1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,980 Hey there, dental professionals and industry enthusiasts. 2 00:00:03,600 --> 00:00:06,000 Picture this. It's October, and you're in the 3 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:07,779 middle of one of the most transformative 4 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:10,880 experiences of your career. You're at the Becker's 5 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:13,359 fall future of dentistry roundtable in the vibrant 6 00:00:13,359 --> 00:00:16,094 city of Chicago, fresh off an incredible 3 7 00:00:16,094 --> 00:00:19,154 days at the Hyatt Regency. Imagine yourself inspired 8 00:00:19,295 --> 00:00:22,974 and invigorated after attending captivating keynote sessions by 9 00:00:22,974 --> 00:00:25,714 none other than the legendary boxing world champion 10 00:00:25,774 --> 00:00:29,554 and CEO, Lila Elite, and the extraordinary professional 11 00:00:30,179 --> 00:00:33,399 player, Caitlin Clark. See yourself engaged in lively 12 00:00:33,460 --> 00:00:36,500 discussions, exchanging ideas, and collecting a stack of 13 00:00:36,500 --> 00:00:39,560 business cards from fellow dental experts and potential 14 00:00:39,619 --> 00:00:42,200 partners. You've networked with over 350 15 00:00:42,579 --> 00:00:45,140 attendees and learned from more than 80 speakers 16 00:00:45,140 --> 00:00:47,554 who are at the forefront of dental innovation. 17 00:00:48,414 --> 00:00:49,795 You sat in on educational 18 00:00:50,094 --> 00:00:52,975 sessions exploring topics that elevate dental care as 19 00:00:52,975 --> 00:00:55,774 a critical element of whole person health. You've 20 00:00:55,774 --> 00:00:58,994 witnessed firsthand how digital technology is revolutionizing 21 00:00:59,454 --> 00:01:00,530 patient outcomes 22 00:01:00,909 --> 00:01:04,209 and how both large DSOs and independent practices 23 00:01:04,349 --> 00:01:05,170 are flourishing. 24 00:01:05,469 --> 00:01:07,709 Get ready to transform your career and don't 25 00:01:07,709 --> 00:01:10,609 miss out on this incredible opportunity. The Becker's 26 00:01:10,670 --> 00:01:13,569 fall future of dentistry roundtable is from October 27 00:01:13,745 --> 00:01:16,004 30th to November 1, 2024. 28 00:01:16,465 --> 00:01:18,645 Get registered by going to beckersdental.com 29 00:01:20,145 --> 00:01:21,924 and clicking on the events page. 30 00:01:22,784 --> 00:01:25,105 Hello. This is Arianna Portolatin with the Becker's 31 00:01:25,105 --> 00:01:27,210 Dental and DSO Review podcast. I'm thrilled to 32 00:01:27,210 --> 00:01:29,609 be joined today by Doctor. Matap Sadgimelli of 33 00:01:29,609 --> 00:01:32,010 Spouse of Naperville. Doctor. Sadgimelli, thank you so 34 00:01:32,010 --> 00:01:33,310 much for being here today. 35 00:01:33,930 --> 00:01:35,850 Arianna, thank you for having me. It's a 36 00:01:35,850 --> 00:01:36,350 pleasure. 37 00:01:36,890 --> 00:01:38,270 Yes, great to have you. 38 00:01:38,650 --> 00:01:40,650 To start us off, can you just introduce 39 00:01:40,650 --> 00:01:41,930 yourself and tell us a little bit about 40 00:01:41,930 --> 00:01:42,510 your background? 41 00:01:43,665 --> 00:01:46,224 Absolutely. I received my dental degree from University 42 00:01:46,224 --> 00:01:48,645 of Florida, where I also did my undergraduate 43 00:01:48,784 --> 00:01:49,765 degree in residency. 44 00:01:50,305 --> 00:01:52,385 I also have an MBA from University of 45 00:01:52,385 --> 00:01:55,230 Illinois Champaign Urbana. I've been in private practice 46 00:01:55,310 --> 00:01:56,930 for over two and a half decades, 47 00:01:57,390 --> 00:02:00,030 majority of which in San Francisco. I've done 48 00:02:00,030 --> 00:02:02,270 everything from being an associate to owning a 49 00:02:02,270 --> 00:02:05,409 boutique practice to having multiple practices to consulting, 50 00:02:06,030 --> 00:02:07,725 and the last 4 years, I've owned and 51 00:02:07,725 --> 00:02:10,525 operated a multi specialty practice in the suburbs 52 00:02:10,525 --> 00:02:11,264 of Chicago. 