1. Make sure your deposit slip matches the cash/checks for the day. This is where you are most vulnerable.  2. Signs of embezzlement in end of day adjustment report are a. Patient refunds b. No cash payments c. Non-approved adjustments/write-offs. 3. Put refund checks in the mail yourself.  4. Lock down your credit card terminal with a code so only the practice owner can issue refunds (thanks Alex).  5. Take note of any employee working unusual hours, living beyond their means or who rarely takes vacations. They may also be unusually territorial or evasive when discussing practice finances.  6.  All staff...

IMPORTANT   Some states allow you to thank a referring patient after the fact of the referral with a nominal gift ($10.00 - $25.00) however, the referring patient cannot have an expectation of the reward.  A personally signed thank you card or note, ideally from the doctor, is smart and good manners. You can offer a credit to new patients. The amount can be $50.00 or $100.00 or more. You can also offer a free cleaning or exam or nothing at all. It’s totally up to you but, most find a dollar value works best.   If you offer a dollar amount still submit your usual...

The Achilles' heel of many a dental practice owner is to avoid dealing with unpleasant staff situations. A good example is a recent new client of mine.  I found him to be very congenial, so I had a hard time believing this guy was the "dental devil incarnate” described by the majority of his staff. I asked each of the staff members in his practice the same question: "Has anyone in the practice been treated unjustly?” All fingers pointed to one person—we'll call her Sally. Sally had apparently been going around telling other staff members about how the practice owner was...

1. Time is money It is the small things that add up to consuming vast amounts of time, and as we all know: Time is money. Too often, staff members look busy but are in fact simply handling unnecessary work they needlessly generate caused by inefficiencies, lack of training, and so on. Some examples that generate unnecessary work are listed below: Lab case is not in the office when the patient arrives.A message is taken but not given to the correct person.A patient leaves the office without an appointment.   The patient's phone number is incorrect.There is incomplete information in charts.Incomplete...