from carriers
   2. Hopefully will encourage more competition in the carrier market
   3. Did insurance companies stop innovating because they didn't need to?
   4. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) predicts "more instability in the health insurance markets and, therefore, higher premiums."
4. Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act

>> Grab the 50+ page Ebook "Prepare, Protect and Prosper" here! Psst, it's free 😊

Resources from this episode:

• National Council of Insurance Legislators approves model dental benefits legislation
• Surprise Medical Bills Cost Americans Millions. Congress Finally Banned Most of Them.
• Surprise Medical Billing Fix Included in COVID Relief Bill
• AHA seeks emergency relief to block enforcement of price transparency rule
• Congress passes Competitive Health Insurance Reform Act
• Congress acts to restore competition to health insurance by removing 75-year-old antitrust exemption
• https://www.naic.org/documents/government_relations_201202.pdf
• Podcast episode discussing the Delta Dental lawsuits

Links

**If you like the show then I'd appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

• Teresa's Website- https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ (sign up for my newsletter!)
• Teresa's Book Moving Your Patients to Yes! Easy Insurance Conversations (use 'newsletter' for $3 off)

This episode gets clinical but administrative folks need to know the why behind the treatment your doctor prescribes. Perio disease is linked to so many systemic ailments but did you know there are different bugs behind the disease? It's why some patients respond well to SRP while others need more specific measures. We also discuss some of the conversations to have with your patients so they "get it." Check out the graphics of these test results. Those alone are great education!

Episode 67 Highlights

• What Is Bacteria testing?
• The role of patient education
• Pets and periodontal disease
• Oral Systemic Link is more supported than ever
• Transmission of disease (even kissing!)

Quotes

• "Office managers make things happen in the office. They look at the numbers and see what's going on."
• "Let the patient know bleeding gums are not healthy. Healthy gums do not bleed."
• Why we test: "By doing a culture it lets you know how bad the infection is."
• "We never recommend or prescribe a Z-pak"
• "You can go in and scale all day and it wont touch P. Gingivalis."
• "They can put dogs on an antibiotic before the appointment to reduce inflammation."
• "A lot of us have put on the covid-19 (lbs)!"
• "Inflammation is everything."
• "I learned that perio disease was transmissible through kissing when I was single!"
• "Single people: your second date is a dental appointment."
• "Do a bacterial test before the ultrasonic treatment and make sure they haven't been on an antibiotic for 6-8 weeks."
• On new recommendations: "Let's come up with a different system to get you healthy."

Links from the episode:

• CELL-TO-CELL COMMUNICATION – ORAL HEALTH AND SYSTEMIC HEALTH Expert Version
• Connect with MicrobeLinkDx on Instagram and Facebook
• Website: https://microbelinkdx.com/
• PDF that shows sample reports and information: http://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/MicrobeLinkDx-Sample-Reports.pdf http://www.ataleoftwohygienists.com/listen/microbelinkdx-sample-report
• Medical billing resources
• • Links2Success: Dental Practice Consultant | Insurance & Billing
  • Insurance Billing Outsourcing, LLC – Experience Higher Revenue & Lower Stress

Order your free kits here and use Teresa10 as a promo code. You'll receive a courtesy off of your first testing order. I don't receive a kickback for this 🙂

Links

**If you like the show then I'd appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

• Teresa's Website- https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ (sign up for my newsletter!)
• Teresa's Book Moving Your Patients to Yes! Easy Insurance Conversations (use 'newsletter' for $3 off)

Certified Fraud Examiner and good friend of the show Susan Gunn is back! She details the case of the Collin Street Bakery embezzlement. It was a small business with high revenues - sound familiar? Take the lessons from this case and do an assessment of your office. Are you at risk? To be honest, your practice is always at risk. What matters is how fast you find the shadiness.

This thief was pretty eccentric. Did you know they made mattresses from horsehair? Who knew!

