Remember that blog a couple of months ago about the associate that could be my grandfather that was working here? Just wanted to give an update on the semi-retired associate dentist that I was telling you about. Well today was it; we informed him that it was the end of the road. It was not fun. I feel bad for him and his situation, but his practice style and philosophies were just too different and causing too much upheaval with the staff. Most of all, was the realization that even though were not doing the dentistry, our business could be held liable for any problems that arose. The practice owns the charts and the patient hands the money over to our business and they walk through our front door, so everything he does in some way reflects on us. That did it for me!
Most of the comments I got from the original piece about this issue said to “get rid of him immediately.” It just took us a little time to get there. Telling people that want to be here that we do not want them here is the part I hate about being a business owner. The bad part is that we hired an extra assistant to work with him; without him, we do not need her. She knew this could be coming, but I still feel bad. We are going to let her sub if someone is out and if a position ever comes open and she is available, we will give her a call. We are giving him a few weeks to wrap up cases and then it is done.
I hope that I am ever in the position that I have to work in my 80s. I am sure that bad things can happen, but that is have short-term and long-term disability out the yin yang to cover physical issues. I know one dentist that does not believe in insurance. I hate paying the premiums, but I would hate even more needing it and not having it.
We are saving for the future: 401k, used to do a Roth, a few other little things here and there. I probably should be doing more, but if I stay healthy, I should be able to work another 25 years and still retire before 65. I know that more issues will arise even after he is long gone, but we will have to put out the fires one by one. I see now why so many dentist partnerships break up. It is hard working with a dentist who just does things differently than you.
Well, I am not sure how we are going to handle bringing in another dentist in the future if one approaches us. But I know we have learned a lot from this little adventure.
I always say you don't really know what someone is like until you "live" with them!!!
ReplyDeleteThe first morning I started to work with one associate, I opened the blinds, and he closed them right behind me. I thought "Uh Oh!" and that premonition was correct; a dental partnership is like a marriage and the break up is just as traumatic. I heard one partner in another practice took his chain saw into the reception area and started cutting the reception desk in half. . . With patients in the room!!!