53 00:02:12,125 --> 00:02:13,585 Great. Thank you for that. 54 00:02:14,044 --> 00:02:15,564 What are some of the biggest issues that 55 00:02:15,564 --> 00:02:17,585 you're following right now in the dental industry? 56 00:02:18,685 --> 00:02:21,165 Obviously, staffing is a top issue. There's a 57 00:02:21,165 --> 00:02:23,540 shortage of talent out there and given dentistry 58 00:02:23,599 --> 00:02:26,400 requires a team approach, offices can't function at 59 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:27,700 their maximum capacity, 60 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:30,319 if they're short staffed or don't employ the 61 00:02:30,319 --> 00:02:32,400 right person. We are in a profession where 62 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:34,159 some of our staff is required to have 63 00:02:34,159 --> 00:02:35,140 appropriate licensing 64 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:37,564 and when we can't find the right challenge, 65 00:02:37,564 --> 00:02:39,724 we have to find solutions to address those 66 00:02:39,724 --> 00:02:40,224 restrictions. 67 00:02:40,764 --> 00:02:43,104 This challenge also plays into the development 68 00:02:43,405 --> 00:02:46,685 of the new Interstate Compact, allowing reciprocity and 69 00:02:46,685 --> 00:02:49,164 mobility of dentists and hygienists across the state 70 00:02:49,164 --> 00:02:49,664 lines. 71 00:02:50,250 --> 00:02:53,049 Compact could potentially address staff shortages in some 72 00:02:53,049 --> 00:02:54,969 of the southern states where most people are 73 00:02:54,969 --> 00:02:57,449 flocking to, but it could be devastating for 74 00:02:57,449 --> 00:02:59,610 the offices in the states that are losing 75 00:02:59,610 --> 00:03:01,469 residents worsening the problem. 76 00:03:01,930 --> 00:03:04,329 Another issue making me nervous is the dental 77 00:03:04,329 --> 00:03:07,134 loss ratio and insurance transparency, as well as 78 00:03:07,134 --> 00:03:09,935 network leasing and network merging of third party 79 00:03:09,935 --> 00:03:10,435 payers, 80 00:03:10,735 --> 00:03:12,814 which can become challenging when it comes to 81 00:03:12,814 --> 00:03:16,114 reimbursement. [SPEAKER UNIDENTIFIED COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE:] Yeah, yeah, definitely. 82 00:03:16,495 --> 00:03:18,189 I know you mentioned that you've been in 83 00:03:18,189 --> 00:03:19,870 the field for quite some time now, how 84 00:03:19,870 --> 00:03:22,370 have you seen the sort of dental workforce 85 00:03:22,430 --> 00:03:24,050 evolve during your time in the industry? 86 00:03:25,550 --> 00:03:27,330 Well, definitely post pandemic, 87 00:03:27,789 --> 00:03:28,530 there is 88 00:03:28,909 --> 00:03:29,409 less 89 00:03:30,625 --> 00:03:32,865 talented people in the market and so it 90 00:03:32,865 --> 00:03:34,405 is very hard to 91 00:03:35,025 --> 00:03:37,205 find the right person for the offices. 92 00:03:37,664 --> 00:03:38,944 At the same time, a lot of people 93 00:03:38,944 --> 00:03:41,284 are looking for a better work life balance. 94 00:03:41,344 --> 00:03:43,604 So it just makes it very hard overall 95 00:03:44,145 --> 00:03:46,590 to find the right person for the office 96 00:03:46,590 --> 00:03:48,610 and also that causes efficiency 97 00:03:49,549 --> 00:03:50,449 and productivity 98 00:03:50,750 --> 00:03:51,709 office to, 99 00:03:52,269 --> 00:03:53,009 be less. 100 00:03:53,709 --> 00:03:55,549 Okay, yeah. And you, I know you mentioned 101 00:03:55,549 --> 00:03:57,709 the interstate compact, we've been following that pretty 102 00:03:57,709 --> 00:03:59,415 closely. And I know a number of states 103 00:03:59,415 --> 00:04:01,354 have recently joined the compact. 104 00:04:02,375 --> 00:04:03,974 A lot of people are seeing it as 105 00:04:03,974 --> 00:04:04,474 a 106 00:04:04,775 --> 00:04:07,814 large beneficial solution, but you're saying that, there 107 00:04:07,814 --> 00:04:09,594 could be some downsides to it, right? 108 00:04:11,175 --> 00:04:13,754 You know, when I first became a dentist, 109 00:04:14,959 --> 00:04:16,959 we had to take boards in order to 110 00:04:16,959 --> 00:04:19,459 be certified in a particular state. 