SEPTEMBER 2015

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month! We've been "celebrating" this event for several years now and it has helped us stay alert.

There are many reasons to be prepared – an office emergency could happen at any time and it’s important to have a plan and BE PREPARED! Whenever you renew your CPR training or when a new team member joins the practice, set aside 30 minutes to review your Office Emergency Plan.

1. Emergency numbers such as 911 or the full phone number for the local ambulance, rescue squad and or police/fire department should be posted on every phone. Have 911 on speed dial noted by a red sticker for quickest access.

2. Have a code word or phrase indicating an emergency that is known to the whole team. “Code A” or “Code Blue” could mean “Call an ambulance,” and so on. This could be relayed to the Front Desk, who would most likely have the information that would be asked

by emergency personnel. A few quick words such as “Code A, Mrs Smith is having trouble breathing” and a call is made along with Mrs Smith’s information from the health history information that might be asked by the dispatcher.

3. Every member of the dental team should have a specific assignment in the event of an emergency. Be sure to have redundancy, in case a team member is only part time or on vacation. Some examples are: a.) Receptionist / Front Desk i. Call emergency responders ii. Directs responders to patient b.) Assistant or Hygienist i. Monitors patient ii. Keeps track of vital signs and symptoms to report to EMS c.) Assistant 2 or Hygienist 2 i. Grab emergency treatment manual ii. Gets an necessary emergency equipment iii. Follows Doctor’s directions/ helps with administering treatment d.) Dentist i. Directs overall treatment ii. Administers emergency medications

4. New team members should review the written office emergency manual, be given a specific assignment and shown the locations of all emergency equipment.

With a little planning and practice, possible confusion and panic can be significantly reduced in the case of an actual emergency.

September is Disaster Preparedness Month

Be Prepared!

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From The Desk of

ACTSmart’s Year-To-Date Protection Stats for our “Total Control” clients

For more info about email security, archiving, and encryption go to GoAmerican.com/technology/reflexion

• 1,236,938 messages delivered successfully• 4,733,873 messages blocked as spam• 151,600 messages sent outbound• 5,767 viruses blocked• 88,503 messages blocked to unknown recipients

We’re pleased to announce Steve Allain as the newest addition to our team. He’s completing his studies of our softwares and solutions and

already assisting on-site. He’s especially interested in security and will be doing more work in that field for us.

While Steven was on vacation, Justin, Steve and I attended this years ASCii Summit in Boston where ACTSmart was recognized for our 8+ years of active membership.

ASCii provides its 2,000+ members with the leverage of a large buying organization helping us keep product and service costs under control. Members are also connected to a national IT knowledge exchange linking members across North America on technical discussions, best business practices and the ultimate knowledge of what is working and not working in the market today.

These events provide practical skills in sales and marketing while offering an array of new business opportunities by showcasing the latest technology for the SMB market.

At this year’s summit I actually won a Lenovo Yoga tablet which Pam has already got her eyes on.

As August came to a close, we enjoyed time with the family on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. It was grandson Xander’s first family vacation and he especially liked rides on Uncle Matt’s new boat!

In my mind, September and October are the BEST months and I’m looking forward to enjoying the fall weather!

Be sure to read the article on the front page – don’t let the good weather lull you into complacency – your business could depend on your vigilance.

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SEPTEMBER 2015

Hackers Can Remotely Steal Fingerprints From Android Phones

By Zack Whittaker, www.zdnet.com

Our fingerprints might not be as safe as we think they are. New research, announced at the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas in August, by FireEye researchers Tao Wei and Yulong Zhang outlined new ways to attack Android devices and extract user fingerprints.

The threat is for now confined mostly to Android devices that have fingerprint sensors, such as Samsung, Huawei, and HTC devices, which by volume remains low compared to iPhone shipments. But down the line by 2019, where it's believed that at least half of all smartphone shipments will have a fingerprint sensor, the threat deepens.

Of the four attacks outlined by the researchers, one in particular -- dubbed the "fingerprint sensor spying attack" -- can "remotely harvest fingerprints in a large scale," Zhang told ZDNet by email.

The attack, which was confirmed on the HTC One Max and Samsung's Galaxy S5, allows a hacker to stealthily acquire a fingerprint image from an affected device because device makers don't fully lock down the sensor.

Making matters worse, the sensor on some devices is only guarded by the "system" privilege instead of root, making it easier to target. (In other words: rooting or jailbreaking your phone can leave you at a greater risk.) Once the attack is in place, the fingerprint sensor can continue to quietly collect fingerprint data on anyone who uses the sensor.

"In this attack, victims' fingerprint data directly fall into attacker's hand. For the rest of the victim's life, the attacker can keep using the fingerprint data to do other malicious things," Zhang said. And that's a big problem. Fingerprints might be commonplace in mobile payments and unlocking devices, but they

have been used more in the past five years also for identity, immigration, and for criminal records.

Affected vendors have since provided patches after being alerted by the researchers.

The researchers did not comment on which vendor is more secure than others. But, Zhang noted that Apple's iPhone, which pioneered the modern fingerprint sensor, is "quite secure," as it encrypts fingerprint data from the scanner.

