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 --> 00:00:16,015 city of Chicago, fresh off an incredible 3 7 00:00:16,015 --> 00:00:19,155 days at the Hyatt Regency. Imagine yourself inspired 8 00:00:19,214 --> 00:00:19,954 and invigorated 9 00:00:20,255 --> 00:00:23,375 after attending captivating keynote sessions by none other 10 00:00:23,375 --> 00:00:26,690 than the legendary boxing world champion and CEO, 11 00:00:26,910 --> 00:00:28,769 Lila Elite, and the extraordinary 12 00:00:29,150 --> 00:00:32,750 professional basketball player, Caitlin Clark. See yourself engaged 13 00:00:32,750 --> 00:00:33,890 in lively discussions, 14 00:00:34,190 --> 00:00:36,909 exchanging ideas, and collecting a stack of business 15 00:00:36,909 --> 00:00:39,854 cards from fellow dental experts and potential partners. 16 00:00:40,414 --> 00:00:42,114 You've networked with over 350 17 00:00:42,655 --> 00:00:45,215 attendees and learned from more than 80 speakers 18 00:00:45,215 --> 00:00:47,475 who are at the forefront of dental innovation. 19 00:00:48,335 --> 00:00:51,534 You sat in on educational sessions exploring topics 20 00:00:51,534 --> 00:00:54,015 that elevate dental care as a critical element 21 00:00:54,015 --> 00:00:57,109 of whole person health. You've witnessed firsthand how 22 00:00:57,109 --> 00:00:58,969 digital technology is revolutionizing 23 00:00:59,510 --> 00:01:00,490 patient outcomes 24 00:01:00,870 --> 00:01:04,250 and how both large DSOs and independent practices 25 00:01:04,390 --> 00:01:07,270 are flourishing. Get ready to transform your career 26 00:01:07,270 --> 00:01:09,049 and don't miss out on this incredible 27 00:01:09,435 --> 00:01:12,495 opportunity. The Becker's fall future of dentistry roundtable 28 00:01:12,635 --> 00:01:15,935 is from October 30th to November 1, 2024. 29 00:01:16,474 --> 00:01:18,655 Get registered by going to beckersdental.com 30 00:01:20,155 --> 00:01:22,670 and clicking on the events page. This is 31 00:01:22,670 --> 00:01:24,770 Laura Dirda with the Becker's Healthcare podcast. 32 00:01:25,150 --> 00:01:26,990 I'm thrilled today to be joined by Travis 33 00:01:26,990 --> 00:01:30,109 Franklin, CFO at Heartland Dental, and Kevin Prane, 34 00:01:30,109 --> 00:01:32,049 president at Concord Career Colleges. 35 00:01:32,350 --> 00:01:34,030 Travis, Kevin, it's a pleasure to have you 36 00:01:34,030 --> 00:01:35,490 both on the podcast today. 37 00:01:36,484 --> 00:01:37,784 Thanks for having us, Laura. 38 00:01:38,484 --> 00:01:40,344 Yeah. Thank you so much for having us. 39 00:01:40,885 --> 00:01:43,924 Absolutely. I'm excited for our conversation because it 40 00:01:43,924 --> 00:01:44,825 seems like the 41 00:01:45,125 --> 00:01:46,805 word of the year in the health care 42 00:01:46,805 --> 00:01:47,944 space has been partnerships. 43 00:01:48,564 --> 00:01:50,825 And especially thinking through partnerships around, 44 00:01:51,159 --> 00:01:51,900 you know, accessibility 45 00:01:52,519 --> 00:01:54,359 in workforce and those kinds of things. And 46 00:01:54,359 --> 00:01:56,760 so I'm looking forward to learning more about 47 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:58,219 how you both are working together. 48 00:01:59,079 --> 00:02:01,319 But before we dive in, could you please, 49 00:02:01,560 --> 00:02:03,239 tell us a little bit more about yourself 50 00:02:03,239 --> 00:02:06,385 and and how Heartland Dental and Concord Career 51 00:02:06,385 --> 00:02:09,284 Colleges are working together, for the future? 52 00:02:10,145 --> 00:02:11,745 So I can start. I can start. I'm 53 00:02:11,745 --> 00:02:12,885 I'm Kevin Frayn, 54 00:02:13,344 --> 00:02:16,145 again, president of Concord Career Colleges, and we're 55 00:02:16,145 --> 00:02:19,449 the health care division of Universal Technical Technical 56 00:02:19,449 --> 00:02:20,510 Institute, Inc. 57 00:02:21,129 --> 00:02:23,449 I've been in in health care education for 58 00:02:23,449 --> 00:02:26,349 about 20 years in a variety of operational 59 00:02:26,490 --> 00:02:28,189 roles. Been with Concord 60 00:02:28,650 --> 00:02:30,254 a little over 5 years now, 61 00:02:30,735 --> 00:02:32,735 first as the the COO and now the 62 00:02:32,735 --> 00:02:33,794 the division president. 63 00:02:34,735 --> 00:02:35,235 Concord, 64 00:02:35,694 --> 00:02:37,395 prepares the next generation of 65 00:02:37,694 --> 00:02:40,495 health care and and dental professionals for, for 66 00:02:40,495 --> 00:02:41,474 rewarding careers. 67 00:02:41,775 --> 00:02:44,915 We've got about 10,000 students across the country. 68 00:02:45,409 --> 00:02:47,110 We operate in 17, 69 00:02:47,569 --> 00:02:49,830 we operate in 8 states and 17 campuses. 70 00:02:50,530 --> 00:02:53,669 About 1800 of those are enrolled in our 71 00:02:53,729 --> 00:02:55,909 dental hygiene and dental assistant programs. 