Doctors CFO

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

Regulatory changes don’t just create more paperwork—they can directly affect your practice’s profitability.

Growing AI oversight, prior authorization delays, and rising operating costs all require stronger processes and closer financial monitoring. Practices that regularly review payer contracts, track authorization results, improve staffing efficiency, and monitor margins will be better prepared to protect their cash flow.

Where is your practice feeling the most pressure right now: compliance, payment delays, or rising costs?

#MedicalPracticeManagement #DentalPracticeManagement #PracticeProfitability #PriorAuthorization #HealthcareCompliance #DrCFO

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

SHE NOTICED A PATIENT RUBBING HER EYES. WITHIN MINUTES, THE WHOLE TEAM KNEW EXACTLY WHAT TO DO ❤️
This one made us smile (and proud of this profession), so here’s this week’s Beyond the Practice story — a powerful reminder that dentistry is about much more than teeth.

At Shira Dental Clinic at Fort Polk, Louisiana, dental assistant Aurora Manes was walking a patient in for a routine exam when she noticed swelling around her face and eyes.
Then the patient said her throat felt like it was starting to close.
The team moved immediately. Manes stayed with the patient and monitored her blood pressure. Capt. Wesley Hargett recognized the signs of anaphylaxis and administered epinephrine. Another assistant alerted the front desk, 911 was called, and emergency responders arrived within minutes.
The patient recovered — and returned later to finish her dental exam.
What stood out most?
“It was 100% a team effort,” Hargett said. “I trust my team completely.”
The response looked effortless because they were prepared. Everyone knew their role, where the emergency supplies were, and what needed to happen next.
That’s Beyond the Practice.
Sometimes great patient care starts with simply noticing something isn’t right — and having a team prepared to act.
💬 If a patient had an emergency in your office tomorrow, would everyone know their role?
#BeyondThePractice #DentalPractice #PracticeManagement #TeamCulture #PatientSafety #DrCFO

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

Practices are being squeezed from several directions at once—AI oversight, prior authorization delays, and limited capacity.

These may seem like separate challenges, but together they can slow patient care, increase administrative work, and put even more pressure on profitability. The practices that stay ahead will be the ones that create clear technology guidelines, track approval delays, monitor patient wait times, and make better use of their available capacity.

Which of these challenges is having the greatest impact on your practice right now?

#MedicalPracticeManagement #DentalPracticeManagement #PriorAuthorization #HealthcareTechnology #PracticeProfitability #DrCFO

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

❤️ SHE NOTICED SOMETHING MISSING. IT ENDED UP SAVING A LIFE.

This one made me smile, and honestly got me a little emotional, so
here's this week's Beyond the Practice story.

Dr. Mackenzie, a dentist who posts as @mackelleydds, shared a moment
that stuck with her long after the appointment ended. A few years
back, she noticed a patient was missing several adult teeth — a
pattern she remembered being linked to an increased risk of colon
cancer (there's real research behind it: certain AXIN2 gene mutations
cause a rare condition where missing adult teeth and colon polyps show
up together). It wasn't why the patient came in that day. She brought
it up anyway.

She had no idea if the patient would ever act on it. Then, months
later, the same patient came back — not for a cleaning, but to say
thank you. That conversation had led her and her father to both get
screened. During his exam, doctors found numerous polyps that could
easily have gone undetected without that screening.

"I saved a life," she said, and by her own account, she was in tears
in her car after hearing it.

Here's what gets me: this wasn't a dramatic diagnosis moment. It was
one dentist choosing to look past the mouth she was examining and see
the whole person in the chair — on a random day, during a routine
visit, when it would've been just as easy to stick to the treatment
plan and move to the next patient.

That's the whole idea behind "Beyond the Practice." The job isn't just
teeth. Every provider in your office has a moment like this in them —
they just don't always find out how it turned out.

💬 Has something like this ever happened in your practice — a
conversation that turned out to matter way more than anyone expected?
I'd love to hear about it.

