Women in Dentistry Annual Event Update

Earlier this month, Marcum co-hosted the annual Women in Dentistry networking event virtually. The event gave women in dentistry from across the nation a platform to connect and discuss topics impacting their practices. The interactive event touched on navigating COVID-19-related issues, including practice management, staffing challenges, and more.

Participants were polled on challenges that practices face. The two top challenges identified were hygiene staffing and effective scheduling. A proposed solution to hygiene staffing was to hire less experienced hygienists and invest the time to train new employees while schedules are less full. Tips for effective scheduling included evaluating conversations between office staff and patients and providing a call script.

Additional discussion points provided insight as to how practices are coping with the pandemic environment. Practices are focusing on solidifying referral sources and patient goodwill. The dentists shared how they are making personal phone calls, focusing on having clear conversations with their care teams, and ensuring patients are being scheduled for and receiving treatment. Since some doctors are not achieving their pre-COVID scheduling goals, focus has pivoted to offering same-day treatment starts and proactively filling their schedules when cancellations occur. Practice owners also are taking more time to create systems for staff accountability by creating organizational charts, daily task lists for each staff member, and scorecards.

Marcum was honored to host this dynamic group of women who all share a passion for dentistry. The next virtual dental networking event is scheduled for February 18, 2021. The event will provide a platform for doctors to connect and continue to focus on sharing ideas, as everyone continues to navigate these unprecedented times.