"Even if the attacker can directly read the sensor, without obtaining the crypto key, [the attacker] still cannot get the fingerprint image," he said.

The problem isn't just limited to mobile devices. The researchers warned that many of the attacks they note in their talk also apply to high-end laptops with fingerprint sensors.

The researchers advised users to use devices that were regularly updated, and only install apps from reliable sources.

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Simple Steps To Take The Angst Out Of Interviewingby Blake Cohen, Summit Dental PartnersSummitDentalPartners.com • 781-724-7975

In order to have a successful practice you must have the proper systems in place, along with a strong patient base and great clinicians. However, not having the correct staff in place can render everything else useless. Without the proper staff there is no guarantee that any systems that are in place will be followed and the patient

experience can suffer as a result. That is why the hiring process is one of, if not the most, vital components of a successful dental practice. We can look at the hiring process from both points of view. First from the employer’s side … what to look for and what questions to ask and secondly from the interviewee’s position … what questions to ask and how to present yourself. Because after all, what you are selling is you.

I have been recruiting for dental practices for 4 years now and have seen some of the best people come across my desk and others that I know right away are not the right fit. There really is no right way to interview a candidate. It all depends on what you are looking for but there certainly is a wrong way (and sometimes an illegal way) to interview someone. Before you even meet a candidate make sure you have all pertinent information that a candidate may want to know, such as location, hours, salary (general range), any type of benefits, and a clear job description. Too many times I’ve seen employers lose out on a great candidate because they were not prepared themselves and that reflected poorly on the practice. Have all the answers to the basic questions a candidate may ask and try not to appear nervous. If you are inexperienced at interviewing, it is good to remember that even though it can be nerve-racking, it is much more stressful for the candidate. Here is a sample of 5 excellent questions you may want to ask your potential candidate….

• What do you enjoy most about your current position?

• What is your biggest challenge at your current position?

• What made you decide the dental field was the career for you?

• Tell me about a conflict you faced at work and how you resolved it?

• Why did you decide to leave your last job?

Not only have I conducted countless interviews in the past, but I have also interviewed for positions myself, successfully and unsuccessfully. It would seem that what to do and what not to do during an interview would be common sense but you would be very surprised to know that that is rarely the case. To start, a candidate should always dress so they exude confidence and success. This means no jeans or t-shirts (or anything that you question is appropriate). Think business casual at the very least and you will be heading in the right direction.

One thing that always caught my attention (in a good way) was when candidates had clearly researched the practice they were interviewing for and had specific questions or comments that were pertinent to that company. This showed me that they were taking this seriously and this wasn’t just another “job” to them. Also, it is always much appreciated when a candidate brings a list of “professional” references with them to the interview. Most of the time we want to get the hiring process started ASAP and having to wait for a list of references just slows everything down. Lastly, after thanking the employer for the opportunity to interview, send a follow up email thanking them one more time. This will help distinguish you from the rest of the pool. Unfortunately I rarely see this and when I do, it stands out to me.

These are just a few of the dos and don’ts of interviewing for both sides that I view as simple but important. Of course, different people look for different things during an interview, but if you follow these simple suggestions, it will only increase your chances of landing a quality employee or quality job.

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By Angela M. Donovan, CDPMA • www.NEDentalManagers.com • 781-820-8485

There’s Still Time To Make Lasting Memories

SEPTEMBER 2015

New England Dental Office Managers

Summer is winding down and will soon be a distant memory. Did you make the most of the warm weather to do some team building activities?

Team building is extremely important to the success of the practice. Without a cohesive team, the practice cannot function optimally. By taking the team

out of the office and allowing them to interact on a social level, without the stress of the day to day hustle and bustle of the practice, you’re helping them to bond on a higher level.

A simple and fun team building activity would be a barbecue or clam bake. Here’s how to make it work:

• Create a new theme every year. OrientalTrading.com has themed party supplies for any occasion.

• Have the team members picked up in a limo, so that they can relax and not have to worry about driving home afterwards.

• Present everyone with a custom t-shirt commemorating the practice’s annual outing. Tees can be created easily at CustomInk.com.

• Create some friendly rivalries with an annual cornhole, volleyball or kickball competition. Give the winning team a commemorative ribbon to celebrate their victory.

• Present personalized awards to team members that have really stood out during the year or have had a milestone anniversary with the practice. You can have these created locally or at RecognitionSource.com.

• When it gets dark, set up a makeshift movie screen with a white sheet and watch a movie outside using a projector (you can purchase a projector on Amazon.com for under $150) and laptop.

• Make sure to take plenty of pictures to post on your practice’s website, Facebook page and Instagram page. Patients love to see the team interacting outside of the practice. Also, funny pics of team members can be used during the year on birthday cakes etc….

• Finally, no great party is complete without a gift bag filled with personalized goodies. Take time to create each bag for each individual team member. DentalDivalicious.com has some great tumblers and wine glasses that can be personalized with a team member’s name.

The warm weather will be around for a little longer and there’s still time to build lasting memories with your team.

