Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2020 - 50

Doctors

levels, issues are addressed by the employee or
the supervisor and problems are corrected sooner,
rather than having to wait for the doctor to make
a decision. This structure and leadership style also
empowers the employees to be problem-solvers. In
this way, Dr. Fishbein follows the Ritz-Carlton Golden Rule, allowing employees to make decisions to
promote the brand and ensure patient satisfaction. This promotes positive employee morale and
positive employee experiences.
Well-written job descriptions can also be used by
leadership and serve as reminders for position
responsibilities. To further help team members
succeed in their responsibilities, checklists are
used. The checklist system has a threefold benefit
because it encourages a positive team culture
by promoting an orthodontic office that runs
efficiently, thus removing barriers to creating the
positive team culture, and it serves as a self-validating tool for employees, letting them know
they are on track while also letting leadership
know that assigned tasks are being accomplished.
Objective 3: See Some of Fishbein Orthodontics'
Most Effective Methods of New Patient Acquisition
Part of acquiring new patients is understanding
what patients want. According to Dr. Fishbein,
patients want to have a good experience, convenience, and value. The goal of Fishbein Orthodontics is to "remove obstacles and get patients
started." For this reason, Fishbein Orthodontics is
focused on providing a great patient experience
that is valuable and focused on patient convenience.
Patient-focused goals are the means to successfully acquiring patients. These goals are part of
the Fishbein Orthodontics culture:

▫▫ Fishbein Orthodontics seeks to provide pa-

tients with a reputable service in an updated,
attractive office

▫▫ Fishbein Orthodontics seeks to provide pa-

▫▫

tients with convenience in receiving orthodontic care by considering the number of
visits, length of visits, and travel distance to
offices
Fishbein Orthodontics seeks to provide affordable orthodontic services by accepting most
insurance carriers, creating monthly payment
plans, and adding value by charging the same
fee for braces and aligner therapy

Patients are allowed to switch from braces to
aligner therapy or from aligner therapy to braces
without any additional fees. This ease of switching from one treatment option to another is
central to the goals of Fishbein Orthodontics, as it
is value-based, convenient, and removes patient
barriers, creating great patient experiences.
Fishbein Orthodontics has been successful in
acquiring new patients. Part of this is because
they follow recommendations from consultants, such as talking less in the new patient
rooms, as it has been shown that "conversion
rate decreases with increased doctor time." To
promote patient acquisition, treatment coordinators receive bonuses that they split, and their
compensation is based on commissions, not
hours. The Fishbein Orthodontics new patient
process is much more streamlined today than
it was 5 years ago and consists of a 30-minute
consultation followed by a same-day start.
This change has increased patient acquisition
but is also more convenient for the patients. In
reference to getting patients to start orthodontic treatment, Dr. Fishbein stated, "I think the
person who gives them the first opportunity
has the best opportunity of starting them on
that same day." Dr. Fishbein refers to his style
of consulting as the "convenient consult." The
"convenient consult" is broken down into a
10-minute records acquisition, followed by a
5-minute diagnosis, fee explanation, scan, and
scheduling.

PCSO Bulletin Spring 2020

Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Coast Society of Orthodontists Bulletin Spring 2020