72 00:02:56,689 --> 00:02:57,555 And we are 73 00:02:58,114 --> 00:02:59,314 very proud to, 74 00:02:59,715 --> 00:03:01,474 say that we produce the highest number of 75 00:03:01,474 --> 00:03:04,514 dental hygienist graduates and the 2nd highest number 76 00:03:04,514 --> 00:03:06,754 of dental assistant graduates in the in the 77 00:03:06,754 --> 00:03:07,254 country. 78 00:03:08,275 --> 00:03:10,530 A little bit about the the Heartland, 79 00:03:10,990 --> 00:03:13,310 Concord partnership, and I'm sure Travis can, 80 00:03:13,790 --> 00:03:14,849 expand on this. 81 00:03:15,389 --> 00:03:17,150 But this is a a first of its 82 00:03:17,150 --> 00:03:18,129 kind partnership, 83 00:03:18,750 --> 00:03:19,250 between, 84 00:03:19,870 --> 00:03:22,450 an educator and a and a employer, 85 00:03:23,504 --> 00:03:26,944 to develop a co branded campus for dental 86 00:03:26,944 --> 00:03:28,885 hygiene and dental assistant programs. 87 00:03:29,585 --> 00:03:32,865 And we we we entered into this partnership 88 00:03:32,865 --> 00:03:33,764 to help address, 89 00:03:34,705 --> 00:03:36,085 Heartland Dental practices, 90 00:03:36,385 --> 00:03:38,085 Heartland Dental supported practices, 91 00:03:39,099 --> 00:03:43,099 significant demand for hygienists and assistance and specific 92 00:03:43,099 --> 00:03:45,979 markets. And so the first campus that we'll, 93 00:03:46,379 --> 00:03:47,120 build together, 94 00:03:47,819 --> 00:03:49,580 scheduled right now to open at the end 95 00:03:49,580 --> 00:03:50,479 of 2025, 96 00:03:50,780 --> 00:03:52,664 is in Fort Myers, Florida. 97 00:03:53,224 --> 00:03:56,044 And we'll train up to a 120 hygienists 98 00:03:56,185 --> 00:03:56,924 and 72 99 00:03:57,224 --> 00:03:58,125 dental assistants, 100 00:03:58,584 --> 00:03:59,084 annually. 101 00:03:59,465 --> 00:04:01,405 We'll use Concord's curriculum, 102 00:04:02,185 --> 00:04:04,924 instructors and all of our student support services. 103 00:04:05,340 --> 00:04:07,739 And then Heartland is funding the total cost 104 00:04:07,739 --> 00:04:08,879 of the construction 105 00:04:09,259 --> 00:04:09,759 equipment, 106 00:04:10,699 --> 00:04:13,500 supplies, and is also providing scholarships to to 107 00:04:13,500 --> 00:04:16,399 students. So we're extremely excited about the partnership 108 00:04:16,620 --> 00:04:16,860 and, 109 00:04:17,500 --> 00:04:19,199 look forward to the future and and, 110 00:04:19,615 --> 00:04:21,134 you know, hopefully, this is the first of 111 00:04:21,134 --> 00:04:21,634 many. 112 00:04:22,495 --> 00:04:24,495 Yeah. My only add to that is, you 113 00:04:24,495 --> 00:04:25,794 know, many years ago, 114 00:04:26,175 --> 00:04:28,334 I think we've been tracking, I'll say, for 115 00:04:28,334 --> 00:04:29,394 multiple years, 116 00:04:30,094 --> 00:04:32,974 especially coming out of COVID when the the 117 00:04:32,974 --> 00:04:34,594 amount of total hygienists, 118 00:04:36,089 --> 00:04:39,129 left there were about 7% of hygienists that 119 00:04:39,129 --> 00:04:41,949 left kind of the the space or 120 00:04:42,410 --> 00:04:43,310 or discontinued 121 00:04:44,089 --> 00:04:44,589 employment, 122 00:04:45,129 --> 00:04:47,069 across the entire United States. 123 00:04:47,615 --> 00:04:51,074 And then we've continued to study the 345 124 00:04:51,455 --> 00:04:52,754 different CODIS schools 125 00:04:53,375 --> 00:04:54,115 that are 126 00:04:54,814 --> 00:04:57,855 graduating hygienists across the US, and we just 127 00:04:57,855 --> 00:04:58,995 continue to see, 128 00:04:59,694 --> 00:05:01,154 a decline in that, 129 00:05:01,810 --> 00:05:03,830 in the amount that we're graduating. And 130 00:05:04,290 --> 00:05:06,629 and we looked to our partners in Florida 131 00:05:06,930 --> 00:05:07,430 where 132 00:05:07,970 --> 00:05:09,509 we had been hiring, 133 00:05:10,129 --> 00:05:12,709 a lot of hygienists off of their campuses 134 00:05:12,930 --> 00:05:13,750 that they, 135 00:05:14,474 --> 00:05:16,555 that they currently have. And we said, hey. 136 00:05:17,754 --> 00:05:20,394 We've got this idea in Florida, and, you 137 00:05:20,394 --> 00:05:22,154 know, would you guys wanna partner? And I 138 00:05:22,154 --> 00:05:23,454 think, that's, 139 00:05:24,074 --> 00:05:26,654 effectively what Kevin shared with you today that, 140 00:05:27,490 --> 00:05:28,750 of where we've we've ultimately, 141 00:05:29,529 --> 00:05:30,430 gotten to, 142 00:05:30,810 --> 00:05:32,589 because I think there's a real need, 143 00:05:33,209 --> 00:05:34,029 for providers, 144 00:05:34,730 --> 00:05:37,290 based upon the demand for services in many 145 00:05:37,290 --> 00:05:38,750 many cities and states, 146 00:05:39,129 --> 00:05:41,709 especially in high growth or high net migratory 147 00:05:41,850 --> 00:05:42,829 states like Florida. 