The Best D@mn DSM Blog Ever

I’ve developed a new mantra. While it arose on my runs, I try to apply the sentiment to all facets of life.

A Note from Jason: During her first fifteen years in sleep medicine, Lesia and her partner Dr. Stacey Layman cofounded both GoGo Billing and GoTo Sleep Center for CPAP Alternatives. Lesia serves as CEO and treatment coordinator for the latter’s three Phoenix-area offices where they’ve treated thousands of OSA patients. She’s lectured across the U.S., trained hundreds of practices, and made zillions of people smile with her raucous laughter and infectious energy. Lesia is also an atrociously off-key singer and an out-of-this-world amateur florist. The following post is longer than most I publish. Lesia’s words of wisdom were featured in…

There are no shortcuts to success in sleep medicine. There are no discounts. You have to do the work. That’s the price you pay.

Sleep medicine can be done in a general dental office. In fact, sleep must be done for our general dental patients.

To cultivate a high-performing team, consider the power of the "4 Es": Educate, Equip, Empower, and Encourage.

To reduce the struggle and make the juggle more manageable, create and run your DSM practice through a separate LLC, use a DSM software, contract with a reputable third-party medical billing service, acquire the necessary technology, and most importantly, find team “champions” in your office to implement and help run your DSM practice.

S.M.A.R.T. goals present a simple, reproducible way to create benchmarks and instill accountability.

If you want to treat sleep patients, go to some courses, attend some webinars, and read some books. Then screen, test, and treat your team members and their significant others.

Dentists often assume that patients who’ve been diagnosed and referred have been given thorough explanations about the cause of their sleep apnea, its impacts on their health, and available treatment options. However, an informal survey of patients at one DSM office revealed that more than 90% of patients were virtually uninformed about OSA.

Partner with a reputable, capable marketing company to promote your sleep practice. Leverage best practices while creating your unique message. It’s not only OK to be different; it’s a necessity.