111 00:04:19,839 --> 00:04:22,079 And so I had to take 5 different 112 00:04:22,079 --> 00:04:23,919 boards in order to be able to practice 113 00:04:23,919 --> 00:04:25,759 where I wanted to practice as I was 114 00:04:25,759 --> 00:04:27,860 moving a little bit when I first graduated. 115 00:04:28,485 --> 00:04:30,084 So at the time, I was hoping that 116 00:04:30,084 --> 00:04:32,084 there would be just a universal board where 117 00:04:32,084 --> 00:04:34,245 I could essentially go anywhere that I wanted 118 00:04:34,245 --> 00:04:36,805 to. But as a business owner, now all 119 00:04:36,805 --> 00:04:39,764 these years later, it's definitely my mindset has 120 00:04:39,764 --> 00:04:41,545 changed because now it's definitely 121 00:04:42,730 --> 00:04:44,730 affecting the talent pool out there as well, 122 00:04:44,730 --> 00:04:47,850 because more people are moving across the state 123 00:04:47,850 --> 00:04:49,310 lines in order to 124 00:04:50,170 --> 00:04:53,050 have a change of lifestyle. And so it 125 00:04:53,050 --> 00:04:54,889 is making it a little bit harder to 126 00:04:54,889 --> 00:04:57,584 find the right talent for the office, especially 127 00:04:57,644 --> 00:04:58,704 in a market where, 128 00:04:59,084 --> 00:05:01,264 the talent pool has been diminished. 129 00:05:02,845 --> 00:05:04,064 Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting. 130 00:05:04,524 --> 00:05:06,305 What do you think can be done to 131 00:05:06,925 --> 00:05:08,524 solve or prepare for some of the issues 132 00:05:08,524 --> 00:05:10,524 that might come up with the compact being 133 00:05:10,524 --> 00:05:11,910 added in different states? 134 00:05:13,589 --> 00:05:15,430 I don't really think there is something to 135 00:05:15,430 --> 00:05:17,189 do. I mean, I like the fact that 136 00:05:17,189 --> 00:05:17,689 mobility 137 00:05:18,149 --> 00:05:20,649 does exist these days or can exist. 138 00:05:21,110 --> 00:05:23,189 But as a business owner, I really don't 139 00:05:23,189 --> 00:05:25,269 think that there's much that we can do 140 00:05:25,269 --> 00:05:26,569 in regards to that. 141 00:05:27,269 --> 00:05:27,764 Okay. 142 00:05:28,324 --> 00:05:30,245 And I know you mentioned a couple of 143 00:05:30,245 --> 00:05:31,845 things already that make you nervous about the 144 00:05:31,845 --> 00:05:32,345 industry. 145 00:05:32,645 --> 00:05:34,585 What is exciting to you right now? 146 00:05:36,245 --> 00:05:38,185 I'm excited about all the technological 147 00:05:38,564 --> 00:05:41,220 advancements since I graduated from dental school like 148 00:05:41,220 --> 00:05:44,419 laser dentistry, digital dentistry and 3 d printing 149 00:05:44,419 --> 00:05:46,839 and moving away from the analog workflow. 150 00:05:47,620 --> 00:05:50,439 One topic that gets me excited, but simultaneously 151 00:05:50,819 --> 00:05:52,360 makes me nervous is AI. 152 00:05:52,740 --> 00:05:54,795 We know that with the improvement in AI 153 00:05:55,035 --> 00:05:58,395 technology, diagnosis and treatment planning can improve as 154 00:05:58,395 --> 00:06:00,875 well as potentially help alleviate some of the 155 00:06:00,875 --> 00:06:02,574 challenges with the staff shortages. 156 00:06:03,194 --> 00:06:05,194 But at the same time, AI makes me 157 00:06:05,194 --> 00:06:07,754 nervous as more and more third party payers 158 00:06:07,754 --> 00:06:09,855 invest in the technology for reimbursement 159 00:06:10,759 --> 00:06:13,479 and claim processing as and as it stands, 160 00:06:13,479 --> 00:06:16,939 there are no mandated regulatory or ethical standards. 161 00:06:17,639 --> 00:06:20,620 Another issue making me nervous is that despite 162 00:06:20,680 --> 00:06:22,779 the high cost of technologies available, 163 00:06:23,235 --> 00:06:26,435 the reimbursement rates are decreasing year after year 164 00:06:26,435 --> 00:06:28,675 when the cost of running your practice is 165 00:06:28,675 --> 00:06:29,894 increasing astronomically, 166 00:06:30,915 --> 00:06:33,154 affecting the bottom line and the profit of 167 00:06:33,154 --> 00:06:33,814 the office. 