Kristy Maguire: Building a people first practice at Bell Medical

Welcome to the Roots podcast presented
by Elite Anesthesia. Today we have
Kristy Maguire with us. Kristy,
welcome. We're so excited to have you.
Kristy is the office manager at Bell
Medical in
Medical in Bountiful.
Bountiful. That's right. Thanks,
Kristy. We're excited to talk.
I'm so glad to be here.
Thanks for being here.
Thanks for being here. Yeah.
How long have you been at Bell?
So, I started as a patient
um five years ago. It wasn't until last
year that the opportunity came up for me
to be a treatment coordinator in
Bountiful. We've really loved it.
Yeah. That's awesome. So, you've been
there for a couple years.
You as a treatment coordinator slashoff
You as a treatment coordinator slashoff manager.
manager. Mhm.
Like what do you know or understand
about running a medical practice that
like the doctor or owner doesn't
understand? Because you haven't been in
this for a long time. I think it's
probably more fresh and apparent to you
than somebody who's been buried in like
30 years of
having like preconceived notions of
having like preconceived notions of things.
What I have found to really be a value
to me in my role is my people skills.
You don't get this personality from
being the head cheerleader or something
like I grew up a plus-sized kid.
A big family of 11. Um if you wanted mom
and dad to remember your name, I mean,
you had to be, you know, forward facing
and outgoing and loud. So,
yeah. But I've actually been a
photographer for 15 years.
Oh wow.
But just being able to work with people
and listen to them and understand them
their needs and things like that and
capture those memories for them really
helped me in this role because I have
different people coming into my office
every day from all different
backgrounds, all different needs of, you
know, how they feel uncomfortable in
their skin and just having those
their skin and just having those conversations.
And where I feel it to be very vital in
any um job industry is to be able to not
only sit and talk to people, but really
listen and hear them,
hear what they're saying, whether it is
plastic surgery or you know what you do
or a cookie shop, what have you. Just
listening and hearing people out and
then doing something with that.
I I just feel like that plays a huge
part in your day-to-day business comes
from the top. you know how how
management then treats the staff, treats
patients. For example, I just want to
bring up so our values at Bell are our
core values are compassion, vision,
building trust, achieving potential.
those are the things we hit in on. I'm
like that is awesome. I love that. our
uh weekly sales meetings. So, my role
treatment coordinators, we get on this
group call with um corporate
um every week and have these
conversations and I feel like I'm on
some type of TED talk or you know some
something. It's just uplifting and never
have I felt less than uplifted and just
have I felt less than uplifted and just supported.
Yeah. So that's how I knew coming into
this role that it's like it doesn't
matter what it is. I can talk to the
people and I have the support of my
co-workers and upper management. So
there was no way I could fail.
It's hard to ask for more than that.
It's hard to ask for more than that. Honestly,
I am I am spoiled.
Uh not knowing Belle's like core values.
Uh and even I couldn't read them back to
you, but like all of them resonate. I
feel like I've had interactions with
your guys' corporate team as well as you
as well as patients and
surgeons and doctors and I feel like
that's that is kind of top down. I've
I've never felt contrary
to work with
strong yeah our culture but that's why
we connected so well with elite cuz I
feel like you guys are just an extension
of us. I was telling Kristy this
your your Utah scheduler is my best
friend cuz she's a Kristy too. She's
been fantastic. But everyone that comes
into our office from your team,
everyone. It just I almost hate to like
tell this out loud. I want to gatekeep
so that you know no one else takes you
away. But
we're not going anywhere. We're
committed to you guys.
Yeah. It's uh but it just feels like
you're just part of the part of the team
cuz it seems like your values and just
cuz it seems like your values and just your
um culture just aligns with ours so
much. Well, just hearing you talk about
the way that you feel your ability to
interact and communicate with patients
and people
uh impacts like how successful you are
at Bell like really rings true to me. I
just feel
I I didn't set out to to build this
business. I feel like I kind of fell
into it. it was something that was
needed and there was a big hole in this
office space based anesthesia space
and kind of felt like
it was my duty or whatever to like fill
that hole, fill that need. Um, and I've
just always felt like if it's not good
for the people that we're doing it with,
like I just don't have any interest in
doing it. Mhm.