Episode 66 Highlights

• Money In, Money Out - Susan's podcast
• Entitlement
• Collin Street Bakery's embezzlement case
• Horse hair mattress
• Evolution
• Steps you can take

Quotes

• "Embezzlement is not limited to dentistry."
• "Over 8 years He wrote 888 checks that totaled $16.6 million."
• Jaw dropper: "They bought a $40,000 horsehair mattress."
• Owning "gold bars is a next level thing."
• "I think bringing in an outside auditor is one of the smartest things you can do as a small business owner."
• "The most money an embezzler will take is at the end."
• Sometimes this is true: "Lying can be common (among trusted employees)."

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Resources from the episode:

• Just Desserts - article about the case
• Discovering An Eight Year Long Scam | American Greed | CNBC Prime
• Collin Street Bakery | Collin Street Bakery
• ADA Survey: Employee Theft in the Dental Practice
• Horsehair mattress!
• Bernie Madoff - Movie, Sons & Ponzi Scheme
• Harry Markopolos's book on the Madoff case: No One Would Listen: A True Financial Thriller

Susan's Podcast: Money In, Money Out - Financial Organization For Your Practice Susan's Website: SusanGunnSolutions.com Susan's Book: Money In, Money Out Available On Amazon

Links

**If you like the show then I'd appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Teresa's Website- https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ (sign up for my newsletter!)

Teresa's Book Moving Your Patients to Yes! Easy Insurance Conversations

http://odysseymgmt.corecommerce.com/Book/ (use 'newsletter' for $3 off

I'm always interested in how offices are handling the end of the year, COVID and other issues. Carrie Webber is the CEO of Jameson Management (one of the largest dental consulting firms in the country) and shared how Jameson offices are handling these situations. We talked about how her coaches had to switch into emergency mode while also trying to stay ahead of emerging problems. Leadership is a recurring theme for 2020 since so much crisis management was needed. Carrie and I round out the conversation with a very candid talk about how to help your colleagues that are not mentally in a good place.

Episode 65 Highlights

• Leading through crisis
• Shifting strategy and goals
• Turnover and teams
• How Training has become 'gamified'
• When sadness turns into something more

Quotes

• "In any kind of crisis someone has to take the lead and step up to help figure things out and move forward."
• "Your end of year this year is not going to be what it was going to be."
• "This is my favorite, give me the popcorn, let's read the Facebook groups and see who has been leading strong and who has had their head in the sand!"
• "When we stay connected with our team and communicate with them it can help us navigate those painful waters and come back together healthier."
• "A danger zone for dentists is how isolating (dentistry) can be."
• "You have to hire smart."
• "You cannot skimp on this - spend some money on training your new team members."
• "Maintain your whelm."
• "There is a responsibility to just listen."

Resources from this episode:

• Jameson Management https://jmsn.com/
• Grow Virtual Learning https://grow.jmsn.com/
• Jameson podcast: Jameson Management and Marketing
• ADA's Mental Health Resources

• Cathy Jameson's book: Collect What You Produce - Jameson

• Susan's book: Money In, Money Out: $en$ible Financial Organization In Your Practice

Links

**If you like the show then I'd appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Teresa's Website- https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ (sign up for my newsletter!)

Teresa's Book Moving Your Patients to Yes! Easy Insurance Conversations

http://odysseymgmt.corecommerce.com/Book/ (use 'newsletter' for $3 off

Planning Your Social Media Content with Rita Zamora

Rita Zamora is back to talk about social media marketing since COVID-19 entered our lives. Did you know that many patients left their offices due to lack of communication during the shutdowns? Imagine ghosting your patient base! We also talk about how creating a content calendar can simplify social media posting headaches.

Episode 64 Highlights

• Social media during COVID
• Is your message positive? Informative?
• A guide to #hashtags
• Recommended content for each platform
• Why you need a content calendar
• Great free advertising for an office: your Google My Business site

Quotes

• "'You should tell your spouse you love them before somebody else does. The same applies to dentistry and other businesses."
• "People just want to see the realness about you."
• "Practices should be using location hashtags and geo hashtags."
• Regarding social media best practices: "More than ever we need to have a system in place."
• "Social media is the new website. It allows patients to know you are legit and current."
• On setting up a calendar and content: "This work is going to make your life easier, once you are set up on the system there is no going back."
• Wise words! "Get everything out of your head, and onto a calendar."

