Treatment Coordinator Training Manual

Training Manual

Treatment Coordinator

The information in this manual will help ensure our practices run as smoothly as possible. They

will be updated regularly and therefore should be reviewed often.

As new memos and information become available these manuals will be updated and

distributed accordingly.

These job descriptions have been carefully thought out and planned. Job descriptions

help avoid miscommunication and frustration in the office. These manuals are viewed as guides

and we expect everyone to work as a team. If you are good enough to work at Thrive you

are good enough to handle any task asked of you. Saying “it’s not my job” should never

be uttered by our team members. We pride ourselves on being a team and therefore you

must be the best team player possible. We do whatever it takes to support everyone in the office

to allow an outstanding patient and staff experience.

We have very high expectations for our team members.

Our employees have an extremely high attendance rating. Many employees have never missed

a day of work and they are the ones who advance the highest at Thrive. If you have a serious

emergency you MUST COVER FOR YOURSELF. Do not burden the managers with having to

find someone to fill in for you. You should have a list of fellow employees and call every person

on that list to help you during your emergency. Once all avenues are exhausted then you can

contact your manager for help in coverage during your absence.

Thrive Standards

Before anything, let’s review our standards here at Thrive

1. SERVANT LEADERSHIP. We are servant leaders who lead with love. We always take

the initiative. We care deeply and elevate the people around us.

2. COMPASSION. Always show compassion and empathy to patients and one another.

3. SMILE. Always. We always answer the phone with a smile. We greet our patients with a

smile, and we always call them by their names.

4. WELL-GROOMED. We are in a highly professional environment with high standards.

We must look the part. This means looking sharp, good hygiene, dressed professionally,

and with light makeup and hair done.

5. POSITIVITY. Create a positive and family spirit. We are are family! We choose to have a

positive attitude and help our team succeed.

6. HIGHEST STANDARDS. We insist on only the highest standards. This includes the

highest standards of dental care, customer service, professionalism, accountability,

promptness and cleanliness.

7. INTEGRITY. We do everything with absolute integrity. We do not tolerate dishonesty or

violation of HIPPA protocols.

8. PROMPTNESS. Promptness is an absolute requirement. No excuses. We want to be

prepared ahead of time for our patients’ arrival.

9. TEAMWORK. We always take the initiative to help our team succeed. If the bathroom

needs to be cleaned, clean it. We never say, “that’s not my job.”

10. EXPERIENCE. We do everything in our power to deliver an awesome AWESOME

experience for our patients EVERY time. Every team member asks the patient, “How

was your experience?” (3 times total)

11. ASSURANCE. We comfort dental fears with loving care. We reassure our patients that

they are in the best hands. We constantly check in with our patients, showing concern

for their comfort and well-being.

12. COMMUNITY. We build strong and healthy communities. We serve our communities

with love and generosity. Each of us represents the Thrive name. Tell everyone about us!

13. GROWTH. Commit to constant growth and learning. At Thrive, we empower each team

member to become the servant leader they were created to be.

14. FUN. Have fun and dream big!

Table of Contents

Section 1: Chair 4/ Treatment Coordinator

A. Job Description

B. Opening Duties

C. Treatment Planning

D. Communication and Overcoming obstacles

E. End of Day Duties

Section 2: Miscellaneous

A. Rules

B. Verbals/Scripts

C. Equipment Repair / Replacement Guidelines

Section 1

Chair 4/Treatment Coordinator

A. Job Description

The treatment coordinator’s primary missing is getting patients to stay for same-day treatment.

This is likely the most important role in the front because if patients do not stay for treatment

then office hours have to be cut and bonuses are not earned.

Your primary job is to get patients to start treatment but you must also help in all front desk

duties. You must also help with internal and external marketing, filling the schedule with

unscheduled treatments, recall appointments, etc.

B. Opening Duties

- Review the schedule and look for any potential opportunities

- Return any treatment-related phone calls and emails

- Make sure all treatment coordinator sheets from the prior day are completed.

- Assist front desk team members with opening duties.

C. Treatment Planning

It is essential for treatment plan coordinators to be familiar with insurance, dental treatment, and

patient concerns so they can help patients stay for the treatment they need. On every treatment

plan you will see a lot of information that WILL BE DAUNTING for nearly every patient.

If the patient has a lot of treatment we must break it down into smaller pieces so the patient can

understand and be more likely to start. Patients typically look at the biggest numbers only so it is

imperative that we guide them by pointing directly to the treatment plan and breaking treatment

into proper segments.

On each treatment plan, there are 12 columns along with a tooth visual aid and insurance

information at the bottom.

