Shirley Misiak on Patient Financing as a Lever for Same-Store Growth
In this episode of The Dental Economist Show, host CRO Mike Huffaker of Planet DDS speaks with Shirley Misiak, vice president of National Accounts at CareCredit, about patient financing as a lever for same-store growth.
Misiak has worked in dentistry for almost twenty years, including seventeen at CareCredit. She started out going practice by practice, coaching doctors and their teams on how to talk about treatment and cost. Today she works with dental support organizations (DSOs) to turn diagnosed but unaccepted treatment into completed care.
Misiak explains why the most successful groups make financing part of the whole patient journey, before, during and after the visit, instead of raising it only at checkout. She covers the gap between case acceptance and case completion, why “partial acceptance” is not the same as acceptance, and the risk of diagnosing around what insurance will cover.
Misiak also walks through what a strong financing conversation sounds like, from the first phone call to the treatment coordinator, and why every patient should be offered an option, whether the treatment costs $500 or $5,000.
The conversation also covers the metrics DSO leaders should track, including financing penetration rate, unscheduled treatment and accounts receivable. Misiak explains why she believes greater access to care leads to greater access to capital, and previews what’s next from CareCredit and Synchrony, including installment options and multi-source financing.
Financing Strategies for Same-Store Growth in DSOs
About The Dental Economist Show
Don’t miss insightful conversations with industry experts on the latest trends and top strategies to grow your DSO or dental group. Tune in to The Dental Economist Show each week as we meet at the intersection of profit and purpose.
Listen to the full podcast:
