This is the story of two very different dental businesses located in Savannah, Georgia. One is a multi-location practice with a big team, while the other is a thriving solo practice.
One thing they have in common? Both dentists, owners of their respective practices, knew from the start that expert insurance billing would be the key to a steady flow of revenue.
This case study explores Habersham Dental, and Christopher Comer DMD — two dental businesses that have worked with us at DCS for over 10 years.
Since they partnered with DCS more than a decade ago, both businesses have been challenged by change, yet they’ve also seen tremendous growth and success with DCS at their side the entire time.
You can read the complete case study here.
And in this article, we’ll briefly share the long-running success stories for both of these practices, and how DCS supporting them for more than 10 years has benefited their dental businesses.
A smart start: How to set up your dental business for success
Habersham Dental was founded and is owned by Dr. Ryan Fulchi. Even as he was getting his start as a practice owner, he knew his priority was to keep cash flowing so he could provide for his staff and support his ambitious goals.
But as with any new business owner, there are always challenges, and in Dr. Fulchi’s case, turnover among his employees was adding too much work to his team’s plate.
He explained to us—
“Any time we had turnover, it just created a mountain of work that fell back on the office managers. It definitely elevated stress levels — when you're trying to do a million different things, and then this mountain of work just falls back in your lap. We were kind of starving for some consistency.”
Dr. Fulchi was already friends with the founders of DCS, who also live in Savannah, and they struck up a deal after agreeing it would be more cost-effective to work with DCS as a service provider than to hire another insurance coordinator.
Related: 3 steps for creating a successful start-up dental practice
Meanwhile, Dr. Chris Comer was buying an established practice from a retiring dentist.
During his due diligence, Dr. Comer noticed some aging accounts receivable (AR)
accounts and inconsistent billing practices. He decided to be proactive about resolving those issues, knowing the impact these processes have on overall revenue.
Dr. Comer had heard of DCS, and he also knew the owners personally. He appreciated their vision and what they hoped to build with their billing services, and he knew right away he wanted their expertise handling his insurance billing.
He describes:
“Before I even walked in the door, I signed on with DCS to just start with a clean slate. For me, it was a complete no-brainer.”
This was around 2013, when DCS was a brand-new dental billing company. These two dentists took a chance on us, and over the years, we’ve made them glad they did.
Through the years: Many things changed, and one thing stayed the same…
Throughout the past 10 years, both Dr. Fulchi and Dr. Comer’s dental businesses faced the inevitable and unavoidable challenges brought on by world events, technology innovations, and growth.
And both of these dental owners kept DCS by their side as they added new locations and new team members, and endured the global pandemic. We asked both doctors how DCS was there for them during the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Comer explains—
“We closed our doors for a couple of months. When we were not working, they [DCS] were still working. So they were still managing all of our collections as if nothing changed.”
Dr. Fulchi actually bought a practice during the pandemic — as other dental businesses were shutting down, he was building his up. And as he added more practice locations during this time, he ensured DCS was working with each one to keep their billing processes streamlined and their cash flow consistent.
This is how Dr. Fulchi describes DCS standing by Habersham Dental through massive growth, even in difficult times.
“Through all of our growth, DCS was right there by our side. The ease of taking that piece of the business off my in-house team helps make everybody more capable.”
Changes and challenges will surely keep on coming, and these two practices — plus dozens of others — are still growing and evolving, year after year, with the help of DCS.
10+ years later: DCS remains an extension of their teams
A decade of partnership is a long time, so we couldn’t help but wonder … why would they stay with DCS for 10 years?
Dr. Fulchi’s answer:
“Consistency. DCS really has been a part of our team for each of our offices. We feel very comfortable picking up the phone to ask questions, as if they’re part of the in-house team.”
Dr. Comer had a similar answer:
“We've had great service for 10 years, and I've not heard of any company that could offer this level of service at this price. Anywhere. It's not even a comparison when it comes to the other competition.”
And even today, as a staffing shortage continues to ravage the dental industry, these two doctors don’t have to worry about personnel problems. Dr. Comer explains how working with DCS is “like hiring a really good employee and never having to worry about them, because they always turn in great work and are always there.”
Today, Dr. Fulchi is still working hard to grow Habersham, and prides himself on how loyal and committed he is to his relationships — his collaboration with DCS is no exception.
Dr. Comer also continues to use DCS as a resource to keep his practice running smoothly, allowing him and his in-house team to focus on serving their patients and their community.
And here at DCS, we’re honored to support the growth and success of their dental businesses, as well as the dozens of others who entrust their revenue cycle to our nationwide team of experts.
Just For You: Recommendations from your successful colleagues
Of course, we had to ask if they would recommend DCS to other dental business owners.
Dr. Comer answers, “Yes! DCS has always been such a positive influence. And you know you can write an email or just pick up the phone and talk to a person immediately. They’re always ready to help.”
Dr. Fulchi says, “Absolutely! They’ve been fantastic for all of our offices. They’ve been really supportive of us and our growth. So yes — I would 100% recommend.”
Looking forward: Another decade of growth, success, and true partnership
What are our biggest takeaways after talking with Dr. Fulchi and Dr. Comer?
- Consistency is everything to a business owner — and DCS has been a stable and reliable provider for over 10 years.
- Your in-house team deserves to not feel overwhelmed by billing work — and your patients deserve your team’s time and attention.
- When your billing process is streamlined and managed by a third party, not only can you relax knowing it’s handled, but with dependable support and maximized collections, you can also realize larger ambitions.
All of this is achievable with the right billing partner on your side to support your in-house team. To meet these dentists and see their offices, read the full success stories for these members of our Big 10 Client Club clients here.
Wondering how we can support the future growth of your dental business? Book a free 30-minute call with one of our experts.
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