From left to right it shows the status (Done), Priority, Tth (tooth #), Surf (surface of the tooth),

Code (code for treatment), Sub (if a procedure gets downgraded), Description of the procedure,

Fee (Fee we are charing the patient), Allowed (will only show a number if we have to

downgrade), Pri Ins (primary insurance), Sec Ins (secondary insurance), Pat (patient portion).

Treatment Plan Steps:

1. Complete the patient Exam and X-rays. The exam is under the correct provider and

Xrays are under “office”.

a. If the patient is able to stay for same-day cleaning or treatment that will be a

separate appointment in open dental.

2. Phase the treatment plan according to the following order.

a. Patients CC if it’s pain

b. SRP

c. Fillings

d. Root Canal / Crown / Buildup

e. Bridge

f. Implants

g. Wisdom teeth extractions

h. Veneers

3. Always review the patient's insurance before presenting treatment. Check the patients:

a. SRP history and treatment history

b. Type of fee schedule. If you change the fee schedule make sure to update the

treatment plans fees

c. SRP frequency, Missing tooth clause, and waiting period. If these are not

checked properly the entire treatment plan may be wrong.

i. If there is a waiting period that means you must zero out all insurance

payments for those particular procedures.

ii. MTC (missing tooth clause). If there is an MTC then you MUST ZERO

OUT the insurance portion if the patient ALREADY HAS TEETH

MISSING IN THAT AREA.

1. This applies to bridges, partials, implants, etc. If the patient is

missing tooth #8 and wants a bridge from 7-9 the insurance will

pay zero if there is an MTC on that plan.

d. Implants: Check the patient’s WP, MTC, and if they have any coverage. We

typically run implant specials so check with your manager to see what cash

pricing may be.

e. Veneers or Cosmetic Crowns: Zero out the coverage as insurance typically does

not pay on cosmetic cases.

i. Wax-up fees are typically needed with these cases and are an extra fee.

To mark a procedure as “Do not bill to insurance”, open the treatment plan module, select the

procedure you want to not be sent to insurance.

To Zero out insurance, open the treatment plan module, select the procedure you want

insurance to pay zero, double click in the “Insurance estimates and payments” area. Change the

insurance amount to 0.

Updating Fees:

It is common for a patient to get booked for a new patient exam and they may be under the

office's UCR fees or other insurance plans fees.

When making changes to the insurance make sure to correct the fee schedule and “Update

fees”. If you do not do this the entire treatment plan will be incorrect, the EOB will not match and

patients will be upset.

After all the information is entered correctly and phased appropriately print out the treatment

plan with the following information:

1. Op#

2. Any waiting periods (WP)

3. Any missing tooth clause (MTC)

4. SRP frequency

Treatment planning Virtues

- A patient’s treatment plan can be daunting and tough to navigate and that is why we

need excellent coordinators to guide the patient to same-day treatment.

- When presenting make sure to “show and tell” the patient so they can follow along. Do

not over-explain procedures, rather guide them along the treatment plan journey

- Assistants and doctors are told to organize treatment plans in quadrants and from

cleanings to fillings to RCT/Crowns/BU unless there is a chief complaint. It is the job of

the treatment coordinator to ensure the treatment plan makes sense from a patient

perspective.

- Therefore you should not have too many procedures in one phase especially if

insurance will not cover the whole phase.

- It would be more intelligent to phase out treatments according to visits and

insurance maximums.

- When trying to phase out insurance it would be best to keep over the yearly

maximums on different phases so it is clear for the patient to see anything over

phase X is not covered this year but could easily be done next.

- Our goal at Thrive is to maximize insurance benefits. The patients have already paid for

these benefits so it is our goal to help the patients utilize what they have already paid for.

- TCs (treatment coordinators) should review the schedule in the mornings and after lunch

to make sure there are no treatment planning errors.

- Any treatment payment plans must be clearly marked on the treatment plan paper and

signed by the patient. This will prevent confusion in the end. Do not mark multiple

payment plans, various monthly payments, deductions, etc on one treatment plan. If

needed print out an entirely new plan and clearly mark on the plan the special you gave

to the patient.

- We emphasize same-day treatment at our offices. The patient is already in the chair and

ready to receive treatment. They save us time by already being in the chair so we should

offer discounts for same-day treatment.

- All staff should understand what a missing tooth clause is. This is when a patient comes

in with a missing tooth and would like a bridge, implant, etc for that missing tooth. If the

insurance has an MTC then they will not cover that bridge/implant etc.