And being able to connect with people
based on what they actually need uh is
like means everything to me.
And I hope that that resonates and goes
top down from for us. [clears throat]
But I think, you know, working with our
providers and people that we hire and I
I know that they kind of feel the same
Oh, 100%. I mean, we get patients that I
was just looking over our calendar uh
with your scheduler before I came and
one of the patient like I can see the
notes in there from the other offices
notes in there from the other offices and
one of them was like is requesting the
same you know team member or whatever. I
think it was Marky Mark but um wants to
make sure they have the same one and
they see you guys as part of us. They
don't even realize that it's two
separate entities
companies. Yeah.
Yeah. It's just
and that's another thing that we try to
do or believe in is just being
absolutely integrated with the offices
that we work with whether it's medical
or dental or whatever it is. Like we
want you to feel that way. We want you
to feel like you can call Kristy at any
time and get what exactly what you need
and that whether it's Mark or somebody
else comes in like it's going to feel
the same.
And if it doesn't like we we want to
know that.
Well, cuz you don't find that in every
business. You might a lot of times
you'll go places be like, "Oh, you got
to see this guy or you got to see that
one because that's the one cool one
there." But it's like no matter who
we've had from you guys, it's just been
a good time. The worst part about you
guys is like you put the patients to
sleep. So like when I go to sleep for my
procedure, I'm like, I can't sit here
and hang out and talk with you or I
can't like I want to go into the
procedures and just hang out and talk
procedures and just hang out and talk and
Well, we think that's the best part of
what we do.
Yeah. [laughter]
No, it's great. I just we just love
having you guys in the office and the
worst part is when you have to leave. So
yeah. What do you feel like the goals of
Belle are like what are you guys trying
to do in the next say year to 5 years?
We're not looking to grow to be some
drive-thru in every state everywhere. We
um are just solidifying what we have and
just trying to always do better, be
better for our patients and create an
environment where people just want to
come in and have those vulnerable
conversations. Um, one of my big goals
as a, you know, office manager, whatever
my role is, is to create an environment
where, whether it's patients, employees,
or anyone that comes in the office to
feel comfortable enough to speak up,
whether it's something, you know, they
have an issue with or just to see
something, say something, whether it's a
compliment, good things, or just I want
everyone just able to feel okay to to
speak up. And um so we're just each day,
each of those meetings we have every
week, it's just making goals and just
trying to better our um offices, our
communities. I think of how I can better
my employees, my patients walk any if
they're coming in for a consult and
they're never going to book. I don't
care. I just want to make sure that when
they walk out, they feel better than
when they've walked in.
The world, they're going to go out into
the world, the world's going to do
enough damage to them, negative, all
that. But if at Bell I can make sure
that employee or patient as soon as they
walk out those doors has felt better
whether it was 5 minutes with us or you
know an 8 hour workday.
Then I know that that they take that
And so what can that do?
That's just my personal
I absolutely love that. I feel like you
know management or the business has
their objectives
and you overlook the people that are in
them and the people that are giving the
majority of their time and their life to
you kind of taking advantage of that and
I think you know looking at somebody
like that like you're you're putting
your time here in this workplace with me
trying to trying to meet objectives that
we have and do something awesome
together but you're putting your time
with me and I'm not going and uh I'm not
going to take advantage of that. Like I
appreciate you being here and if you got
some something to say, you should you
should say it. I care about it. I care
about what you think. I think as a
manager, um sometimes I wish everyone
understood that
as as a manager, you can't listen to
everyone's ideas and implement them.
You have to do what's better for the
whole group.
Um so it's kind of your job to filter
those things. But
but that doesn't mean that doesn't
but that doesn't mean that doesn't matter.
listening to that matter key.
[clears throat] Yeah. Letting them feel
heard so they want to come up with I
love innovation. I love
you know my ADD gives me lots of ideas
but I want
but they're not all good.
They're not all [laughter] good. Some of
them are better than others. You
mentioned that um
one of the most important things that
you can do as an office manager or one
of your goals as the office manager with
Bell is to create an environment where
patients and employees or whoever walks
into the office including us at Elite
feels comfortable enough to be
vulnerable. Can you expound on that a
little bit and maybe talk about that
means and how you invite that uh into
your office?
Yeah, absolutely. So, something I'm
always telling them like in consults,
you have questions, whatever, you're
never bothering me. That's a a phrase we
use a lot. You're never bothering us.
Whether you've just had a procedure and
you're worried about this little tiny
question, do I ask? We are big texters.
So, we make people feel like nothing is
annoying to us. even even if it's sound
even if it is something that might be
emotionally draining,
you know, and we we can vent that to
each other, but we never let anyone feel
like they're an annoyance. Yeah.
Never. Because everyone interprets
interprets their
procedures, what they've gone through
differently. So whether it's a consult
coming in and they have a lot of
questions more so than others or, you
know, I'm sorry I you're never bothering
me. I love to do
you're not a burden. You're you're here
for a reason. We're here for you. So
then that as well for for employees like
I mean I have a lot of unique health
scenarios or or home life scenarios and
I um I don't ask them to tell me details
but I want to know how I can help them.
So I know each of their individual
scenarios and you know I'll I'll cater
that way whether it's coming in a little
later doing some hours from home or I
know you have you know see your mom
doing this. So knowing that I'm their
cheerleader, their supporter, helps them
even more feel comfortable and not be
like, "Oh, she's going to get mad if I
say this or or what have you." Or or
patients who come in and have to bring
their kids. That's real life, you know,
for us moms. We don't always have that.
So I have things in my office that I'll
go grab or blow up balloons or whatever
I have to do that they are never
inconveniencing me. Your kids screaming,
making a mess, throwing my implants all
over the floor. I don't care. You can't
break them. like just never feeling like
like anything's a burden like I'm just
happy you're here. And so that's what I
think is also key for any office too is
like for so employees or patients or I'm
I'm late or this I'm just happy you're
I'm so glad you're here. Um so I think
that's kind of our been our whole vibe
and that just everyone's caught on to
Yeah. So we can discuss things amongst
ourselves like how do I handle this
situation or this feels really hard to
me great let's talk through it together
as a team but nothing is a burden or
annoying this is what we do
that is uh very apparent just in our
conversation like it is it's got to be
an absolute honor to work for you uh
maybe maybe we'd like to work for you
maybe maybe we'd like to work for you someday
or at least work with you
may Yeah. [laughter] Well, then you see
our group text and that's how we get all
of it out and and it's so it's so funny.
We are a fun Well, so I told you our
values, but we have these defining
attributes, too, for Belle.
attributes, too, for Belle. Mhm.
And I love these because they're so us.
They're so I mean, you're sweet and
you're complimenting me, but this is
this is Belle. I just happen to just
click right in. Um, so the defining
attributes are authentic, accessible,
positive, credible, comforting, but my
favorite is good humor. So you can still
but you can laugh with them and at them.
So um but just those are all me like it
just made sense and that's just what
makes sets the stage for that type of
Good humor is good because underlying it
you really care about them.
That's what makes it all fun.
You have to be able to laugh.
You have to be able to laugh and I that
is you know something that is very
important to me. I am my body may be 42
years old but my brain capped at about
17. So we [laughter] have to have humor
in the office for me to want to be there
every day. So it's important and our
patients enjoy it because it can be even
just coming in for posttops or things
like that. It's a medical, you know,
like that. It's a medical, you know, like
I don't want people to dread coming in.
