Practice Management Insider: 4 metrics to help you prepare for 2021

Dear Practice Management Insider,

There is nothing we can do about the past. We can, however, always be preparing for the future.

With that thought in mind, I love what Curtis Marshall is bringing to DrBicuspid.com readers in this newsletter's Insider Exclusive. Marshall describes four metrics to keep an eye on as 2020 comes to a close, and he also asks a very important question for all of us to keep in mind: "2021 is a blank canvas. What kind of masterpiece will you create?"

Also in the Practice Management Community, we recognize the challenges dental practices have faced since COVID-19 became a part of our daily lives. Part of that challenge has come from patients who are frustrated and/or stressed and may take their anger out on the dentist or dental team. In fact, roughly 50% of dentists surveyed reported experiencing physical, verbal, and reputational aggression from their patients during the past year in a study published in the October issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association.

So maybe it's up to each of us to ramp up our kindness and compassion in these tough times. That's part of what Dr. Robert Maguire discusses in his article focused on the definition of social graces and why they are important. For Dr. Maguire, social graces offer a chance for us to show our humanity in an age when it's perhaps needed the most, as well as a way to show your customers (patients) just how valued they are in your business.

Finally, would a practice concierge benefit your practice? Do you know what one does and how this role could help as you continue to rebound from the COVID-19 disruption? Dr. Gerilyn Alfe and Fred Joyal dive into the benefits of the practice concierge and why this person could solve some of your practice's production dilemmas.

On behalf of myself and the team here at DrBicuspid.com, thanks so much for being a Practice Management Insider! We wish you nothing but success, both personally and professionally, as we look ahead to the end of the year and beyond.