148 00:05:44,145 --> 00:05:45,504 That makes a lot of sense. You know? 149 00:05:45,504 --> 00:05:47,185 And it's really cool to hear how you've 150 00:05:47,185 --> 00:05:49,365 been able to work together and partner, 151 00:05:50,384 --> 00:05:53,105 to troubleshoot a really big issue in health 152 00:05:53,105 --> 00:05:54,805 care, as you mentioned, especially, 153 00:05:55,569 --> 00:05:57,889 on the staffing side, trying to fill some 154 00:05:57,889 --> 00:06:00,610 of the hygienists that left, the space during 155 00:06:00,610 --> 00:06:01,509 COVID 19. 156 00:06:01,970 --> 00:06:03,990 Definitely not an easy task. So, 157 00:06:04,370 --> 00:06:05,270 it's just really 158 00:06:05,810 --> 00:06:07,810 cool to see the innovative and and creative 159 00:06:07,810 --> 00:06:08,949 partnership there. 160 00:06:09,625 --> 00:06:12,024 And, Travis, from your perspective, you know, in 161 00:06:12,024 --> 00:06:13,164 Heartland as well, 162 00:06:14,745 --> 00:06:15,884 you're you're definitely, 163 00:06:16,425 --> 00:06:18,664 jumping in in in putting a lot of, 164 00:06:19,064 --> 00:06:22,185 financial resources and efforts into this partnership. And 165 00:06:22,185 --> 00:06:23,699 so, you know, when you looked at, 166 00:06:24,180 --> 00:06:25,860 that, how did you make the decision that 167 00:06:25,860 --> 00:06:27,540 this was the the right call, something you 168 00:06:27,540 --> 00:06:29,720 really needed to invest in and wanted to, 169 00:06:30,259 --> 00:06:32,520 jump into and support, a 100%? 170 00:06:33,699 --> 00:06:35,379 Yeah. I mean, for us, it was, I'll 171 00:06:35,379 --> 00:06:36,840 say, a relatively easy, 172 00:06:37,460 --> 00:06:38,279 easy decision, 173 00:06:39,775 --> 00:06:40,275 because, 174 00:06:41,055 --> 00:06:42,814 you know, what we continue to see is 175 00:06:42,814 --> 00:06:45,295 that we've we've grown nicely in the state 176 00:06:45,295 --> 00:06:45,955 of Florida. 177 00:06:46,654 --> 00:06:48,335 I think one of the keys, I think, 178 00:06:48,335 --> 00:06:50,194 for the entire state, 179 00:06:51,214 --> 00:06:52,115 is that, 180 00:06:52,495 --> 00:06:54,595 we continue to be able to attract 181 00:06:55,110 --> 00:06:57,669 and retain talent in those offices that we 182 00:06:57,669 --> 00:06:58,169 support. 183 00:06:59,110 --> 00:07:01,189 And so as we continue to study the 184 00:07:01,189 --> 00:07:01,849 amount of 185 00:07:02,629 --> 00:07:05,370 of of new people moving into the state, 186 00:07:06,069 --> 00:07:09,105 the amount of supply of hygienists coming out 187 00:07:09,105 --> 00:07:09,925 of the state 188 00:07:10,305 --> 00:07:12,165 or, coming out of the different, 189 00:07:13,105 --> 00:07:14,805 hygiene schools in the state, 190 00:07:15,745 --> 00:07:18,964 and, subsequently, the retirement rates of current hygienists, 191 00:07:19,425 --> 00:07:21,904 not to include the attrition just from the 192 00:07:21,904 --> 00:07:22,884 from the job. 193 00:07:23,519 --> 00:07:25,199 We just said, hey. This is something I 194 00:07:25,199 --> 00:07:27,060 think we broadly have to do, 195 00:07:28,319 --> 00:07:31,120 in order to meet the demands of of 196 00:07:31,120 --> 00:07:33,360 of the communities that that we serve or 197 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:34,819 the offices that we serve. 198 00:07:35,485 --> 00:07:38,285 And so as we heard from the dentists 199 00:07:38,285 --> 00:07:39,264 that we support, 200 00:07:39,884 --> 00:07:40,944 one of the overarching 201 00:07:41,884 --> 00:07:45,185 needs that they had was supply of of 202 00:07:45,485 --> 00:07:46,865 of hygienists and, 203 00:07:47,404 --> 00:07:48,225 and assistance. 204 00:07:48,525 --> 00:07:49,345 And so 205 00:07:49,729 --> 00:07:51,810 for us, this is this is an innovative 206 00:07:51,810 --> 00:07:54,470 and creative response to that market need, 207 00:07:55,490 --> 00:07:58,610 and, couldn't just couldn't be more, happy to 208 00:07:58,610 --> 00:07:59,430 do with Concord. 209 00:08:00,850 --> 00:08:03,365 That's great to hear. Now I'm wondering, you 210 00:08:03,365 --> 00:08:05,205 know, what are some of the other big 211 00:08:05,205 --> 00:08:07,845 issues that you're following in dental space right 212 00:08:07,845 --> 00:08:09,285 now? What's kind of top of mind for 213 00:08:09,285 --> 00:08:10,645 you? And and, Travis, I'd love to hear 214 00:08:10,645 --> 00:08:13,285 your perspective from Heartland Dental and then, Kevin, 215 00:08:13,285 --> 00:08:14,884 to some of the things that you're thinking, 216 00:08:15,125 --> 00:08:17,625 at the Concord level as well. 217 00:08:18,740 --> 00:08:19,560 Yeah. So 218 00:08:20,020 --> 00:08:22,020 from a Heartland perspective, I think some of 219 00:08:22,020 --> 00:08:24,900 the biggest issues that that we're following in 220 00:08:24,900 --> 00:08:26,120 dental would be, 221 00:08:26,580 --> 00:08:28,500 you know, one of the themes of this 222 00:08:28,500 --> 00:08:30,995 call today. I mean, you know, we've been 223 00:08:30,995 --> 00:08:31,495 studying, 224 00:08:32,434 --> 00:08:33,975 broadly the dental industry. 