Source: https://t.co/HsgpAuBN41

#BeyondThePractice #DentalPractice #PracticeManagement #WholePersonCare #DrCFO

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

Independent practices are facing pressure from every direction—rising costs, changing AI regulations, growing DSO competition, and revenue quietly slipping through the cracks.

Denied claims, no-shows, and weak financial tracking may seem like separate problems, but together they can seriously affect profitability. The practices that remain strong and independent will be the ones that build better systems, monitor their numbers, and adapt before problems become crises.

Which area is creating the most pressure for your practice right now?

#MedicalPracticeManagement #DentalPracticeManagement #PracticeProfitability #IndependentPractice #DrCFO

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

❤️ 31 YEARS RUNNING. ALL STAFF VOLUNTEER. $72,000 OF FREE DENTAL CARE
IN ONE DAY.

This one made me smile too, so here's this week's.

Progressive Dental in Endwell and Norwich, NY just held their 31st
annual "Doctors with a Heart Day" — a tradition started by an Iowa
dentist decades ago for people who simply can't afford dental care.
One day a year, both offices close their doors to regular patients and
instead offer cleanings and most same-day treatments completely free.

This year: roughly 151 people served, an estimated $72,000 in free
care, across two locations. Patients were lined up outside the Endwell
office before 7:30 A.M.

Here's the detail that stuck with me: every single employee volunteers
their time for it. Dr. Sonny Spera called it "the greatest day of the
year for us." Not the most profitable. Not the busiest for revenue.
The greatest.

Dental spending in the U.S. grew by $7 billion in a single year
(2023-2024, per the ADA), and out-of-pocket dental costs alone hit $73
billion. For a lot of people, "I'll deal with it later" isn't a choice
— it's the only option their budget allows. One patient said he saved
around $300 on an extraction that day. Another put it simply: "I've
never seen so many people happy at the dentist office."

31 years. That's not a one-off marketing stunt — that's a practice
that built giving back into its identity so deeply that staff
volunteer for it year after year without being asked twice.

You don't need three decades of history to start something like this.
A single free-care Saturday. A partnership with a local dental hygiene
program for volunteer hands. One day where "I can't afford it" isn't
the reason someone leaves in pain.

💬 Does your practice do anything like this? I'd love to hear about it
in the comments.

#CommunityCare #DentalPractice #PracticeManagement #GivingBack #DrCFO

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

A policy isn't really clear if someone has to make a new decision every time an unusual situation comes up.

Holiday pay is a great example.

The goal isn't to anticipate every possible scenario. It's to establish enough clear guidelines that employees know what to expect and managers aren't reinventing the rules each holiday.

With several major holidays approaching, this is a good time to review what's actually written—not just what everyone assumes the policy is.

🎥 Carl shares a few questions worth considering.

#Leadership #PracticeManagement #OfficeManagement #EmployeePolicies #HealthcareLeadership

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

When patients are waiting 18 months for care, the system isn’t working.

This rural Washington community needed more dental professionals, but accreditation delays, licensing restrictions, and other barriers slowed the response for years. The eventual solution came with a projected cost of $3.89 million for an initial graduating class of just 10 students.

Patients need faster solutions. That means removing unnecessary barriers, modernizing training, and creating more practical paths into the dental workforce.

What changes do you think would help solve the dental staffing shortage faster?

#DentalStaffing #DentalPracticeManagement #HealthcareAccess #PracticeGrowth #DrCFO

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

Happy Birthday to our founder and CFO, Carl Stoddard! 🎉

If there’s one thing we’ve learned working alongside Carl, it’s that he’s never been interested in doing things simply because “that’s how they’ve always been done.”

Over the years, he has taken his experience working with medical and dental practices and turned it into something much bigger—creating tools, resources, management training, financial strategies, and new ways of looking at practice growth that truly are as unique as he is.

Behind all of those ideas is someone who genuinely wants to see practice owners, managers, and their teams succeed.

Carl, thank you for continuing to think differently, build new things, share what you’ve learned, and challenge all of us to keep getting better.

Today, we get to celebrate the person behind all of it.