I want them to look forward to it even
if it's a posttop. I think that's one of
the coolest things about this turn from
hospital traditional surgery surgery
center work to office-based work is
you're able to infuse
the office dynamics into the surgery and
the whole process. It's not like why
don't you come to our office and get to
know me and get to know my staff and get
to feel the attributes and the um the
values of Bell Medical and then I'm
going to ship you off to some surgery
center where you get to feel like super
awkward and nervous and you don't know
anybody there. Yeah. You get to take
care of all of that inside of your
office. I think that's the best part
about this shift that we're seeing from
hospital uh hospital and surgery
centerbased surgery back to the office.
And we couldn't do that without you
guys, right? Like we've got to be there
to help.
I mean, I feel like it's my home away
from home. People tease me because when
you come into my office for a consult,
you'll know I have one of those desks
that raises up and I have a treadmill
under it. And so oftent times I'll be at
work on my treadmill or in my slippers.
Why not?
Yeah. I think it's awesome.
When I was given directions on how to
find you, she's like, "Oh, it's you'll
see the ping pong table." That's how you
know. That's how you know.
We play more ping pong than most in this
And like in my office, I'm not ashamed
of it at all.
In my closet when you walk in is my
rollerblades. So, you may find me going
through the We have great floors for
rollerblading. Um, what I am very pro
mental health, so whatever it takes to
make your day happy and fun, but it's
just like I said, we have a lot of
vulnerable conversations in there. And
even with our employees just sitting
there having because we're so close now,
I have to force those girls to go home.
I have they come in on their birthdays.
They come in on on things and it's just
such a huge I mean, it's it's a
compliment, but it's really humbling to
me that they want to be there because I
want to be there. And I think that, you
know, that might be part of where that
comes from. But I just think as
management just being bought into your
own company.
It really resonates just and just
showing that we can get our jobs done
and do a great job of it and be happy
while we're here.
I mean, you can't ask for more than
that. Yeah,
these and we recently had an ad out for
um for an opening that we had and like I
mean my inbox it was 100 a day
of of people applying just to work with
us and several of them were like we're
patients or things like that cuz I don't
blame them. I mean you come in people
comment like you guys have a fun time
and that that is my goal then we're
doing it right. What about so talking
about employees and patients and people
that you work with every day. What about
from you uh or the office manager and
up? You've talked a little bit about um
the culture and the way that management
works with you. What do you on the other
side of that wish that they knew or
understood from your perspective as as
an office manager, treatment coordinator
that maybe they they sometimes don't see
as well as they could? Well, what's hard
about that is for them to not understand
something. It would be hard for them not
to understand us because they are
checking in so often. Yeah.
Um I was telling someone the other day
the So those calls that I'm talking
about, you know, you're on a a Zoom and
there's all the little heads
and there's not a single head on there.
I'm like that guy. It's like every one
of them like, "Oh my gosh, I love her."
Or, "I love this." Like it it's just and
we're I know that's not normal and can't
expect that from every company when you
have a mix of personalities and
backgrounds and you're in different
states, but I am really spoiled. So if
there's anything that I can literally
just text my boss right now anything I'm
thinking like, "Hey, this is going on."
And they'll they'll do something
immediately to at least hear me out or
at least give me better input like,
"Okay, I see your point, but a lot of
times it's this. It's like, I see your
point, but we've tried this and this in
the past, and here's why. I'm like, oh,
okay. You know, like, I'm new, but I
have ideas, but and sometimes they're
great, and they're like, yes, implement
that whatever you want for your clinic.
Like, they
just supportive.
Yeah. They're almost like really hands
off to where I'm like,
am I doing everything right? like, you
know, it's just so supportive that it's
just they just give me that freedom
to and trust to know that I'm going to
see my team and and know what they need
or, you know, as that role, like you
said, it's your job to kind of filter
out what you implement, what you don't.
yeah, I think it's good to hear. I mean,
the people that I think the majority of
our listeners are dentists and business
our listeners are dentists and business owners.
Um, I think it's good to hear. They all
have office managers. They all have
people that work for them. And I think
what I'm hearing you say is like that
culture means everything for you to be
able to have the freedom to push things
forward and whether they're implemented
or not really isn't the point.