225 00:08:34,835 --> 00:08:36,914 And if you look back, you know, data 226 00:08:36,914 --> 00:08:38,434 goes all the way back to the 19 227 00:08:38,434 --> 00:08:40,215 sixties. There's been this nice 228 00:08:40,754 --> 00:08:43,495 and continued rise in demand for dental services, 229 00:08:44,419 --> 00:08:46,820 about 4 to 5% a year over long 230 00:08:46,820 --> 00:08:47,879 periods of time. 231 00:08:48,659 --> 00:08:51,159 And then in kind of the early eighties, 232 00:08:51,539 --> 00:08:52,679 dental school started 233 00:08:53,220 --> 00:08:54,039 kinda slowing, 234 00:08:55,059 --> 00:08:57,054 the amount of enrollments and the amount of 235 00:08:57,054 --> 00:08:59,214 total graduates that were coming out of those 236 00:08:59,214 --> 00:09:00,834 schools for about 2 decades. 237 00:09:01,534 --> 00:09:04,034 And then they started increasing those those, 238 00:09:04,735 --> 00:09:07,695 enrollments and more and graduating more in kind 239 00:09:07,695 --> 00:09:10,174 of the late nineties is when that started 240 00:09:10,174 --> 00:09:11,074 kicking in. 241 00:09:11,889 --> 00:09:14,049 In the meantime, there just been nice growth 242 00:09:14,049 --> 00:09:16,870 for for dental services all throughout that period. 243 00:09:17,649 --> 00:09:19,809 And for us, you know, this does continue 244 00:09:19,809 --> 00:09:21,809 to be one of the biggest issues broadly 245 00:09:21,809 --> 00:09:24,950 in dental, whether it's it's, the dentist, 246 00:09:25,384 --> 00:09:28,524 the the hygienist, the the assistants, 247 00:09:29,144 --> 00:09:31,465 or even business assistants in the in the 248 00:09:31,465 --> 00:09:32,924 offices that we support. 249 00:09:33,544 --> 00:09:35,804 It's just the supply of of providers, 250 00:09:36,585 --> 00:09:38,365 being able to say yes to 251 00:09:38,669 --> 00:09:40,850 to the demand, for those services. 252 00:09:41,230 --> 00:09:43,629 And what we see at Heartland is it's 253 00:09:43,629 --> 00:09:44,610 just so critical. 254 00:09:45,309 --> 00:09:47,089 I think there continues to be 255 00:09:47,629 --> 00:09:49,570 you know, we've known this, I'll say, for 256 00:09:49,629 --> 00:09:52,190 over a decade now, the the systemic link 257 00:09:52,190 --> 00:09:54,610 between oral health care and overall body health, 258 00:09:55,524 --> 00:09:57,605 and being able to have providers to be 259 00:09:57,605 --> 00:09:58,345 able to take 260 00:09:58,804 --> 00:09:59,705 care of 261 00:10:00,085 --> 00:10:02,585 good basic oral health care in the communities 262 00:10:02,725 --> 00:10:03,705 that we're serving, 263 00:10:04,245 --> 00:10:06,565 I think, is just something that we're all 264 00:10:06,565 --> 00:10:07,065 deeply 265 00:10:07,730 --> 00:10:10,389 thinking about. Obviously, you're you're seeing an innovative 266 00:10:10,529 --> 00:10:12,769 response to this, but it's clearly one of 267 00:10:12,769 --> 00:10:13,670 the biggest issues, 268 00:10:14,610 --> 00:10:16,710 I think in dental and I think broadly, 269 00:10:17,410 --> 00:10:19,090 I e, since it's an issue in dental, 270 00:10:19,090 --> 00:10:20,149 it's something that Heartland's, 271 00:10:20,930 --> 00:10:22,550 specifically focused on. 272 00:10:23,605 --> 00:10:25,684 That's great to hear. And definitely, you know, 273 00:10:25,684 --> 00:10:28,485 makes a big difference, to have that strong 274 00:10:28,485 --> 00:10:30,965 pipeline of providers and people coming in. You 275 00:10:30,965 --> 00:10:31,705 can confidently 276 00:10:32,245 --> 00:10:34,565 know we're gonna treat patients well and and 277 00:10:34,565 --> 00:10:35,340 get great 278 00:10:35,820 --> 00:10:38,379 outcomes. Definitely easier said than done, but, you 279 00:10:38,379 --> 00:10:40,220 know, that that focus makes a lot of 280 00:10:40,220 --> 00:10:41,980 sense, and thank you for kind of sharing 281 00:10:41,980 --> 00:10:43,500 the trends that you've been seeing over the 282 00:10:43,500 --> 00:10:45,660 last several years. And, you know, I was 283 00:10:45,660 --> 00:10:47,340 wondering, Kevin, is there anything you'd like to 284 00:10:47,340 --> 00:10:48,000 add there? 285 00:10:49,855 --> 00:10:52,754 Well, the the workforce shortage is is certainly 286 00:10:52,815 --> 00:10:54,815 the big one in terms of issues that 287 00:10:54,815 --> 00:10:55,795 that we're following. 288 00:10:56,335 --> 00:10:58,575 You know, Travis, said it very well in 289 00:10:58,575 --> 00:11:00,815 terms of kind of outlining the the the 290 00:11:00,815 --> 00:11:01,315 issue. 291 00:11:01,639 --> 00:11:03,720 A couple of things, though, from an health 292 00:11:03,720 --> 00:11:04,940 care education standpoint. 