Happy Birthday, Carl! 🥳🎂

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

This one actually made me smile, so I wanted to share it. ❤️

Risas Dental and Braces recently held its 15th annual “Labor of Love” event across the Phoenix Valley — a dozen locations, all offering free dental care on the same day.

Cleanings. Fillings. Extractions. X-rays. One free treatment per person, kids and adults, with no insurance required.

People reportedly started lining up at 4 A.M.

Think about that.

For many families, “I’ll deal with it when I can afford it” can mean putting off dental care for years.

What really stood out to me wasn't just the scale of this event. It was the consistency.

Fifteen years.

This isn't something they tried once. Giving back has become part of who they are as a practice.

And you don't need 12 locations to make an impact.

Maybe it's a few free-treatment spots. A partnership with a local school. A community day once a quarter. Sometimes doing something meaningful starts much smaller.

💬 I'd love to hear about it: What does your practice do to give back to your community?

#BeyondThePractice #CommunityCare #DentalPractice #PracticeManagement #HealthcareLeadership #DrCFO

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

Technology is changing the way medical and dental practices operate—but better tools alone won’t guarantee better results.

Rising costs, staffing shortages, and insurance pressure can still quietly eat away at profitability. The practices that stay ahead are the ones using technology intentionally, tightening their systems, and tracking what actually affects the bottom line.

Which of these challenges is affecting your practice the most right now?

#MedicalPracticeManagement #DentalPracticeManagement #PracticeProfitability #HealthcareLeadership #DrCFO

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

YOUR BIGGEST PAYER MAY BE YOUR WORST CUSTOMER

A full schedule does not guarantee a profitable practice.

This week’s DrCFO Weekly Buzz Report looks at what happens when doctors and dentists finally measure insurance like a customer—by margin, capacity, administrative burden, and cash flow.

Insurance is a customer. Measure it like one.

Be brave — but be mathematical.

Hashtags

#DrCFO #PrivatePractice #DentalPractice #MedicalPractice #FeeForService #CashPay #DirectPrimaryCare #DentalInsurance #PPO #RevenueCycle #PriorAuthorization #HealthcareFinance #PracticeManagement #PracticeProfitability #MedicalPracticeManagement #DentalPracticeManagement

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

Feel Good Story of the Week of August 24–30, 2026

This weekend, nearly 450 veterans and their spouses walked into a community center in Yutan, Nebraska — and walked out with free dental care they didn't know they needed to ask for.

The 4th annual Veterans Mission of Mercy brought dentists, dental students, lab techs, and volunteers together to provide cleanings, X-rays, oral surgery, and dentures — completely free — to veterans and spouses. About 95 of them received full sets of dentures.

Here's the part most people don't know: dental care isn't automatically covered for all veterans through the VA.

"I'd like people to know that all veterans do not receive benefits from the VA," said James Jenkins, the event's clinical director. "You'll be surprised at how many people I've talked to about this. They go, 'I thought they got their care taken care of.' No, they don't."

Since this program started four years ago, it's delivered nearly 8,000 dental services to over 1,250 veterans and spouses. After This weekend, the total value of care provided crosses $2 million.

For some veterans, this was the first time in years they could deal with pain they'd just been living with. For others, new dentures meant eating comfortably and smiling again.

Dentistry doesn't always make headlines for the right reasons. This week, it did.

Source: KLKN-TV, Aug 28, 2026

#VeteransMissionOfMercy #DentalCare #CommunityImpact #Veterans #Dentistry

https://t.co/WirVoJhF3K

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

Are You Running Your Practice — or Is Insurance Running It for You?

Payers are making it harder to get paid, while DPC, cash-pay models, and AI are making independence more practical.

Be brave — but be mathematical.

#DrCFO #PrivatePractice #DentalPractice #MedicalPractice #FeeForService #CashPay #DirectPrimaryCare #DentalInsurance #RevenueCycle #HealthcareFinance #PracticeManagement #PracticeProfitability #MedicalPracticeManagement #DentalPracticeManagement

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

We need to hire someone."

But... do you?

When a practice feels overwhelmed, hiring another person can seem like the obvious solution. But sometimes the real opportunity is hiding somewhere else.