It's that you're being heard on the
things that you the ideas that you have
for sure. and that trust. Well, and and
just there's different roles that you
can see as like being not more important
than others, but I think it's important
for managers or or higher up to hear all
the voices or find a way to hear all the
voices. Reiterate that every voice
matters. We want to hear from you how we
just want to do better and be better.
And like I said, creating that
environment where you can just speak up
or like I'll be like, I'm just venting
or I just need to, you know, put this
out there or sometimes it's real things
that we'll we'll talk through. just I
just think creating that environment
just think creating that environment first.
first. Yeah.
Then help that flourish, you know, from
Yeah. I think I've seen that often. I
think back to what you said earlier,
like it's really just giving people the
ability to talk and then, you know,
communication whether you are actually
going to follow through and implement
something or not doesn't doesn't really
matter. It's just the fact that you're
heard and that you feel like
uh the company or your your leadership
is here to support you and and make this
better. No matter what that means,
whether it's it's my ideas or your
ideas, doesn't really matter.
It affects turnover for sure. So, if
you're in an office where you have a lot
of turnover, I think it's time to look
of turnover, I think it's time to look inward.
inward. Yeah.
Because I remember my earlier years
doing different job, you know, retail
and things like that and just my brain
just functions in a way that or doesn't
function. the only way it does function
is like creativity. That is the one side
of my brain that works really well. And
I had immediately start a job and
already have ideas like okay, you could
be more efficient at this or this could
be more um efficient and just knowing
that what I say doesn't matter. It's not
going to get to anyone. Nothing's going
to change. So, I just won't say
anything. And then you just that eats at
anything. And then you just that eats at you
that you have nowhere to speak.
I say it but it doesn't go anywhere,
It stays and it
you notice it every day like man I'm
doing these five extra steps. It could
be easier done this way but you know I
have no say it's not going to get
anywhere. It's funny that you mentioned
creativity. I feel like as a business
owner, office manager, somebody that's
in charge of something and people, I've
never felt more creative than I do right
never felt more creative than I do right now
where you can come up with an idea and
do it.
it's kind of a it's kind of a fun place
to be. I think it's important for all of
us to
It is really fun
I have to have people keep me in check,
though, too, cuz it's like, you know,
squirrel every day. It's like coming up.
But that's just my brain. I'll come home
from work and my husband will tell me
something and I'll try and immediately
like give a solution and he's like, "I
was just telling you something." But my
brain all day is just like problem
solve, problem solve, innovation,
problem solve, creativity. And so I'm
like, "Oh, okay. I'll shut up." You
[laughter] know, I'll just listen.
I can imagine that the people at Bell,
there's nothing they want more.
Um I I feel the same way. So,
but I do that because I feel like I can,
right? Something will happen from it.
You don't feel suppressed. Feel like
You don't feel suppressed. Feel like they're
uh open to hearing what you have to say.
Yeah, it's important.
Tell me about how long has Elite been
working with Belle?
I mean, it's been at least a year.
Yeah, I think I won't say it's about a
Well, because we added So, we started
um doing lipo and fat transfers and we
specialized in that.
We um that was our thing and then they
added the GLP1s,
the injection, similuters, epatide
stuff. And we get started getting
patients in that were like, I've lost
100 pounds. I've got all this skin and
lipo didn't make sense for them. And so
we just started adding on these surgical
options. And then it just
again because of that culture, our
patients that come to us for lipo and
for the GLP ones and just were in the
family and we started adding these
surgical procedures, they just naturally
were just on board with us. They were
they were in. And so we boomed a lot
faster than we expected. And so you have
to hurry up and figure things out. Like
anesthesia is not easy to find. I don't
know if you know this that you guys are
like nationwide. But it's u it's
something that's hard to find for how
we're looking for it, right?
Yeah. Office space based anesthesia
specifically is
is very hard to find.
And then finding people that are cool,
that's a whole other story.
Plus that. Yeah.