293 00:11:05,799 --> 00:11:08,039 I think it's important to note that these 294 00:11:08,039 --> 00:11:08,539 shortages 295 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:09,500 impact, 296 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:12,759 just like they impact our employer partners, it 297 00:11:12,759 --> 00:11:13,580 also causes 298 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,220 challenges for us with hiring instructors 299 00:11:16,995 --> 00:11:19,715 to teach the the next generation of, of 300 00:11:19,715 --> 00:11:21,875 dental hygienists and and assistance. And so it 301 00:11:21,875 --> 00:11:23,254 is a cyclical 302 00:11:23,634 --> 00:11:24,134 problem. 303 00:11:24,835 --> 00:11:27,414 The other challenge that, that we face 304 00:11:27,955 --> 00:11:28,455 is, 305 00:11:28,835 --> 00:11:30,839 often lengthy regulatory 306 00:11:31,299 --> 00:11:34,579 approval process, which is, you know, essential to 307 00:11:34,579 --> 00:11:36,279 ensuring that we you've got 308 00:11:36,659 --> 00:11:38,679 academic quality, and we're producing 309 00:11:39,139 --> 00:11:40,659 qualified hygienists. But, 310 00:11:41,059 --> 00:11:43,240 it can it can be a lengthy process. 311 00:11:43,985 --> 00:11:46,144 And so we, you know, have become experts 312 00:11:46,144 --> 00:11:48,865 in, navigating that that process to ensure we 313 00:11:48,865 --> 00:11:50,245 get new programs, 314 00:11:50,945 --> 00:11:53,584 or expansions rolled out as quickly as possible, 315 00:11:53,584 --> 00:11:55,764 and that's been our that's been our focus. 316 00:11:57,160 --> 00:11:59,980 Beyond that, you know, dent dentistry is constantly 317 00:12:00,279 --> 00:12:01,960 evolving, so I think some of the other 318 00:12:01,960 --> 00:12:04,200 trends that we that we follow are new 319 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:05,660 technologies, new treatments. 320 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:08,360 I know I know Heartland, is on the 321 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:08,860 forefront 322 00:12:09,240 --> 00:12:11,240 of that, and so we strive to keep 323 00:12:11,240 --> 00:12:11,899 our programs 324 00:12:12,445 --> 00:12:14,125 up to date, you know, with the latest 325 00:12:14,125 --> 00:12:15,105 the latest trends. 326 00:12:15,884 --> 00:12:18,125 Another reason we're so excited to partner with 327 00:12:18,125 --> 00:12:18,625 Heartland, 328 00:12:19,325 --> 00:12:21,264 is that we get a direct 329 00:12:22,365 --> 00:12:24,684 lens into, you know, what's happening in the 330 00:12:24,684 --> 00:12:26,190 field with their practices. 331 00:12:26,730 --> 00:12:29,129 And this this cobranded campus will have the 332 00:12:29,129 --> 00:12:29,629 latest, 333 00:12:30,170 --> 00:12:31,149 Heartland approved, 334 00:12:31,610 --> 00:12:32,110 equipment. 335 00:12:33,529 --> 00:12:35,370 And I do wanna thank Travis just for 336 00:12:35,370 --> 00:12:38,090 his, you know, words about, Concord and, you 337 00:12:38,090 --> 00:12:40,495 know, that Heartland sees the the quality of 338 00:12:40,495 --> 00:12:43,054 our programs and the the strong student outcomes 339 00:12:43,054 --> 00:12:45,294 and and chose to partner with us. We're 340 00:12:45,294 --> 00:12:46,514 very thankful for that. 341 00:12:47,294 --> 00:12:49,214 Oh, that's fantastic to hear. You know? And 342 00:12:49,214 --> 00:12:51,134 and really cool, like you said, to have 343 00:12:51,134 --> 00:12:52,834 that openness and understanding 344 00:12:53,375 --> 00:12:55,289 of, you know, what is needed to be 345 00:12:55,289 --> 00:12:57,850 on the cutting edge, technology as well as 346 00:12:57,850 --> 00:13:00,570 investments in the future. Now, Kevin, I wanna 347 00:13:00,570 --> 00:13:02,250 start with you on this one. What are 348 00:13:02,250 --> 00:13:03,850 you most excited about, and what makes you 349 00:13:03,850 --> 00:13:05,450 nervous when you think about the next 2 350 00:13:05,450 --> 00:13:06,669 to 3 years or so? 351 00:13:07,554 --> 00:13:09,475 Well, what what what excites me the most 352 00:13:09,475 --> 00:13:11,715 is is what we've been talking about, growth. 353 00:13:11,715 --> 00:13:13,735 And, I mean, that can be employer partnerships, 354 00:13:13,795 --> 00:13:15,315 but it can also just be, you know, 355 00:13:15,315 --> 00:13:16,615 opening up new programs, 356 00:13:17,235 --> 00:13:17,975 new campuses, 357 00:13:18,595 --> 00:13:20,134 expanding our current offerings. 358 00:13:20,850 --> 00:13:23,509 We're, you know, we're seeing an increased collaboration 359 00:13:23,809 --> 00:13:24,309 between, 360 00:13:24,769 --> 00:13:25,750 schools and employers, 361 00:13:26,690 --> 00:13:29,169 who are who are doing innovative things like 362 00:13:29,169 --> 00:13:29,669 this, 363 00:13:30,529 --> 00:13:33,035 and to in order to ensure that we 364 00:13:33,035 --> 00:13:35,195 are meeting the workforce needs. So this is 365 00:13:35,195 --> 00:13:37,595 definitely what I'm most excited about. And then 366 00:13:37,595 --> 00:13:38,875 I I guess the other side of the 367 00:13:38,875 --> 00:13:40,634 coin is, you know, can we do it? 368 00:13:40,634 --> 00:13:42,715 Right? And that makes me nervous. Right? Can 369 00:13:42,715 --> 00:13:44,315 we do what we need to do to 370 00:13:44,315 --> 00:13:46,014 meet meet the workforce demand? 