Evolution and economics in dental office design May 18, 2008
Posted by Dentist.Com in Office Design.Tags: Add new tag, Americans With Disabilities Act, dental office design, ergonomics
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Pat Carter and Jeff Carter, DDS
Most people would agree that designing an effective dental facility requires an intimate understanding of dentistry and a thoughtful identification of the design objectives for a specific practice. That statement alone involves a multitude of details and design decisions that can be quite overwhelming (assuming you want to attend to all the details and get it “right”). And while that is the primary part of the designing process, evolving factors outside of the control of practitioners will greatly impact the design and economics of current and future facilities.
What are some of those factors?
• Regulatory factors
In the early 1990s, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations required appropriate labeling, storage, and inventory access to certain regulated dental materials and drugs. It also mandated protective eyewear, gloves, and gowns for the dental staff; appropriate disposal of biohazardous materials; and compliance with sterilization processes to protect the general public (your patients). In response, dental office design began to include appropriately sized and accessible storage and inventory areas, staff areas with changing rooms and storage for gowns, appropriately labeled and located disposal drops, and thoughtfully conceived central sterilization areas.
Designing for young children – a competitive advantage May 18, 2008
Posted by Dentist.Com in Office Design.Tags: children's waiting rooms, pediatric office design, waiting room design
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Renee Reback
Providing creative waiting rooms and play spaces for children is an important consideration in today`s competitive marketplace. Given the current high U.S. birth rate, the census forecasts a total of over 40 million children under the age of 10 during the next decade. With a much stronger focus on the benefits of preventative dental care and early treatment, odds are that a significant portion of them will be in your waiting rooms. With some forethought and professional advice, designing space and providing the appropriate products to engage children can offer benefits beyond occupying them while in your office.
James Barnard is president of Playscapes Children`s Environments, a company that designs and manufactures children`s furniture and activities with emphasis on its use in the medical environment. “When you design for children in a health-care environment,” Barnard says, “you`re really designing for four separate clients – children, their parents, staff, and the facility owner. They all have separate needs which should be taken into account.”
Jay Levitt, DDS, is the owner of four Dentistry for Children PC practices outside Atlanta, Ga. Dr. Levitt worked with professionals to help him create waiting areas that function as more than just a place to sit and wait.
“Our waiting area is designed to communicate how important our patients are to us,” Dr. Levitt emphasized. “I not only want everything to look terrific, [but] I want an environment that makes our patients feel comfortable. We used to have staff bring in old books, puzzles, and games, but small pieces were lost and the game or puzzle became worthless. We now select more durable equipment without small pieces that can be lost or swallowed.”
Dental Office Design and productivity for the rest of us May 17, 2008
Posted by Dentist.Com in Office Design.Tags: architects, architecture, dental office design, dental offices, office designers, office redesign
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by David J. Ahearn, DDS
In every practitioner’s life there comes a time when it is clear that a physical office change must occur. For some doctors, this happens early in practice; for others, a reawakening occurs later in the practice life that makes this transition desirable. Nevertheless, it is a point through which every dedicated caregiver crosses at some time.
Because office redesign is such a rare event, we do not gain enough knowledge or experience to do justice to this critical task. For example, we place composites every day, and, as a result, our trade journals have hundreds of articles about them each month. Our knowledge is great in such areas — not so regarding future office planning.
Dental supply companies frequently will supply you with a floor plan at no up-front cost. Unfortunately, they can’t be expected to spend a great deal of time on productivity enhancements that only an actual practitioner would understand, nor can they be expected to labor long and hard to save you money. These plans tend to be simple to draw and very expensive to equip. It isn’t the supplier’s fault. Everything costs money and there is no such thing as a free lunch. This is a reasonable choice for practices that are relocating but not expanding, or for offices that are simply purchasing new equipment to replace outdated hardware rather than re-engineering or re-invigorating their practices.
High-end office designers offer great service and have the benefit of prior dental practice experience. They are noted for creating “image” practices for those dentists who desire them. Design costs alone for such offices can run into the tens of thousands of dollars as each step in the design process is individually handled. Moreover, due to the one-of-a-kind nature of the design, it is common for a project to take up to two years to complete.
