Why “Concierge” Medicine?

First, sorry I didn’t get here last week.  So here I am.

Last week I was listening to the radio where a news program was doing a special report on concierge medicine.  What is it you might ask?  Well, overworked physicians are reducing the size of their practices, and in order to give you  more comprehensive and caring attention, they are asking you to pay a monthly membership fee to see them.  The one doctor who spoke in the piece was charging his patients $150 a month to see him in addition to his regular fees.  My own personal physician did this about three years ago- I politely declined the “opportunity”.

Why is this my topic today?  Because, I give this kind of care routinely and without asking for a membership fee.  I even reward my patient’s loyalty with perks and opportunities to save their hard-earned dollars in my practice.  And why do I do this without a concierge fee?  Because I am a doctor.  I am here to be of service to you.  That is part of the job description.  Don’t get me wrong…I don’t do it for free.  But I set my fees at a reasonable and fair rate and give 100% of myself to you.  Your dental health is pretty important to me.  And charging a membership fee feels wrong to me.

I don’t run a country club for snobby members.  I am a doctor.  And I NEVER want to forget the integrity that honor demands of me.

Talk to you soon!

9/11 plus one

Did you take a few minutes yesterday to remember the 9/11 attacks? Hard to believe it was 10 years ago.  It is a modern day Pearl Harbor.  I remember as a kid seeing the movies of the sinking USS Arizona and all the other movies of that attack.  Because they were black and white, they almost seemed unreal, like it didn’t happen.  So yesterday, I sat down with my 16 year-old daughter and 13 year-old son to watch some of the videos of that day shown on History Channel (which were incredible, by the way).  They were unable to remember that day like I was, and they just watched the videos in silence.  They looked at me and asked if it really happened…MOST CERTAINLY was my answer!  Then I realized that to them it was almost unreal…just like Pearl Harbor was to me at their age.  To experience it in real time with true understanding is a sobering experience.  I just hope my kids don’t have to have a similar experience in their lifetimes.

Tremendous Opportunity TOMORROW!!!

Tomorrow at Doozy of a Deal, we are going to have our biggest promotion in the history of Lernor Family Dental. It’s a can’t-miss, can’t-go-wrong opportunity for you to invite a new family member or friend to join our practice! So go TOMORROW to www.DoozyofaDeal.com and check it out! You won’t regret it!

What is “Family Dentistry” ?

From time to time I get asked… what is Family Dentistry? Briefly, family dentistry at Lernor Family Dental involves most aspects of dentistry ranging from something as simple as a child’s teeth cleaning to dental implants.  The idea is to provide a wide range of dental services the whole family can utilize.  We also are part of a network of exceptional specialists, each carefully selected to give you the very best dental care you seek and that I can be confident you will be treated as one of my own family members.  After all that is what you become when you are part of our practice.  I proudly serve the North Phoenix area and am located on the Southwest corner of Tatum and Bell Roads.  So come see the difference our practice can make for your family. And if you’re already part of the family, thanks for being there!

Want to meet some exceptional people?

Then you need to come into the office and have a conversation with one of the team members.  It is said that everyone has a story and that is no different in my office.  These are four of the most intriguing individuals in my life, and I’m thankful every day that they are part of the team of people that makes our office such a great atmosphere to work.

Jennifer was a beauty queen…did you know that?  Ask her about it sometime.

Jolynn lived in Belle Fourche, South Dakota and did something very creative…ask her about it.

Sonya was not born in the United States.  She has a very interesting and amusing story about coming to this country.  Tell her to give you the scoop.

Lannie is a world traveler.  She says she knows where the best lobster is in the world.  It’s probably not where you think.  Ask her next time you see her.

Everyone has at least one great story inside of them.  Hearing one will lift you up or jolt you into reality or bring you sadness or grief.  No matter what emotion you experience, it is guaranteed to change you.

Promise to talk dentistry next time.  See ya.

Another good blogger to follow

There is so much information to see, read, and follow on the internet that it is sometimes just plain overwhelming.  I have a select few sites I visit that give me great ideas on how to deal with day-to-day issues in my dental world and in the “real” world.  Let me tell you about one you might want to follow.

Seth Godin is not a dentist but is an author and speaker who has valuable insights on business, marketing, and life.  His daily entries are short and thought-provoking, and his writing style is very easy to read.  Click on his name above and read a few of his blogs.  I hope you get as much out of them as I have.

For me, the world is about so much more than teeth and gums, but next time, I’ll finally get around to saying something about dentistry.

Talk to you soon.

 

This month’s newsletter joke

Here’s this month’s newsletter joke; hope you get a smile from it.

“WHERE is my SUNDAY paper?!”

The irate customer calling the newspaper office, loudly demanded to know where her Sunday edition was.

“Madam”, said the newspaper employee, “today is Saturday. The Sunday paper is not delivered until tomorrow, on SUNDAY”.

There was quite a long pause on the other end of the phone, followed by a ray of recognition as she was heard to mutter,

”Well, darn, that explains why no one was at church either.”