371 00:13:46,555 --> 00:13:48,750 And, you know, it's not a not a 372 00:13:48,750 --> 00:13:50,769 coincidence that, the demand 373 00:13:51,230 --> 00:13:53,330 for for health care workers is higher, 374 00:13:54,110 --> 00:13:56,190 than national trends in in the states where 375 00:13:56,190 --> 00:13:57,730 we have campuses. We 376 00:13:58,029 --> 00:14:02,684 invest a lot in research into local employer 377 00:14:02,684 --> 00:14:04,945 demand, into population dynamics, 378 00:14:05,404 --> 00:14:07,584 and then the need for, you know, educational 379 00:14:07,725 --> 00:14:11,325 programs when deciding where we, open campuses or 380 00:14:11,325 --> 00:14:12,144 or expand, 381 00:14:13,004 --> 00:14:14,065 new new programs. 382 00:14:14,929 --> 00:14:16,929 But they it takes time, you know, and, 383 00:14:17,329 --> 00:14:19,269 time is of the essence now as we, 384 00:14:19,649 --> 00:14:21,829 face this this critical workforce challenge. 385 00:14:22,929 --> 00:14:24,850 Absolutely. I think that makes a lot of 386 00:14:24,850 --> 00:14:26,929 sense, you know, and certainly, it sounds like 387 00:14:26,929 --> 00:14:29,745 you've got a great way and approach to 388 00:14:29,745 --> 00:14:31,825 think about how you wanna grow and expand, 389 00:14:32,144 --> 00:14:33,605 and fill some of those gaps. 390 00:14:34,304 --> 00:14:35,745 Travis, is there anything else you wanted to 391 00:14:35,745 --> 00:14:37,105 add? You know, when you look into the 392 00:14:37,105 --> 00:14:39,184 future, what are you excited about, and would 393 00:14:39,184 --> 00:14:41,105 you agree are the similar things making you 394 00:14:41,105 --> 00:14:41,605 nervous? 395 00:14:42,700 --> 00:14:44,860 Yeah. I would I would pretty much echo 396 00:14:44,860 --> 00:14:47,019 what what Kevin said is that, you know, 397 00:14:47,019 --> 00:14:50,159 we're excited about creating, you know, an innovative, 398 00:14:51,259 --> 00:14:51,759 solution 399 00:14:52,460 --> 00:14:55,659 here that, others maybe wouldn't do. But as 400 00:14:55,659 --> 00:14:57,705 the leader in the space, it's something 401 00:14:58,485 --> 00:15:00,485 that leaders do as they they they they 402 00:15:00,485 --> 00:15:02,504 do new things and they try new things. 403 00:15:03,205 --> 00:15:05,924 And for me, it's the excitement comes as 404 00:15:06,245 --> 00:15:08,004 and some of the nervousness is this is 405 00:15:08,004 --> 00:15:11,065 something new. This is something that hasn't necessarily 406 00:15:11,285 --> 00:15:12,024 been done. 407 00:15:12,539 --> 00:15:15,039 And if you know Heartland or you know, 408 00:15:15,820 --> 00:15:18,139 the management team, we wanna do it the 409 00:15:18,139 --> 00:15:18,879 right way, 410 00:15:19,580 --> 00:15:22,220 and we want, to continue to to grow 411 00:15:22,220 --> 00:15:23,419 and do more of these. 412 00:15:23,820 --> 00:15:25,820 So we we want this one to be 413 00:15:26,205 --> 00:15:27,904 the first one to be very successful, 414 00:15:28,924 --> 00:15:31,725 because we think we're meeting, a need that 415 00:15:31,725 --> 00:15:33,745 that that's really going, unmet. 416 00:15:34,684 --> 00:15:35,184 So, 417 00:15:35,884 --> 00:15:38,605 yeah, it's it's innovation, which is exciting. It's 418 00:15:38,605 --> 00:15:41,024 growth, which is exciting. And then it's just 419 00:15:53,434 --> 00:15:55,774 And then we give them a a potential 420 00:15:56,075 --> 00:15:58,154 great place to to to come work in 421 00:15:58,154 --> 00:15:59,054 a in a Heartland, 422 00:15:59,595 --> 00:16:00,075 Heartland, 423 00:16:00,475 --> 00:16:00,975 facility, 424 00:16:01,995 --> 00:16:04,075 and along the way of giving them really 425 00:16:04,075 --> 00:16:05,615 the education, the tools, 426 00:16:06,154 --> 00:16:07,695 that will give them a 427 00:16:08,090 --> 00:16:09,710 very rewarding career, 428 00:16:10,889 --> 00:16:12,029 in the dental industry, 429 00:16:13,050 --> 00:16:14,269 which we think can 430 00:16:14,730 --> 00:16:16,970 really add a substantial value, not only to 431 00:16:16,970 --> 00:16:19,290 the individual, but to the communities they're serving. 432 00:16:19,290 --> 00:16:20,570 Those are the things, I think, that 433 00:16:21,725 --> 00:16:23,804 really the reason why we do these do 434 00:16:23,804 --> 00:16:24,785 these type of things. 435 00:16:25,725 --> 00:16:26,225 Absolutely. 