So we Yeah. So we started just booming
with surgeries in our our big office in
Draper and then that even got too busy.
So I was like, "Hey, could I get some
surgeons up here?" And B and they
trusted me enough to to add that in our
office, too. and we have our other
states that do it too. And so, um, it
was just so great to already have a team
in place that was just so easy to work
with. I was just given the details. So,
when I came on as the, uh, office
manager and so we're adding these
surgeries and they're like, "All right,
call Elite.
Call it. Here's what you do." And it was
so easy. I learned the hard way how good
we have it with Elite. So, don't get me
wrong, I already knew you guys were
amazing. Knew it. Okay. So, we got into
this moment in life where our big clinic
was getting really busy with surgeries
and we were kind of hogging that office
was kind of hogging your availability,
your providers.
Okay. So, then here's Bountiful up here.
I'm trying to get crumbs wherever I can
get it. And I knew we had certain dates
to do surgery, all these certain dates.
And I'm like, "Okay,
[sighs and gasps] and and your scheduler
was like, I can do this far out, you
know, because she's giving the other
offices their time to reserve." And I'm
like, I had this weird window of time
where I wasn't assured, but I had
surgeons ready to do surgery. So, I'm
like, "Okay,
okay, I'm going to have to call someone
else. I'm going to have to find a backup
So, I find this other company to
have them come on. So, I start reaching
out to them and quickly realize that
because I'm just trying to communicate
with them in a way that I've been used
to working with you guys.
Just so easy.
Just so easy. Yeah.
Like, no big deal. So easy to work with.
texting just so easy like I said like
you guys were someone in the office like
hey what about this or hey what about
this and then um so I try and do that
with them and then I quickly and then
some little change happened in the
calendar and so then they call me and I
get this whole sap so story and this
like guilt that I'm doing all these
things horribly wrong and I'm like whoa
you know I
oh they they made me feel you feel
oh they they made me feel you feel guilty
yes I felt guilty and here's how this is
how it needs to be done and it's because
of this and our and we just don't have
enough providers to make this, this, and
this. And and I'm like, whoa, I'm so
sorry. I just thought this is how you
did the anesthesia, right? New to being
a medical. Yeah. I'm just trying to get
this patient
asleep. And um
so I'm like, okay, okay, I understand.
I get it. And so I was like, I'll just
figure you out if I need you again.
Well, there was this one date on the
calendar that I'd kind of already had
you guys booked,
but long story short, I just had to
utilize them. I had utilize them to to
utilize them. I had utilize them to to just
brush it off, get it over with. Yeah.
Cut ties. But I had committed to a day
and it had to be so many hours and it
had to be
so it just
they put a minimum on the number of
hours that you had to do.
They would not cut. It had to be this
many hours. So I put an employee on that
day. Yeah.
So I'm like fine. Okay. We'll just make
this work. So the one patient I had
scheduled that day,
I hadn't even thought about it. She had
treated with us before. She was coming
to do another procedure. So she hears
from the other company the night before
to check in like you guys do too. And
she calls me. She's like, "Who the heck
is this company?"
And I'm like, "What?" She's like,
"Where's my, you know,
my boys at?"
Yeah. Kyle or something. She was like,
"Where? I wanted Kyle." And I'm like,
"Oh, about that. This is my fault." You
know, I just kind of told her, "I dug
this hole. I, you know, you're going to
be okay. You're still going to be in
good hands."
Assured her, hoping at the same time.
All was well.
So, they come and the anesthesiologist
was super great. But the boss comes too
because it's a first time with us. So
the boss comes and I'm not in as early
as when they have procedure days. I'm
not in as early as those girls are.
not in as early as those girls are. Yeah.
And so my one girl is texting with me
and long story short, the owner had come
in and was so kind, but he got her
in and was so kind, but he got her number.
He gets her number and she was trying to
give him our office number.
give him our office number. Yeah.
And she's like, "Oh, they're they're
saying we need to get these for
anesthesia and that we should have
these." And oh, by the way, he's so nice
and helpful. He offered me his number
for And I'm like, "I bet he did, Brooke.
