Introduction

As the Director of Digital Marketing at Specialty Dental Brands, overseeing the management and marketing efforts for over 100 specialty dental practices, it became clear that a robust, HIPAA-compliant Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system was crucial for enhancing our referral processes and ensuring the highest standards of patient data security. In October 2023, I embarked on extensive research to identify the most suitable CRM platform for our needs. After careful evaluation of several options, including Zoho, Salesforce, HubSpot, and others, I ultimately chose GoHighLevel (GHL) as our CRM solution, primarily due to its HIPAA compliance and comprehensive feature set tailored for healthcare-related businesses.

Increased Referrals & Scheduled Appointments

• 37.67% New Patients

• 29.92% Follow-Up Referrals

Research and Selection Process:

The research was meticulous, focusing on the critical need for HIPAA compliance due to the sensitive nature of patient data handled by our dental practices. The ability to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) with the CRM provider was non-negotiable. The CRM met this requirement effectively, offering a secure platform that aligned with our stringent data protection policies. Other key features considered during my evaluation included the ability to manage multiple dashboards for lead tracking, clone dashboards for scalability, and integrate with our existing systems without incurring excessive additional costs.

Implementation Phase:

The implementation of the CRM commenced in January 2024, starting with the development of a network referral process within the CRM. This process was designed to streamline and enhance how referrals were managed across our dental practices, ensuring that every lead was efficiently tracked and followed up on. We initiated a pilot test in three selected dental offices to evaluate the effectiveness of the CRM and the newly developed referral process.

The results were impressive within the first three months:

• 1,200 referrals were recorded and contacted for appointment scheduling.

• 452 appointments were successfully scheduled.

• 359 referrals were still pending follow-up.

• Only 106 referrals were lost, a minimal number considering the scale of the test.

These results demonstrated the efficacy of the CRM in managing referrals and improving patient acquisition processes. The success of the pilot led to the decision to expand the network referral marketing process to additional practices. By the third quarter of 2024, we plan to implement this process across three more networks, further solidifying our referral management strategy.

Challenges and Collaboration:

Implementing the CRM across a large organization required thorough planning and collaboration with multiple departments, including Legal, IT, and Operations. Securing approval from these departments was essential, particularly to ensure that the CRM's implementation adhered to legal requirements and did not disrupt existing workflows.

We worked closely with our Integrations team, dental offices, and the internal call center to ensure that the new processes were seamless and did not add unnecessary burdens to the already busy schedules of our staff. The ease of use of GoHighLevel was a significant factor in its successful adoption, as it allowed our teams to integrate new tasks into their routines with minimal disruption.

Additional Benefits:

Beyond referral management, the CRM has also been instrumental in handling website referrals. The CRM provides a comprehensive dashboard that tracks new contacts acquired through website form submissions. This feature has enabled our operations team to closely monitor lead quality and ensure that all leads are being nurtured appropriately, further enhancing our patient acquisition efforts.

2.7k New Leads were captured for our single office location offices in June and July

In addition to streamlining patient referral processes, the implementation of the CRM has also been instrumental in Specialty Dental Brands' strategic growth initiatives. The CRM has been seamlessly integrated into the company's process of identifying, acquiring, and onboarding pediatric dentists, orthodontists, and oral surgeons to expand our network of practices. By leveraging the CRM’s robust capabilities, our sales team can efficiently track and manage leads related to potential new partnerships, ensuring that every interaction with prospective doctors is recorded and followed up with precision. This has not only enhanced our ability to attract top-tier dental professionals but has also facilitated smoother collaboration and onboarding, allowing new doctors to integrate quickly and effectively into our network. The CRM's role in this process underscores its value as a comprehensive tool for driving both patient growth and organizational expansion.

Conclusion and Future Outlook:

The implementation of the CRM has been a strategic success, significantly improving our referral management processes and providing a secure, HIPAA-compliant solution that meets the complex needs of our organization. As we continue to roll out the CRM across more networks and practices with multiple locations, we anticipate even greater improvements in our patient acquisition and retention strategies.

By the end of 2024, our goal is to have the CRM fully implemented across all practices under Specialty Dental Brands, with all teams leveraging its capabilities to drive growth and enhance patient care. This initiative not only positions us as a leader in the dental industry but also sets a benchmark for how healthcare organizations can effectively use technology to manage patient relationships and referrals.