436 00:16:26,845 --> 00:16:28,845 That that's really cool to hear. And definitely, 437 00:16:28,845 --> 00:16:30,785 it seems it like, that would be, 438 00:16:31,325 --> 00:16:33,404 the goal of most, you know, people going 439 00:16:33,404 --> 00:16:35,085 into dentistry or wanting to be a dental 440 00:16:35,085 --> 00:16:37,427 hygienist and work at that level is just 441 00:16:37,427 --> 00:16:39,744 to have, the opportunity to go through, you 442 00:16:39,744 --> 00:16:42,061 know, get the training you need, and become 443 00:16:42,061 --> 00:16:44,121 good at what you do and then have 444 00:16:44,121 --> 00:16:46,438 a a great role waiting for you, at 445 00:16:46,438 --> 00:16:48,498 a practice of serving a great community. So, 446 00:16:48,755 --> 00:16:50,815 that's really cool to hear. Thank you both 447 00:16:50,815 --> 00:16:53,034 so much. Before we wrap up here, I 448 00:16:53,034 --> 00:16:55,115 was wondering, you know, what are the most 449 00:16:55,115 --> 00:16:56,794 effective health care leaders? What will they need 450 00:16:56,794 --> 00:16:58,475 to be successful over the next 2 to 451 00:16:58,475 --> 00:17:01,195 3 years, especially as the landscape continues to 452 00:17:01,195 --> 00:17:03,274 change? And I know, you know, the workforce 453 00:17:03,274 --> 00:17:05,775 challenges won't let up necessarily, but, 454 00:17:06,234 --> 00:17:08,154 you know, we'll continue to grow and evolve 455 00:17:08,154 --> 00:17:10,529 in the health care and dental space. Travis, 456 00:17:10,529 --> 00:17:12,130 what are your thoughts? Where do you see 457 00:17:12,130 --> 00:17:14,369 it being necessary for health care leaders to 458 00:17:14,369 --> 00:17:15,349 focus their efforts, 459 00:17:15,809 --> 00:17:17,349 in time to be most successful? 460 00:17:18,529 --> 00:17:20,049 Yeah. I I think there's a couple of 461 00:17:20,049 --> 00:17:22,130 things that come to mind whenever you ask 462 00:17:22,130 --> 00:17:24,304 that question. Probably to be you know, some 463 00:17:24,304 --> 00:17:26,325 of the most effective things I think health 464 00:17:26,384 --> 00:17:28,704 care leaders will need will be you know, 465 00:17:28,704 --> 00:17:30,884 I think they have to stay hyper focused 466 00:17:30,944 --> 00:17:31,605 on creating 467 00:17:31,904 --> 00:17:33,125 a high value 468 00:17:33,505 --> 00:17:34,644 employment proposition, 469 00:17:35,904 --> 00:17:37,125 for health care workers. 470 00:17:38,144 --> 00:17:38,804 I think 471 00:17:39,450 --> 00:17:41,069 I think you have to remain 472 00:17:42,009 --> 00:17:43,470 leading edge as it relates 473 00:17:44,089 --> 00:17:45,869 to being able to not only, 474 00:17:46,569 --> 00:17:48,029 attract new talent, 475 00:17:48,730 --> 00:17:49,230 to, 476 00:17:50,250 --> 00:17:52,009 to your health care offering, but also to 477 00:17:52,009 --> 00:17:53,865 be able to retain kind of the current 478 00:17:53,865 --> 00:17:55,565 providers as well as the teams, 479 00:17:56,105 --> 00:17:56,845 in those, 480 00:17:57,224 --> 00:17:58,205 in those facilities. 481 00:17:58,984 --> 00:17:59,805 I know broadly, 482 00:18:01,144 --> 00:18:02,605 in broader health care 483 00:18:02,904 --> 00:18:05,065 and in dental, to the extent you can't 484 00:18:05,065 --> 00:18:08,339 retain your current staffing, it really creates a 485 00:18:08,400 --> 00:18:10,400 significant headwind to be able to provide the 486 00:18:10,400 --> 00:18:12,480 services you need to the to the communities 487 00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:13,619 they're trying to serve. 488 00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:16,880 Also, I think, you know, you're hearing a 489 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:17,779 theme of innovation, 490 00:18:19,039 --> 00:18:20,170 as it relates to, 491 00:18:21,695 --> 00:18:24,835 the supply of total overall providers. But 492 00:18:25,214 --> 00:18:25,875 I think 493 00:18:26,255 --> 00:18:28,174 I think health care leaders are going to 494 00:18:28,174 --> 00:18:29,934 have to be innovative in how they think 495 00:18:29,934 --> 00:18:30,434 about 496 00:18:30,894 --> 00:18:33,234 what I'd call different back office functionality, 497 00:18:34,669 --> 00:18:36,210 and how do you create better, 498 00:18:37,230 --> 00:18:40,509 better systems and processes for the patients and 499 00:18:40,509 --> 00:18:41,250 the offices. 500 00:18:42,190 --> 00:18:44,029 And then I'll say that the the final 501 00:18:44,029 --> 00:18:45,809 one is is just a hyperfocus 502 00:18:46,190 --> 00:18:47,490 on customer experience. 503 00:18:48,255 --> 00:18:50,414 I think in order to continue to attract 504 00:18:50,414 --> 00:18:51,075 and retain, 505 00:18:52,255 --> 00:18:54,494 patients that are visiting your health care offering, 506 00:18:54,494 --> 00:18:56,434 I think you have to really be thoughtful, 507 00:18:57,375 --> 00:18:58,894 from the time they walk in the front 508 00:18:58,894 --> 00:19:00,894 door to the time that they they they 509 00:19:00,894 --> 00:19:02,115 leave that door, 510 00:19:02,759 --> 00:19:04,680 that you're providing them with a with a 511 00:19:04,680 --> 00:19:07,240 really wow experience, almost a 5 star type 512 00:19:07,240 --> 00:19:07,740 experience. 