- Remember SPEED/ACCURACY IS EVERYTHING. Patients are more likely to stay if the

new patient exam and treatment presentation are done in a speedy and accurate

manner. If the patient is waiting for 30 minutes for a treatment plan they are very unlikely

to stay for treatment.

- Review the patient's chart for any medical conditions that would prevent us from starting

that same day.

- Review the patient’s ledger to see if they have an HSA or FSA card as they will likely

want to use that for further treatment.

Communication:

Communication is key to selling a treatment plan. Remember we are “selling” an amazing

product which is dental health and confidence. We are the luckiest people in the world because

we are doing things that will make patients healthier, happier, and more confident and insurance

may pay for the majority of treatment

Be confident while presenting, look patients in the eye, and also be on eye level. Confidence is

contagious but so is a lack of confidence and a shaky voice. Patients want you to feel empathy

towards them and that you have the confidence to take care of their issues. We teach empathy

and confidence to everyone including our doctors.

Knowing the patient's history, insurance benefits, if they have an HSA, etc before the actual

appointment will help you speed up presentations and show the patient you know about their

specific plan.

“Good morning Mrs. Smith! My name is _____ and I am the treatment coordinator. How

are you doing today? (wait for response) I am going to go over your treatment plan that

Dr. ____ made for you and how your insurance is going to help you with that cost and

then I’ll answer any questions you have. How does that sound?

After the patient has given you permission to continue and has said “yes” multiple times you

guide them through the process.

Take cues from how the patient is acting. Some people want you to give them the facts and how

you will save them money asap. Other patients want a detailed explanation of every little

procedure. Take cues from the patients and act accordingly. Emphasize SAME DAY

TREATMENT and because they are saving us the time we will save them money.

“Ok Mrs. Smith, we want to get your mouth back to its pristine condition and save you as

much money as possible. We can get there by starting with this first step today”

It is generally best to keep treatment plans very brief. Most patients want to see the overall

picture and have you guide them through the process. It is your goal to guide patients to

same-day treatment as soon as possible. Always point to the treatment plan and clearly mark

what can be done today.

It is important to notate to patients that they can save more money if they do multiple items in

one visit. The whole concept is that if a patient does more fillings at once we do not need to

bring them back therefore we save chair time/money so the patient saves money. We want to

reward patients for saving us time. It takes a lot of time to clean a room, take blood pressure,

turn on Netflix, numb the patient, etc therefore if we can do more in one visit we save time and

we should transfer those cost savings to the patient. “We save time, you save money!”

Common phrases you should incorporate are “Metlife has you covered for the majority of the

costs”, “Oh you have Aetna so they will cover most of the cost”, “Wow you have great

insurance so they are going to cover a lot for you”.

You should be prepared for any objections that will come your way but they boil down to 3 main

objections:

1. Pain. They believe the procedures will be painful.

2. Time. They are in a rush to get back home.

3. Money. They believe dentistry in our beautiful offices has to be very expensive.

Concerns of pain

We treat our patients like family and we use a variety of methods to ease their discomfort. All of

our doctors use a topical anesthetic gel to numb the area before they insert the needle. If done

properly many patients do not feel the needle.

If they are very anxious the patient should be offered nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or perhaps

some light sedation (medication) to be taken before the appointment.

Some patients are extremely anxious and for that, they can be offered IV sedation where they

will not remember anything about the procedure. For IV sedation we bring in a specialist who

monitors them during the appointment.

Specific treatments may not even require numbing, such as an SRP, can be done with a strong

topical anesthetic.

Concerns of Time

First off we should be preparing patients from the moment they call in for a new patient exam.

They should be aware that we will attempt to do the same-day treatment. We also must be very

prepared so the patient is not waiting in the lobby or operatory room.

Also saying things like “it’ll never take less time than it will today” is an accurate statement

because as mentioned it takes time for patients to check-in, sit down, etc. but they are already

in the chair ready to go now.

If a patient asks about how much time, say ambiguous things like “no time at all” as we do not

want to lock our back staff into specific time constraints. If a patient wants a more accurate time,

ask your lead RDA.

Furthermore giving a large discount to a time-constrained patient can make them quickly find

the time!

Cost concerns

We want to work with patients to make sure they get the treatment they should. Remember

cavities do not get smaller therefore it behooves us to work with patients to help them today.

Each office should have a minimum acceptable amount for various procedures. When in

doubt consult our Thrive Dental plan to view averaging pricing. If a patient has high fees and

great insurance we should be offering them tremendous discounts to get started today.