I bet he offered you his number. She's
like, "Oh, no. He just wanted to help."
I tried giving him Belle's number, but
he just said that it should be. So, I
saw I saw the text.
Yes. [clears throat and snorts] So, I'm
like, "What is happening?" [laughter]
So, the ancesiologist later that day,
like when the cases were over, I just
told him I appreciate him. He was really
great. And he's like, "Well, I'm just
filling in right there." And I said,
"Oh, you're looking for a job, call
Elite. [laughter] Go to Elite. You want
a great company to work for? Call
a great company to work for? Call Elite."
and he kind of was like caught off
guard, but he was he was a nice guy. So,
I hope he calls you, but
he hasn't called us yet, but
he may be embarrassed by his boss. So,
then I hear back from them, you know, so
I don't say anything. Just let it go.
It's done. You know, patients happy.
Good surgery is fine. Brush it off.
Well, they write me back like a week
later and they're like, "Oh, we're just
checking in to see, you know, if you had
any other procedures you're wanting for
us or how everything went." I'm like,
"Thank you. we won't be needing you guys
anymore after your boss got my employees
anymore after your boss got my employees number.
That's it. [laughter] And then like and
so that was like before I came into
work, I would responded on on our phone.
From my phone. And then next thing I
know, he's calling the office. The said
boss is calling the office. Oh.
And he did not sound happy. And my
assistant was like, "Yeah, she's not in
yet." And he's like, "Can I get her
personal number?"
I'm like, "This is the problem we had in
the first place. You're not getting my
no more. You don't ask for women's
personal numbers." And uh she's like,
"No, you can call back." Whatever. He's
like, "I will whatever." So, he calls a
few times, but and I wasn't accusing
anyone of anything. That's just not
cool. That's just not cool or
professional. Elite would never.
Meanwhile, I'm personally texting with
your scheduleuler cuz we're best
friends. But
anyways, so I learned the hard way not
to do that again. So, never.
Tell me like
like the scheduling process like what
like what is it that makes it good? like
what is it that working with elite makes
even just so I'm on the phone with your
scheduler here on the way here and she's
just confirming some dates with me just
whether it's patient pay office pay and
it's just that it's just hey what about
this what about this or I'll just text
in what about this date because for me
just I have to I feel like I'm hurting
blind and deaf cats because I'm dealing
the hardest cats to hurt
yeah anything I I'm dealing with
multiple surgeons multiple schedules
preferences is patient needs, different
offices, all that. I can't schedule them
without anesthesia.
without anesthesia. Mhm.
But you guys need us scheduled, you
know, in order to book to make your
schedule go smoothly. So,
um, but she'll always give us whatever
we need. I'll tell her in advance, you
know, here's some days that I'm looking
at, like I have a surgeon available.
And I always get the time I need to like
get those figured out or she'll call and
check in. Did you fill this? Did you
not? Or I might last minute be like, oh
my gosh, something came up. Do you have
anything available? Yeah, sure. We got
someone for this or just these hours.
Great. I'll just book this the surgery
between those hours. Like just so easy
to where when I tried it with that other
company, they're like, "What are you
doing?" You know, like what is this?
Too much flexibility.
I'm like, "Sorry." Like I thought this
was normal. I thought you were cool. But
um but I still I understand that for you
guys like I'm trying to be respectful of
your schedules. But
then we have patients that change things
or they don't get the right, you know,
approval for their
So, I'm constantly changing on my end,
but I've never ever been met with like
seriously, you know, like never has been
a vibe where I've been an inconvenience.
It's always like, what can I do for you?
that's how I've always been responded
I think we've always viewed this or
understood. I mean, I think it made a
big difference that like for the first
years of this of this company, like me
and our co-founder Mike, like we were in
the office with you. We understood what
that meant to have this schedule that
varied. We did the schedule ourselves.