513 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:11,240 And, I think it's all those pieces that, 514 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,160 if you're any health care leader, you've gotta 515 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:14,680 be thinking about in, 516 00:19:15,080 --> 00:19:16,059 in a lot of, 517 00:19:16,674 --> 00:19:18,234 in a lot of what you're doing, whether 518 00:19:18,234 --> 00:19:20,394 you're in a practice or whether you're you're 519 00:19:20,394 --> 00:19:21,375 you're in a, 520 00:19:21,755 --> 00:19:24,154 in a company that's serving, the health care 521 00:19:24,154 --> 00:19:25,674 space. I think those are those are key 522 00:19:25,674 --> 00:19:27,214 things you gotta be thinking about. 523 00:19:28,154 --> 00:19:29,595 That's really cool to hear, and I think 524 00:19:29,595 --> 00:19:31,595 you're spot on, just in terms of what 525 00:19:31,595 --> 00:19:33,789 it takes to recruit great talent and then, 526 00:19:34,029 --> 00:19:36,109 keep them looking at, you know, what the 527 00:19:36,109 --> 00:19:39,069 experience is and and optimizing functionality and all 528 00:19:39,069 --> 00:19:40,829 of those kinds of things. So that makes 529 00:19:40,829 --> 00:19:42,750 a lot of sense. Kevin, is there anything 530 00:19:42,750 --> 00:19:43,490 you would add? 531 00:19:44,525 --> 00:19:47,164 Well, couldn't agree more with everything Travis just 532 00:19:47,164 --> 00:19:49,505 said. I think, you know, being being innovative 533 00:19:49,804 --> 00:19:50,304 requires 534 00:19:51,005 --> 00:19:53,404 a a willingness to do it, right, to 535 00:19:53,404 --> 00:19:56,765 get past the old models of education or 536 00:19:56,765 --> 00:19:57,265 of 537 00:19:58,049 --> 00:19:58,549 practice. 538 00:19:59,170 --> 00:20:02,370 And, you know, clearly, Harland and and Concord 539 00:20:02,370 --> 00:20:03,570 are are willing to do that, and I 540 00:20:03,570 --> 00:20:05,809 think that's that's really important. And I, you 541 00:20:05,809 --> 00:20:07,750 know, like Travis's comments about, 542 00:20:08,289 --> 00:20:10,470 creating an exceptional place to work, 543 00:20:10,850 --> 00:20:12,765 for their hygienists and all of their staff. 544 00:20:12,924 --> 00:20:14,384 And, you know, Concord's 545 00:20:14,765 --> 00:20:16,065 job then is to 546 00:20:16,765 --> 00:20:18,144 train high qualified 547 00:20:18,445 --> 00:20:20,525 graduates that are able to to meet the 548 00:20:20,525 --> 00:20:22,684 needs of the employers. And so that's what 549 00:20:22,684 --> 00:20:24,461 our that's what our focus is. And not 550 00:20:24,461 --> 00:20:24,588 just on the the technical skills, but, you 551 00:20:24,588 --> 00:20:25,265 know, just just 552 00:20:25,890 --> 00:20:27,170 the technical skills, but, you know, just just 553 00:20:27,170 --> 00:20:29,329 as importantly, you know, Travis talked about customer 554 00:20:29,329 --> 00:20:29,650 experience. You need the right people for that. 555 00:20:29,650 --> 00:20:32,369 And so, you know, instilling in our students 556 00:20:32,369 --> 00:20:34,369 those those soft skills, necessary to be successful 557 00:20:34,369 --> 00:20:35,009 dental professionals, 558 00:20:35,570 --> 00:20:36,070 like, 559 00:20:36,609 --> 00:20:38,390 patient communication, you know, 560 00:20:39,775 --> 00:20:40,595 successful dental professionals, 561 00:20:42,015 --> 00:20:44,515 like patient communication, you know, critical thinking, 562 00:20:45,214 --> 00:20:45,714 teamwork, 563 00:20:46,414 --> 00:20:48,174 you know, being able to manage a a 564 00:20:48,174 --> 00:20:48,674 demanding 565 00:20:49,054 --> 00:20:50,994 work environment, which which it is. 566 00:20:51,454 --> 00:20:53,134 So we build these types of things into 567 00:20:53,134 --> 00:20:55,240 our our curriculum, you know, as well as 568 00:20:55,240 --> 00:20:56,140 the the technical 569 00:20:56,599 --> 00:20:57,099 components. 570 00:20:57,720 --> 00:20:59,400 And then I guess, let the last thing 571 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:00,519 I would add, and we've already kind of 572 00:21:00,519 --> 00:21:02,539 hit on it, is just the technological 573 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:05,500 proficiency is just becoming more and more important. 574 00:21:05,559 --> 00:21:06,059 So, 575 00:21:06,815 --> 00:21:08,515 staying up to date on things like digital 576 00:21:08,734 --> 00:21:11,295 dentistry, AI, you know, telehealth, those kind of 577 00:21:11,295 --> 00:21:12,835 things are at the forefront now. 578 00:21:13,694 --> 00:21:16,095 That's really great to hear. Kevin, Travis, thank 579 00:21:16,095 --> 00:21:17,375 you so much for joining us on the 580 00:21:17,375 --> 00:21:19,795 podcast today. This has been a fantastic discussion, 581 00:21:19,934 --> 00:21:22,369 really informative, and neat to hear about what 582 00:21:22,369 --> 00:21:23,809 you both are doing. I look forward to 583 00:21:23,809 --> 00:21:25,190 connecting with you again soon. 584 00:21:26,130 --> 00:21:27,909 Thank you for having us, Laura.