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Do I Need Disability Insurance? by Dierdre Collins, MSFS, RFC, Harbor Strategies Group 781-229-2300 • www.HarborStrategiesGroup.com

The road to financial security is long and challenging. Income protection is for everyone. If you’re working and earning a paycheck, chances are, you need to protect your income. Without the right protection, a lot is at stake if you become too sick or hurt to work. Your income is your most valuable asset and is the foundation to a solid financial plan.

A disabling injury or illness not only affects your immediate income, it can also make it challenging to continue saving for the future. You can also protect your ability to save for retirement.

For dentists, a disability not only affects personal income, it affects the practice, too. If you or one of your key

employees suddenly became too sick or hurt to work, you could face a disability triple threat:

• Keeping a roof over your head.• Keeping your practice open.• Keeping your practice investment intact.

Your income is the foundation of your financial plan. It’s what makes everything else possible. Just as you protect yourself against unexpected property damage, medical expenses and loss of life, you should also protect yourself against loss of income due to disability.

While the need is apparent, there are still some dentists have not purchased individual Disability Iinsurance – which is unfortunate. For those that have the insurance, everyone should review existing coverage to make sure it is adequate. There are simple, affordable solutions to fit just about every need and budget including high limit disability that will insure high wage earners up to $100,000 per month with no medical underwriting with significant discounts!

Dierdre Collins, MSFS, RFC has worked in the financial services industry for over twenty years, primarily working with small business owners and medical professionals in the New England area. Dierdre’s experience has provided her with a thorough understanding of both the goals and the constraints professionals face with their retirement and investment planning objectives.

Dierdre utilizes an independent, objective approach to wealth management and provides her clients with financial solutions based on their specific needs with

the objective of minimizing the eroding effects of taxes where ever possible. She possesses a high level of commitment for the highest possible level of client service. Dierdre is an advocate of objective advisory services leading to comprehensive and accurate wealth management, insurance and investment plans.

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by Roland Lacey, MediaRightDental.com • 781-924-1141

Google Update: Major Change in the Map Ranking Algorithm

SEPTEMBER 2015

Google has made a major change this month to the way they show local search results. What is the change? Why should we care? And what should we do with this new information?

What is the change?

If you do a search for any service that Google has figured out is locally oriented, like “dentist” or “Plymouth dentists”, Google shows the paid results at the top followed by a “Map” section, followed by the “organic” search results. If you include the town in your search they will feature dentists in that town, otherwise they feature dentists in the town you are located in. This map area is key. It stands out, features quality practices and until now you were a click away from speaking to someone.

The major changes are two-fold. Now instead of 7 practices appearing in the map section there are only 3. If your website is among the top 3 in the map area this is good for you. Now you are competing with only 2 other practices on the first page. If your website was in position 4-7 the news is not good. You are now not on the first page of search results in the map area.

The second change is that they have removed the address and phone numbers from the display. Instead they require you to click through to the websites to get the contact details. I am not sure why they have done this but I suspect it is another step towards trying to optimize more and more for mobile devices. But it means there is no phone number to click and call in the results and that your website better be mobile friendly and make it easy to contact you.What does this mean for us?

Unless our websites are mobile friendly and aligned with our Google My Business profile we are probably not going to even appear in the map or the top organic results. And when someone has to click to our website to get the contact info if what they see on their phone is a scrunched-down version of our full website where they can’t get to the links easily or click to call they are probably not going

to contact us. And we know that mobile searches are becoming the majority of searches done today.

What can we do to make this an opportunity?

Clearly with only 3 sites showing on the map on the first page your competition will be sharpening their saws to be one of the three. So what can we do to make sure we appear there? I provided a guide on optimizing your GoogleMyBusiness profile in a previous column. You can still download that and an updated cheat sheet at www.mediarightdental.com/gmb so I won’t go into detail on that here. But let me summarize the 3 most important steps you should take to ensure you appear on local searches for dentists.

1. Log in to your Google My Business listing at www.google.com/business. Do a quick scan and ensure Google has no issues with your profile (eg. Duplicate Listing, Listing Not Claimed, etc.).

2. Following my Google My Business Guide edit your profile and ensure all of the information is correct. Especially the Name, Address and Phone number. If anyone has tried to employ keywords in your Business name get rid of them and make it your EXACT business name.

3. Try to get as many positive reviews as possible. Reviews are a key component of ranking higher on the map and they make your listing stand out, not to mention the value of positive reviews in the minds of someone seeking a new dentist.

Getting Google reviews can be difficult. Next month I am going to share with you a process one of my clients and I came up with that really works to get you more positive reviews, fewer negative reviews and powerful feedback from your patients. If you care about being found when someone searches for a dentist in your area you are going to love it.

70 Corporate Park Drive, Suite 1225-1230Pembroke, MA 02359-4953781.826.9665 • www.ACTSmartDental.com

Relax and Put Our Team To Work!You've got enough to do already!Did you know that as part of our service to our ProWatch clients (you!) is to roll out your practice management software’s updates for you?

That’s right – you don’t have to hang around and do all those tedious updates! We’ll complete them for you! We can do them during your down time or after hours – whichever works best for you!

Next time updates come your way, just give us a call and then RELAX! We’ll do the rest!

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