And so now to I guess teach other people
that and hire other schedulers and have
them understand what the dynamic is in
an office like yours. It's just a unique
place. Like it's so variable.
Yeah. And for us to be able to to meet
that I think is what makes Elite unique.
Plus the people are good.
Well, absolutely. Well, I even try and
do that too. Uh similar in our office
like when people have to cancel a
consult or something comes up with their
surgery. It it is never met with like
seriously or like that's going to be a
certain things do have fees but like for
a consultation our consultations are
free. Yeah.
If you need to cancel, no big deal. like
this is real life. I get it. I'm not
going to like fight you to come in. When
you want to come in, you'll come in. So
anyways, on on my side, I mean, I we
understand real life and I feel like
patients really appreciate that and and
they've returned for it
as because would you want to go back to
a place that's like, oh, you know, you
couldn't make it in because you had this
happen at work. Well, we're going to
charge you a $150 fee. Yeah.
And then um yeah, you're going to call
back and reschedule. No, you're not. So,
I feel like you guys are the same. You
I feel like you guys are the same. You just
just got to take care of people.
just got to take care of people. Yeah,
I think that's the difference.
Just do the best you can. You know,
life's going to happen. So,
life's going to happen. So, yeah.
yeah. Um,
if I remember, right, I you guys didn't
used to do anesthesia in the office.
Like you were doing procedures but not
or maybe you're doing them under like
some basic moderate sedation or
Just biting the stick. Yeah.
Biting the stick. Yeah.
Um, no. Well, like I said, we we started
doing all lipo and we did awake lipo and
people handed it fine. But I I love that
we have the option now, which we're
utilizing a lot more
having the anesthesia option for lipo
for those patients who just who just
You know, absolutely we can do it awake,
but we have a lot of patients that just
want it and it's great. just rather
sleep. But patients come in and they
feel confident that we have not only do
we have a lot of options procedure wise
like whether it's less invasive to more
surgically related to then have more
options for um pain management whether
they go to sleep through anesthesia or
we have different types of medications
we we just we hear them out some people
be like oh I don't like this medication
it makes me sick or I don't want to do
this medication same thing with when you
guys come in for the surgeries the from
personal experience experience too. I'm
a very nauseous person.
My body just loves I could breathe wrong
and it just I'll get nauseous and so
that's something we talked about before
my my surgery and so then they were able
to put something in there that helped me
with that. So just little things like
that. It wasn't just like oh I'm going
to put you to sleep. um and just
educating me even, you know, working in
the environment I work in to to feel
educated and comfortable that that they
know what they're doing and they just
want me to be comfortable and and
patients come in. I mean, I think for
dental as well, no matter what it is,
it's high anxiety.
Like it's it can be stressful
no matter how big or small. One thing
like I think you're we're traditionally
used to getting anesthesia and surgery
in a hospital or in a surgery center
and more and more practices like Bell
are starting to move procedures into the
are starting to move procedures into the office
and so it's just kind of a I think we're
in a place right now um where patients
aren't used to it and so having that
option for them is just something new to
get used to.
But overall to do it without anesthesia
also feels weird.
Right. Yeah. They they love that they
have the option and we talk through that
and what that what the you know would
look like for their procedure um day and
how that would look. And I just I just
it makes me more confident in what I do
giving them that option rather than
trying to talk them through.
Okay, we're going to have to do it awake
which is great too. People do all the
time but I just love having the options
for them.
You are obviously doing a really good
job of it. I can tell just by talking to
you. I've been in Bell. I've talked to
our providers like I've talked to
Kristy about it. Um it's a it's a
really cool culture and company that you
guys are building and it's been an
absolute pleasure working with you guys.
And I hope we get to keep doing it for a
long long long time.
Can't wait till we have our our office
for you. Your own your own office.
Yeah. And we should do this again soon.
We should [clears throat] do this again
in like a year and talk about
what the change has been. Where are you
now? How it started? Where it's going.
Yeah. Thanks so much for coming in. It's
been awesome to chat [clears throat]
with you.
with you. Anytime.