Dr. Andy McKamie of Pinnacle Practices did it, and in this edition of Excellence in Practice Management, he talks about how with Todd Keeter. A key strategy: case acceptance — which is this program’s subject.

According to Dr. McKamie, case acceptance begins with a patient’s initial call to the office. It continues when that patient enters your office and includes how hygiene is performed, how data is gathered — and much more. You must foster and maintain an attitude that you’re serving the patient (not selling). This is crucial if you want to achieve positive patient outcomes and grow your practice.

The biggest change Dr. McKamie made was in financial arrangements. He had been hesitant to discuss finances and says often backed off when a patient resisted due to financial objections. But now he brings up the subject of payment to his patients. He also has a full-time employee who helps patients understand their budgets and helps them plan their treatment. The practice will work with patients to get all four quadrants healthy — no matter how long it might take.

Here are the strategies Dr. McKamie used to increase his profits from $100,000 to $300,000 in just a year:

• He focused on case acceptance, and he “mined for” patients among existing existing hygiene patients. This alone, he says, doubled the practice’s profit — almost immediately.
• He focused on marketing strategy by finding new patients to replace the “mined” patients.
• He also expended into other profit centers, including implants.

According to Dr. McKamie, case acceptance begins when a patient makes a phone call to his office, and it continues when the patient enters the office, encompasses hygiene, data gathering, and more. Maintain a positive attitude about serving the patient, he says, and you will ensure he or she gets the best treatment possible. “I view every patient as a full-mouth case,” Dr. McKamie says.