Always keep in mind that if a seat is empty we are losing money. We should be keeping all

seats full at all times. If you have been with us for some time you know that as the offices do

better we compensate employees more.

It is your job to become a master financier and help patients get the treatment they need. You

can offer payment plans, CareCredit, look at their FSA/HSA cards, reverse layaway (paying for

procedures a little each week until they can afford it), etc.

Financing should rarely be the issue as we will do whatever we can to help the patient.

If you are offering a payment plan you must have a CARD ON FILE.

“Aetna is covering $600 of the total cost of your deep cleaning and fillings. Your

out-of-cost expense would be $450 but remember if you save us time we save you money

so if you stay today to get the SRP and fillings it will only cost you $150 for the cleaning

and we will do your fillings for free. You can even split that payment up into 2 payments

with a card on file. But, there is one catch... you must tell all of your friends and family

how awesome we are here at Thrive.”

It is very important to follow this script as patients will often come in for an exam and cleaning

but did not expect to get fillings done. When you associate the cost to the cleanings the patient

already knew they were likely coming in for cleaning so will pay the cost. They might as well

stay as well because the fillings are free. Also, if they choose not to stay for the fillings, they will

reschedule as the fillings are free.

As soon as the patient accepts treatment inform the back team what will be done today and get

the consents. Everything must be done in a timely manner for a great patient experience.

If a patient absolutely cannot stay they must be rescheduled to keep those same deals. They

should not be scheduled at prime time (Saturdays and before closing).

- Remember, if they want to keep the deal we presented for them as a same-day start

they must schedule and keep that appointment.

Make sure to have the patient sign the treatment plan and scan it in the chart. It should be very

clear what discounts were offered and that they are only good for today or if they preschedule.

Remember that even though a patient may not stay for same-day treatment it is not a total loss.

If we are busy that may be for the best and if we treat the patients well they will come back.

Scheduled treatment always takes priority over same-day treatment but it is important to look at

doctor time. Just because a crown is scheduled for 60 minutes does not mean the doctor will be

in there the whole time. They are likely in the operatory for a maximum of 20 minutes total.

Treatment coordinator’s main goal is to get treatment for the doctors and hygienists. You will be

checking schedules, going over lists, etc to make the schedule productive. You are one of the

only people who can discuss pricing with patients over the phone. It is important for you to

follow up with patients and therefore not taking is important.

Another great resource is practice analytics as you can look up patients who have outstanding

insurance benefits as well as treatment plans remaining.

E. End of Day Duties

- Make sure all treatment plans have been scanned and notated

- Make sure all patients who did not schedule have follow-ups planned

- Review charts for the following day and look over patients’ insurance and treatment

plans.

- Help with the front office to work on EOD.

SECTION 2 MISCELLANEOUS

A. Rules for the front desk position

a. Front desk is NEVER left unattended during working hours.

b. Front desk must be in uniform, makeup and hair done as if you were going out for

a nice dinner. Remember you are the face of the office as you are the first person

the patient sees.

c. Front desk staff does not use phone, computers, tablets for personal use while at

the front.

d. Talking about other staff members or personal issues while at the front is not

permitted. You would be surprised at how well your voice carries down the hall

and into the operatories.

2. Verbal’s/Scripts

Confirming Appointments

“Good Morning Mrs. Smith, thank you for returning my call. I have you

confirmed for a new patient exam at 2 pm on _______ at our _______ (city)

location. I can text you the link for our new patient paperwork. If you could fill

this information out before your arrival that will speed up your check in

process. Great, we look forward to seeing you Thursday at 2 pm.”

Each office has a specific link for their paperwork therefore do not just direct them to

our website as they will likely get confused and fill out paperwork that may go to the

wrong office.

Cancellations

“Mrs. Smith, is there any way I can help you keep that appointment today. Dr.

____ had that time reserved just for you. We can see you a little earlier or later

to help accommodate your schedule.”

If a patient keeps the appointment, thank them and tell them you will see them shortly.

If the patient still cancels their appointment make sure to not give them any prime time

appointments such as Saturdays, first thing in the morning, and the last few appointments of the

day.

Notate in their commlog the cancellation reason and if it was less than a 24-hour notice.

Gently remind them of our cancellation policy and that they will be charged $35 as we

require a 24-hour cancellation notice. If this is their first time let them know you will waive the

charge one time as a courtesy but in reality, we will never charge the patient this fee.

Complimentary Whitening:

“The complimentary whitening includes custom trays and one whitening gel

syringe. It should get you 1-2 shades whiter with 3 days or so of treatment. We

recommend putting a tiny amount of gel into each tooth and wearing the trays

for 45 minutes a day. If you are not sensitive you can leave them for up to one

hour.

You can purchase additional whitening gel for $20 each or you can give us a

five-star review on any platform such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, Facebook, Yelp,

etc. and we will give an additional syringe for each review. 3 reviews will get

you 3 additional syringes! (we max out at 3)

Also, you will get a new syringe at your next recall exam.

We take our customer service seriously so if anyone made your visit

exceptionally good we would love for you to mention their name. Thank you

and have a great day!”

Questions regarding billing

Most patients do not understand their EOB (explanation of benefits). It is very complicated and

usually arrives at the patient's house 2 weeks before the office gets it. The EOB may not match

up to what we have offered the patient and many times they will be paying a lot less than what

their EOB states so the patient is confused.

Make sure to reference the treatment plan that was scanned into the patient's chart for all billing

questions as they should be clearly marked.

If it is a question you cannot easily answer, have them direct the question to the manager.

If you do not know the answer do not make it up. Nothing is worse than you telling them

something that is not correct and the manager having to reconcile any mistakes that were said.

Patient has pain after dental treatment

If the patient has pain after a dental treatment they can get upset. They do not understand the

intricacies of treatment and that the teeth may be sore after we removed excessive cavities. You

can offer a kind explanation and reassure them you will find a solution.

Remember whenever a patient is in pain show empathy and comfort them! Let them know you

will help them find a solution and because you are not the treating dentist you may not have the

solution but we can bring them in to have the doctor take a look at them.

“Mrs. Smith I’m sorry you are having pain. Let’s get you in to see Dr. ____ as

she is an excellent doctor and I’m sure she can help find a solution. A lot of

times it’s something as simple as a bite adjustment but there is no way to tell

for sure unless we see you. Are you available to come in today at ______?”

This will work for the vast majority of patients. Something to keep in mind is that even the best

doctors cannot really diagnose over the phone so they will need to see the patient. But, If the

patient absolutely insists on talking to the doctor, inform the treating doctor and have them call

the patient ASAP.

It is vital for us to treat these patients quickly as no one wants to be in pain and they associate

the pain with our office. Make sure to notate the conversation in the CommLog.

MVP Patients

These are patients you call last minute to fill a broken appointment, last-minute openings, etc.

You can pull these names from any number of lists (recall, broken appointments, pending

treatment, etc.)

These patients are vital to filling up the schedule so we want to treat them like a true MVP.

We will offer them $200 off their patient portion if they can come in at the specific day and

time you are trying to fill. You call these patients 1-2 days before the appointment to fill gaps in

the schedule. You are NOT calling these patients a week or two in advance to fill the gaps in the

schedule.

The whole idea of these patients is that they are helping fill last-minute gaps in the schedule so

the doctor can be productive instead of sitting on their hands doing nothing.

“Hi Mrs. Smith this is ______ from Thrive Dental in ______ (city). I’m calling to

offer you a chance to be our MVP patient. If you could fill the opening I have at

_______ we will give you a $200 credit towards your treatment. In order to receive

this MVP offering you simply help us fill our schedule (Today or Tomorrow) in

one of our short notice appointments.”

Overall scripts

If you do not have the answer to a patient’s question do not make one up. Simply let the patient

know you will find a solution and either get someone who can help them or take a message.

“Mrs. Smith I am more than happy to help you. I want to get you the most

accurate answer possible so I am going to place you on a brief hold while I

transfer you to one of our specialists.”

Equipment Repair

Learn to do minor repairs by yourself or ask someone who has repaired/replaced it before. Most

of the office supplies we get off Amazon or similar companies. It is a fix that is less than $200

ask your manager to replace/fix it.

Many issues can be repaired with a quick reset or small replacement.

Office Equipment

1. Try to fix the problem yourself

2. Check for warranties.

3. If you have tried resets, tightening bolts, changing batteries, unplugging and replugging

in cords then call the appropriate person.

a. Ben is our IT specialist for computer setups etc (we rarely need to call him)

b. Each office has its own internet provider

c. Mango is our phone and fax provider

4. In an emergency call Dr. Nate or Sam.

5. Anything under $200 confirm with your manager and replace the item.

Clinical Equipment

1. Once again try to fix it yourself as most issues are just a tightening of a loose bolt.

2. Inform the regional RDA of the issue if you cannot fix it.

a. They will call southwest or the appropriate company

3. In an emergency call Dr. Nate or Sam.

4. Anything under $200 confirm with your manager and pay it with the office credit card.

a. Keep all quotes/receipts.