168 00:06:34,194 --> 00:06:36,850 And we know that without profit, dental offices 169 00:06:36,910 --> 00:06:39,730 can invest in their staff or those expensive 170 00:06:39,790 --> 00:06:41,569 technologies we just talked about. 171 00:06:42,189 --> 00:06:45,470 Also post pandemic, the workforce is interested in 172 00:06:45,470 --> 00:06:47,009 a better work life balance, 173 00:06:47,389 --> 00:06:49,470 while at the same time patients are interested 174 00:06:49,470 --> 00:06:51,904 in going to the dentist after hours or 175 00:06:51,904 --> 00:06:52,725 on the weekends. 176 00:06:53,185 --> 00:06:55,985 So balancing the desire of the workforce and 177 00:06:55,985 --> 00:06:58,645 that of the patients is becoming more challenging, 178 00:06:59,025 --> 00:07:01,845 and makes me nervous about navigating that dichotomy 179 00:07:01,985 --> 00:07:03,525 and pleasing everyone. 180 00:07:04,829 --> 00:07:05,970 Yeah, yeah, definitely. 181 00:07:06,509 --> 00:07:08,509 And I know you mentioned, a lot of 182 00:07:08,509 --> 00:07:10,910 the things that other dental execs are following 183 00:07:10,910 --> 00:07:12,110 right now. And there's a lot going on 184 00:07:12,110 --> 00:07:13,410 in the industry versus, 185 00:07:13,790 --> 00:07:15,970 you know, when it comes to challenges and 186 00:07:16,110 --> 00:07:17,235 new developments and 187 00:07:17,714 --> 00:07:19,714 updates. With all of that in mind, what 188 00:07:19,714 --> 00:07:21,794 will the most effective healthcare leaders need to 189 00:07:21,794 --> 00:07:23,474 be successful within the next 2 to 3 190 00:07:23,474 --> 00:07:23,974 years? 191 00:07:25,714 --> 00:07:27,875 It is vital for leaders to have vision 192 00:07:27,875 --> 00:07:29,875 and goal and share that vision and goal 193 00:07:29,875 --> 00:07:32,670 with their staff. Hiring should also be based 194 00:07:32,670 --> 00:07:33,730 on core values 195 00:07:34,189 --> 00:07:36,270 and culture of the practices in order to 196 00:07:36,270 --> 00:07:38,270 be able to create that A team and 197 00:07:38,270 --> 00:07:40,210 ensure the success of the practice. 198 00:07:41,069 --> 00:07:43,230 On the people side, for the very first 199 00:07:43,230 --> 00:07:45,230 time in this country, we have 4 different 200 00:07:45,230 --> 00:07:48,185 generations in the work same field throughout 201 00:07:49,365 --> 00:07:49,481 their career and grow with that office, while 202 00:07:49,481 --> 00:07:50,274 Gen Zs and millennials may 203 00:08:00,680 --> 00:08:02,920 their career and grow with that office, while 204 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:05,399 Gen Zs and millennials may want short term 205 00:08:05,399 --> 00:08:05,899 employment, 206 00:08:06,439 --> 00:08:09,160 because to them changing careers may be a 207 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:12,120 stepping stone for a better future job. So 208 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,535 understanding the objectives, the priorities and mindset of 209 00:08:15,535 --> 00:08:17,855 each generation is vital for the leaders when 210 00:08:17,855 --> 00:08:18,915 it comes to staffing. 211 00:08:19,535 --> 00:08:21,774 So much has changed since the pandemic and 212 00:08:21,774 --> 00:08:23,634 leaders need to remain adaptable 213 00:08:24,095 --> 00:08:26,095 and think outside of the box to find 214 00:08:26,095 --> 00:08:26,595 solutions. 215 00:08:27,939 --> 00:08:30,660 Also, leaders must engage in data driven decision 216 00:08:30,660 --> 00:08:34,660 making and constantly measure themselves, their staff, their 217 00:08:34,660 --> 00:08:36,519 businesses to remain successful. 218 00:08:38,340 --> 00:08:40,259 Great. Well, thank you so much for joining 219 00:08:40,259 --> 00:08:42,154 us today, Doctor. Sadrimeli. It's been a pleasure 220 00:08:42,154 --> 00:08:43,514 speaking with you and I look forward to, 221 00:08:43,835 --> 00:08:45,375 connecting with you again in the future. 222 00:08:46,235 --> 00:08:48,394 I appreciate the invitation and the chance to 223 00:08:48,394 --> 00:08:50,634 talk to you, Arianna. Thank you. Yes. Thank 224 00:08:50,634 --> 00:08:52,095 you so much. Have a great day.