Carl shares a different way to think about staffing—and it might make you reconsider that job posting.

👀 Before you hire, watch this.

#OfficeManager #DentalPractice #MedicalPractice #Staffing #PracticeManagement #DentalTeam #HealthcareLeadership #BusinessGrowth #DrCFO

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

This week’s DrCFO Weekly Buzz Report is about a growing question for practice owners:

Are you running your practice — or is insurance running it for you?

More medical and dental practices are rethinking the old model as reimbursement pressure, payment friction, and patient demand for price clarity continue to collide.

The big takeaway: going more cash or fee-for-service is not about being reckless. It is about being brave and mathematical.

Before dropping plans, practice owners need to know:

Which contracts are actually profitable?
Which plans fill the schedule but crush margin?
Which services could work better as cash-pay or fee-for-service?
Is the team trained to explain value without hiding behind insurance?

The next margin winners will be the clinics brave enough to question insurance — and disciplined enough to use the numbers before they move.

DrCFO can help you evaluate unprofitable plans and build a smart transition strategy with confidence.

Need a payroll, bookkeeping, or fractional CFO quote?
https://t.co/mhqRYL3n0I

#DrCFO #HealthcareFinance #PracticeManagement #PracticeValuation #DentalPractice #MedicalPractice #IndependentPractice #PracticeOwners #FeeForService #CashPayPractice #DentalEconomics #RevenueCycleManagement #CashFlowManagement #Profitability #HealthcareLeadership #FinancialIntelligence #PracticeGrowth #BusinessOfHealthcare

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

The Old Practice Model Is Cracking

This week’s DrCFO Weekly Buzz Report highlights three practice-owner realities:

Insurance participation should be evaluated by math, not habit.
AI is moving into revenue cycle, scheduling, and collections.
Patients increasingly want cost clarity before they accept care.

The next margin battle will be won by practices that know which payers, procedures, patients, and systems actually make money.

Be brave — but be smart about insurance.

#DrCFO #HealthcareFinance #PracticeManagement #PracticeValuation #DentalPractice #MedicalPractice #IndependentPractice #PracticeOwners #RevenueCycleManagement #CashFlowManagement #Profitability #HealthcareLeadership #DentalEconomics #FinancialIntelligence

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

Production Is Not Cash Flow

A practice can be busy, fully scheduled, and still be financially weaker than it looks.

This week’s DrCFO Weekly Buzz Report focuses on the hidden margin leaks practice owners need to watch now:

A/R drag.
Payment-channel fees.
Payer delays.
Fee schedule drift.
Vendor access risk.
Services that look productive but may not be profitable.

The next margin battle will not be won by production alone. It will be won by practices that convert production into cash faster, cleaner, and with better financial controls.

Want to know what your practice is really worth?
DrCFO Practice Analysis + Valuation

#DrCFO #HealthcareFinance #PracticeManagement #PracticeValuation #MedicalPractice #DentalPractice #IndependentPractice #PracticeOwners #RevenueCycleManagement #CashFlowManagement #HealthcareLeadership #FinancialIntelligence #Profitability #HealthcareTrends #BusinessOfHealthcare

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

Medicare Payment Rules, Dental Payment Friction, and Cyber Risk Are Now Margin Issues

#DrCFO #HealthcareFinance #PracticeManagement #PracticeValuation #MedicalPractice #DentalPractice #IndependentPractice #PracticeOwners #RevenueCycleManagement #HealthcareLeadership #FinancialIntelligence #CashFlowManagement #Profitability #HealthcareTrends #BusinessOfHealthcare

[Doctors CFO @drcfo]

Where are your best patients actually coming from?

If your answer is "Google" or "doctor referrals," dig a little deeper.

Which doctor?
Which campaign?
Which website?
Which source is consistently bringing in patients who actually schedule, show up, and accept treatment?

You can't improve what you don't measure.

Start tracking your referral sources with intention, and you'll make smarter marketing decisions with confidence.

#PracticeManagement #MedicalPractice #DentalPractice #OfficeManager #HealthcareLeadership #PracticeGrowth #HealthcareMarketing #DrCFO