Client interview, May 2015 - Chinchilla Dental is a rural practice that has been a Prime Practice client for the last 10 years. Dr Don Clarke is the original owner and Dr Gina Irwin bought into the practice 18 months ago. 

Why did you join Prime Practice?
Dr Clarke: the practice was very hectic, busy and disorganised. A lot of patch-up dentistry with no real appointment book. When someone walked in the door, we would see them. We had no pattern financially and just winged it. We couldn’t measure anything. In hindsight, it’s actually pretty embarrassing.

Dr Irwin: Our appointment book was controlling the practice and our every day. We had lots of people squeezed in, with no consistency regarding production. We also didn’t really understand the financials involved with running a practice and what was considered normal.

How were you introduced to Prime Practice?
Dr Clarke: A colleague of mine recommended it based on the problems we were having in the practice and it sounded like exactly what we needed. So, we came down to Sydney to do the Practice Owner’s Workshop and found Dr Palmer very inspiring and all he was saying made a lot of sense. I really liked the fact that he was a dentist and I thought if we managed to get our practice to the level Phillip was talking about, we would be happy.

What has changed since Prime Practice?
Dr Irwin: I have been at Chinchilla Dental for 15 years and was working there for 5 years before Prime Practice were brought on to help us. At that stage there was just the two overworked dentists Donald and myself. We have grown to become a very busy rural practice with 3 dentists and a hygienist, requiring major extension of our current building. Our first hygienist was brought on 9 years ago on the advice of Prime Practice and we haven’t looked back from it. It has been great to watch our patients develop a trusting relationship with another person at the practice as well as the dentist - the patients come back and see the hygienist to actively maintain their teeth, which has freed up time for the operators to do the more productive work.

Dr Clarke: We try to be more organised. We have a financial plan, which has given us great guidelines for the year and our appointment book looks a lot more structured. We also have an annual plan and operating statement, from a financial point of view. From a team perspective, we pay much more attention to HR, including having regular meetings with key staff members. As a result they are much more engaged and we are made aware of most things that are happening most of the time. They even independently run different committees on a rotating basis for example the Ordering Committee and the Maintenance Committee, so we know everything is covered and they get trained in different aspects of the practice. We are lucky that we have been able to create a real sense of community around our practice which is also important in a rural setting. We have an LED Community Noticeboard outside our practice which is free to be used for any upcoming local events and we are regularly involved in community causes such sponsorship of a Show Society Art Prize, an Anzac day youth art prize, sponsoring a local school Bull Ride event this year and of course entering a float at the biannual Chinchilla Melon Festival (we have won most humorous float on two separate occasions! – Austin Powers theme this year and Tooth Fairies a few years ago). The team all love wearing their custom tee ‘uniform’ to and from work on a daily basis.

What is the biggest thing that changed?
Dr Irwin: We have more consistency in our days with more ideal days and more consistent production. And less stress. We have also empowered the team so they can communicate with people as well, which helps build the team’s capability, gives more team stability and takes some of the stress off the dentists’ shoulders. Also, Don and I really complement each other and work together along with our team to deliver the ultimate experience to our patients. Primespeak has also helped as we can now communicate effectively without getting the patients offside, but still diagnosing appropriately.

How have you found the coaching experience?
Dr Irwin: I have been coached for 12 months. It really helps keep you on track and be more accountable. It’s all a matter of following through on what your goals are and what you will do about achieving them. I am blown away by my coach’s ability to communicate things effectively. When I have an issue with staff, she can come up with a way to communicate it that allows the staff member to solve it themselves instead of us telling them what we think. This has given us a lot more stability with our staff in the last two years because they feel empowered, rewarded and appreciated. Maintaining current staff has been an issue in the past particularly with keeping young people in a rural setting.

Dr Clarke: Coaching has been very good as it keeps you on track. Being the type of person I am, I find it a bit daunting sometimes, but it makes me more aware of my failings and shortcomings and stop being embarrassed by them and start working with them.

Have these changes affected your life outside of work?
Dr Clarke: Not having to worry about the practice constantly has been a huge relief. I had to take off an extended period of time a few years ago and the team managed to keep the practice going without me. That gave me huge peace of mind. Having all the structures in place means I can get on with other aspects of my life without constantly worrying about everything going on in the practice. And because the team knows what they are doing, you don’t worry so much.