Links

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Rita's Information

Website: https://hello.connect90.com/c90

Contact Rita: https://ritazamora.com/contact/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ritazamora/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RitaZamoraConnections

**If you like the show then I'd appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Teresa's Website- https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ (sign up for my newsletter!)

Teresa's Book Moving Your Patients to Yes! Easy Insurance Conversations

http://odysseymgmt.corecommerce.com/Book/ (use 'newsletter' for $3 off

More behind the scenes of dental insurance! My friend Patrick O'Rourke joins me for a geeky discussion about contracts and negotiations (the geekier the better). Patrick has worked on both the broker and provider sides and now on the provider side. He still maintains great relationships which helps him and his company - Practice Quotient - stay on top of insurance trends.

Episode 63 Highlights

• Shifts in 2020 contracts (post-COVID)
• Rescue Negotiations - don't get in that situation
• Sharing fee schedules with other offices is bad for business
• Discussion about Delta Premier, Aetna's new 'take it or leave it' fee schedule change

Quotes

• Regarding insurance carrier funds: "My hope was that they were going to take that money and use it constructively"
• "It does no good to negotiate the highest fee schedule"
• Regarding breaking the contract confidentiality clause: "It's against the law, it is a criminal offense"
• "If you think your super secret Facebook group is private, you are WRONG"
• "The number one reason people don't go to the dentist is because they don't have dental insurance"
• "That is when I learned the power of the employee" when it comes to getting claims paid
• "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst"

Connect with Patrick here:

• Twitter: @gabenefitexpert and @knowyourpq
• LI: Patrick O'Rourke - Founder & Chief Executive Officer - Practice Quotient, Inc.
• LI: Practice Quotient, Inc.
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/practicequotientinc

Links

**If you like the show then I'd appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Teresa's Website- https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ (sign up for my newsletter!)

Teresa's Book Moving Your Patients to Yes! Easy Insurance Conversations

http://odysseymgmt.corecommerce.com/Book/ (use 'newsletter' for $3 off

Today's guest and my friend Dr. Brett Wells shares his story of not just one but two riots that affected his office. He's learned a few lessons from the experience. I'm grateful that he agreed to share his story and those lessons. It may not be a riot but a natural disaster that threatens your physical location. The takeaway is that we should plan for the weirdest possible scenario. Did anyone have rioting and looting on their 2020 checklist? I know I sure didn't! 

Episode 62 Highlights 

 

• Dr. Wells shares his story about the riots
• How COVID made an appearance in his practice
• 2020…What else could happen? 
• The importance of backups and redundancies
• Cash reserves are king. He recommends making this a priority.

 

Quotes

• "I didn't think it was going to be as bad as it got, and I didn't think my business was going to be effected the way it has been" 
• "I have a friend that is a police officer than let me know we was expecting it to bad"
• "They pan over to a guy with a brick, throwing it though our front window… so we gotta watch it live" 
• "They don't teach you how to hire an armed guard in dental school" 
• "I guess if you are a rioter you don't see the value of a dental chair" 
• "If dentists are not taking serious steps to keep at least one month... two months... three months of capital in the bank then you really need to be taking a serious look at how you go about business"  
• "I wanted to be open on Monday to show we can't be held down" 

 

The Big Dip Webinar Replay can be found here

Check out DentalHQ: Your dental membership plan, BETTER.

 

Damage to Dr. Wells Office Direct link to image

 

Links 

**If you like the show then I'd appreciate a good rating. Tell your friends. Even podcasters ask for referrals!**

Teresa's Website- https://www.odysseymgmt.com/ (sign up for my newsletter!)

Teresa's Book Moving Your Patients to Yes! Easy Insurance Conversations

http://odysseymgmt.corecommerce.com/Book/ (use 'newsletter' for $3 off

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