June2009

Exclusive Cain Watters WebinarBy Kimberly Klaudt

At SSC national events it feels like there is always an amazing keynote to see, a dinner to attend, an experience that can’t be missed, or members to spend time with. At Symposium this year we heard from many of you that you’d like more op-portunity to spend time with other Directors, specifically to share pro-gramming ideas with one another.

As SSC Directors we are chal-lenged every year to keep our programming interesting for our members while delivering the com-prehensive programming that is the cornerstone of Seattle Study Club. We all know the SSC network has many resources, and undoubtedly one of the most valuable is each other!

At Directors Summit last month, we gathered Friday night for coffee and desserts at our own Common Grounds Café, where we shared our best programming ideas, speed-dating style. Everyone left with new programming concepts and renewed inspiration for ideas yet to be realized.

Guiding the development of the comprehensive dentistry practiced in our communities can bring with it various challenges. And while each Seattle Study Club is unique, we can still find common ground in programming.

Common Grounds Café

By Heather BrightThe response to the webinar sponsored by SSC, CareCredit and Cain Watters coming up on June 4 has been overwhelming! We anticipate that close to 500 people will join us as Darrell Cain, America’s top CPA and investment advisor to dentists and the founder of Cain, Watters and Associates, shares insight on what we need to know about today’s economic, financial and political trends: • Discover the secret investing

strategies of today’s top finan-cial advisor to dentists.

• Learn how you can benefit from today’s major upheaval in the world economy.

• Understand how we got here and what’s likely to come next.

• Get a list of things to do to dra-matically improve your future investment gains.

• Secure your future by under-standing the past.

If you are interested but have not registered, it’s not too late. Please contact Kimberly Klaudt at the Seattle Study Club office at 425.576.8000.

This event is the first in a value-add series of webinars on various topics we are putting together to bring to the network. Stay tuned for more information!

2009 Coordinators ConferenceBy Shaida Ghomi

This year’s Coordinators Conference theme, Back to Basics, sounds as

though it should be self-explana-tory; that for many returning

Coordinators, the “ba-sics” were taught in Greg Tice’s Study

Club 101. In fact, the 2009 Coordinators Confer-

ence will not only instruct Co-ordinators on study club basics, it

will also immerse participants in the experience of a study club academic

year – in just three packed days. Coordinators will take part in events

that comprise the study club program

year: team treatment planning, kick-off dinner, staff appreciation, web-based session, impediments workshop, pearls session, etc. In experiencing each sessionpersonally, attendees will develop the ques-tions and then discover the answers that will empower them to stage the ideal study club program. Fulfilling AGD and ADA requirements will be discussed, as well as working with speakers and entertainers.

This year’s meeting takes place July 23-25 at the Westin Bellevue in Washington; call 425.638.1000 for reservations. Be sure to take advantage of all this meeting has to offer by calling the SSC office to register your Coordinator – or yourself – today.

At the Directors’ Session in Cancun, we worked in groups discussing some of the barriers we all face in our practice of interdisciplinary dentistry. Suzanne Boswell presented on interdisciplinary treatment fol-lowed by a group discussion investigating three key issues. The following is a synopsis of what came out of these discussions.

Fear FactorBeing part of an interdisciplinary team can be

intimidating, and some team members may experi-ence a marked degree of fear. One key component in allaying these concerns is to be certain that all team members are participating in CE; interdisci-plinary dentistry is less intimidating when the team is well educated. Another way to combat this fear is to scale back on the complexity of the case and as-sist in case presentation. Also, Directors need to be aware of the concerns of team members. A survey can encourage open communication. Though it may be difficult and uncomfortable at times, unfiltered dialogue is another key to achieving effective com-munication in an interdisciplinary team. To foster an effective team environment we must remember to be humble and honest in our communications with others. We need to validate questions and concerns and make it safe for everyone to voice their opinions. Striving to find and acknowledge something positive in every conversation with a member can go a long way in facilitating open dialogue. We also need to develop leadership skills in our members. Continued learning and open communication in the safety of our study clubs will encourage personal growth and professional prosperity for our members, as well as strengthen our clubs.

Clearing the Way for CommunicationWe also discussed the type of

collaborative communication nec-essary to help our patients move forward. First, we covered the re-ferral itself. We need to recognize that the referral process is unique

to each doctor. The patient must be referred in an effective manner, and the

doctors must confer in advance to ensure that the specialist can meet the needs of the referring doctor. It was agreed that the refer-

ring doctor should know the referred-to doctor well and have complete trust in him or her, because this underlying feeling of trust transfers to the patient. The doctor, not the staff, should provide the refer-ral to the patient, and the referral must be conveyed with a strong and sincere endorsement. Second, the communication between colleagues must be strengthened. We need to share our philosophies with each other to ensure compatibility in communi-cation and in clinical matters. Response times must be coordinated and defined as to when and how doctors will communicate with each other. We can also clearly define the role of our staff in the referral process. Our staff members must be able to support interoffice communications and establish a system for the seamless transfer of records, and determine how and when records and data will be shared.

Closing the LoopFinally, we discussed what must happen to ensure

that the patient completes treatment once they say “yes.” First, we need to maintain the confidence that made them say “yes” in the first place. This can start by developing and communicating a master plan within the interdisciplinary team and then maintaining that communication with periodic updates. A patient who is unhappy with the referred-to office requires honest and direct communication, and we need to listen attentively, paying attention to the details of the patient’s complaint. In discussions with the patient, the general dentist needs to reinforce confidence in the specialist, if appropriate. We should also call the doctor in question to discuss the patient’s unease and see what can be done to alleviate the concern. Staff involvement in the interdisciplinary process is also essential. Educating staff with the systems and the referral processes of interdisciplin-ary team members’ offices will create a smooth tran-sition for the patient from the general dentist to the specialist.

Investigating Interdisciplinary Issues – Part Two, 2009 Directors Summit

At the May Directors Summit in Bellevue, Suzanne Boswell continued this discussion and facilitated development of a plan for clubs to help members embrace interdisciplinary dentistry and help us all to Thrive. Look for the next Open Mike for details.

Investigating Interdisciplinary Issues – Part One, Symposium 2009By Carla Kimball & Heather Bright