Getting tough on deadbeat clients May 11, 2008
Posted by Dentist.Com in Practice Management.Tags: collection agencies, debt collection, delinquent accoounts, Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, financial counselors
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Transworld Systems
Paul Donadio is 6 feet 4 inches tall, 230 pounds and all Italian. “I don’t carry a baseball bat, but I definitely fit the role for this business,” he jokes.
As district manager for the collection agency Transworld Systems, Donadio knows as much as anyone about overdue dental bills. He told a recent audience at the Yankee Dental Congress that such debt is a growing problem, but that most dentists could collect more than they do.
As health and dental insurance costs have increased, the portion of these bills paid out of pocket is now 35 percent, three times higher than in 1980, says Donadio.
But out of 20 high-priority bills an average person must pay, the dental bill ranks 17. “People are far more likely to pay their cable, cellular, and legal bills,” says Donadio. “But at least they’ll pay your bill over the vet bill.”
Unfortunately, Donadio says, the average recovery rate for medical and dental bills is 10.8 percent. “It’s a pretty high failure rate.”
Why are dentists so low on the priority list? “They think you’re rich and don’t need the money.”
Many dentists don’t threaten to collect unpaid bills for fear of alienating patients, but the more reluctant they are to collect, the more money they leave on the table.
Debt depreciates a half a percent less for each day you don’t collect, Donadio says.
Unpaid Overtime April 27, 2008
Posted by Dentist.Com in Legal Advice.Tags: OVERTIME PAY, salary
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United States federal law generally requires employees who work more than 40 hours per week be paid overtime pay. Overtime pay is calculated at the regular hourly rate of pay plus an additional 50 percent of that regular rate. Just because an employee is paid a weekly, bi-weekly and/or monthly salary does not necessarily mean the employee is not entitled to overtime pay. Also, some states have wage and hour requirements for employers different from federal law.
To be ineligible for overtime, an employee must be in an exempt classification. Exempt classifications apply to executive, administrative, or professional employees. To qualify for an exemption from overtime pay requirements under these categories, the employee must generally pass a two-pronged test consisting of:
- a salary basis test, and
- a duties test.
Wrongful Termination April 27, 2008
Posted by Dentist.Com in Legal Advice.Tags: At Will Employee, Contract Employee, Discrimination, employment termination, job security
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Maybe they “resigned” after being pressured into it. Maybe they did not receive proper notice. Maybe they lost the job for no reason they can discern. If they have been dismissed, they should sign any papers from their employer.
- Discrimination: if they have been discriminated against because of race, sex, religion, disability or age, it may be a breach of human rights.
- Insufficient Cause: Actions such as theft, violence or threatening behavior may be cause for immediated dismissal. However, isolated instances of a less serious nature can not normally be used as an excuse to fire someone, unless there is a history of such behavior.
- Whistleblowing: it is illegal to fire an employee, or to engage in retaliation for whistleblowing. Any person who “interferes” with the livelihood of an employee who has provided information to legal authorities regarding alleged illegal activity of their employer, is subject to up to 10 years in prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
- Constructive Dismissal: If they felt pressured to resign, or the working conditions were made to be so horrible they couldn’t continue working, they may be able to claim constructive discharge. they may also claim constructive dismissal if pay or working conditions have been degraded or if the level of responsibility has been reduced.
When CAN an employer legally fire you:
- At-Will Employee: If they have no contract with the employer, they are an “at will” employee, and as such, they may be fired at any time for any reason that is not discrimination. However, some challenges and exceptions to this rule include breach of implied contract, reliance on an offer of employment and intentional emotional distress. At will employees can be fired for job-related problems, or for non-job-related reasons such as the boss doesn’t like your jokes, or personality conflict.
- Contract Employee: If they have a contract, the termination will be governed by the terms of the contract, unless the contract states they are an “at-will” employee, in which case they may be fired “at will”. Contracts may be written or oral, even based on a promise that the “job would be secure”.
Insurance Audits- Risk Management Advice December 23, 2007
Posted by Dentist.Com in Insurance.comments closed
By Wayne Silverman, DDS
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