For more information, go to www.dentaleconomics.com and search using the following key words: Chicago Midwinter, Sikka Software, PennWell, dental practice, DDS Tech Fair, dental community.
by Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor
I am writing this on my way to Baltimore on Feb. 28 for a speaking engagement on March 1. This is one of those rare occasions when Sue is going with me, and it is nice to have her along. My son, John, lives in Baltimore, so we will get to visit with him and our two grandsons, Jack and Richard. Now you know why Sue came! We also will get to see some close friends and maybe crack a crab or two.
The previous week, when I arrived in Chicago on Tuesday to attend the Midwinter Meeting, the pilot announced the temperature was seven degrees with a wind chill of minus 10. Now that is really cold! There were not too many people walking in downtown Chicago. The meeting was exciting — there were so many great speakers that it was hard to decide who to listen to. On the exhibit floor, I saw many new and innovative products, but none were more exciting than the following press release that came out just before the meeting:
Sikka Software, a leading provider of business optimization software for the small business health-care industry, said it has partnered with Dental Economics®, the dental arm of PennWell® Corporation, to provide the dental community with enhanced practice monitoring and metrics.
"We are pleased to announce this relationship with an industry leader in communication and management for dental practices. The enhanced exposure will help more dentists to benefit from the power of business optimization software that we build," said Vijay Sikka, CEO and chairman of Sikka Software. "It is becoming increasingly important to monitor the trends and enhance business intelligence dashboards for the dental community. Our products help the dentist be the CEO of his or her practice, and our partnership with Dental Economics® will help us deliver advantages of monitoring key dental practice metrics that will help increase awareness in the dental community."
"The valuable tools Sikka Software has developed will be available for dentists to try free on a trial basis at www.dentaleconomics.com," said Lyle Hoyt, senior vice president and group publisher of Dental Economics®.
"We believe this partnership will result in a real benefit to our Web visitors who are seeking sound advice on practice-building and practice management. The tools allow dentists to not only gauge the health of critical business aspects in their practice, but get a feel for where their performance ranks among their peers."
What this all means to me is that you will be able to visit the Dental Economics® Web site to get real data on how your business and clinical performances compare to others. This is all included in the new look of the DE® Web site. Look for more things to happen there each and every month.
Take a look at "Video Pearls for Your Practice." You will see actual video footage (not just slides with a voice-over) of procedures with products of which you may or may not be familiar. In the future, look for dental blogs, dental office design tips, an Ask the Experts column, and many more features to help your practice.
Be sure to check out a "virtual trade show" called the DDS Tech Fair that will take place June 6 and 7. You won"t have to buy a plane ticket or book a hotel room because this show is as close as your computer. All you have to do is to get comfortable and go online. This is not virtual, as in "virtual reality," where nerdy guys slaughter aliens in arcade games as if "you"re actually there, dude." But it comes pretty close. You can instant message exhibitors and have one-on-one conversations while "standing" in an exhibitor"s booth, which will offer a variety of things you can do while visiting. You can even receive continuing education credits at some of the booths. The seminars are an interactive blend of PowerPoint and audio streaming, culminating in a live question-and-answer session. You can also get to know fellow attendees in a casual networking area where you can relax or network. There is no cost for the DDS Tech Fair or the CE, but you need to register at www.ddstechfair.com. I look forward to seeing you there!
Joe Blaes, DDS, Editor—e-mail: [email protected]
Toll-free phone number: (866)274-4500
