THE CHALLENGES OF DIGITAL DENTISTRY

When Dr. Bill and his wife, Tamara, started Whitley Family Dental in 2009, they found that information technology (IT) equipment, such as their office’s computer network, was one of their biggest challenges. Tamara notes, “When we started, everything was electronic and paperless, which we really enjoyed, but we found as time went on that the biggest chunk of change didn’t go to things like salaries, taxes or overhead — it was the cost of technology. You need so much equipment to run a dental office and comply with the electronic records regulation.”

Not only do digital dentists need to find and buy the right IT equipment to run their practices efficiently, but then the computers and other peripherals must be regularly maintained and replaced. As their different components aged, Whitley Family Dental struggled, as Tamara describes it, with getting all the technology “talking with each other.”

When Tamara and Dr. Bill learned about TechCentral by Henry Schein One and its Omnicore all–in–one dental office network, it was a lightbulb moment. They realized how much it could lighten their burden if they partnered with TechCentral, who provides equipment and support services designed specifically for dentists.

A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION

Dr. Bill knows that while technology is the backbone of his practice, the patients must be the focus, which is why he insists that his technology be secure and reliable so he can concentrate on patient care. He and Tamara chose to partner with TechCentral, he says, because “we need accuracy, simplicity and ease of use in our office technology.” They also place a high value on “one-stop shopping” for all their office technology, software (including Dentrix) and practice supplies.

They desired a comprehensive solution with technology components that work well together and support their current products. They also wanted time-saving features that give them cost benefits compared to their previous provider. They found all these elements with offerings from Henry Schein One, including TechCentral Omnicore.

Tamara Whitley comes from a corporate healthcare background and has completed the Six Sigma Black Belt training (a prestigious certification in process improvement techniques and tools). When she became the office director in January 2018, it’s not surprising that she noticed processes that needed improving — and the first thing that had to change was their office technology. Tamara was used to having IT support on-site and on call for all technology issues.

Whitley Family Dental had been “loyal to a fault” to their previous practice management software company, but when that company changed some of their support options, it led to some negative experiences. They agreed to talk to a Henry Schein representative for a free TechCentral technology assessment. The results were a big eye-opener. Dr. Bill and Tamara quickly realized that the TechCentral by Henry Schein One and its Omnicore all-in-one dental office network was the innovative technology solution they had been looking for.

In addition to a practice management software limited by their support, Dr. Bill and Tamara discovered that the practice had originally been sold cheap, consumer-grade computers that were slowing staff down. They also had been told they had a server that was really a standard computer. Not only that, their workstations were running an old, unsupported home version of Windows. They knew they had to fix their technology, so they added up the costs of replacing all the equipment themselves and realized that if they were to set up the office network properly, with business-grade equipment, “it would be five years, before we’d even break even, and by then the technology would be outdated.”

Tamara realized hardware as a service was the best solution, “because then TechCentral, not us, is responsible for the equipment. Not only that, they include the right components in our Omnicore network without us having to think about it, as well as monitoring and updating the equipment.”

Replacing their office equipment with TechCentral workstations and an Omnicore network “is a no-brainer,” Tamara says. “And it’s wonderful having TechCentral behind me as my IT people. It’s like having an IT person on site.”

“If someone were considering new IT services, I would tell them that TechCentral gets the job done quickly and accurately with minimal disruption to my practice.”

DR. BILL WHITLEY
Whitley Family Dental

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER

Dr. Bill and Tamara were pleasantly surprised to find that not only would their IT situation improve, but purchasing other services and products through Henry Schein One would result in better service, more features and time-saving integration across products. “Integration is key,” Tamara says. “We have different services and products, but they all work together now. Anything that I can get that’s integrated makes my life so much easier.”

She also claims they are saving several hundred dollars a month through this switch because of included services and new efficiencies, and there’s the added convenience of getting everything through Henry Schein One. “Everything is under one umbrella. I want to go one place and have it all there,” she says. “And it’s so great that we are saving money by switching.”

“I CAN SLEEP AT NIGHT NOW”

Tamara and Dr. Bill have enjoyed the switch to Omnicore for the office network and say that one of their favorite benefits of Omnicore is the ease of automatic data backup. “Our data is backed up to the cloud now,” explains Tamara. “We used to have to back up on little disks. We would constantly get errors. Some days we would spend maybe an hour after closing each night to get the data backed up.” She continues, “We had a celebration the final time we ever had to do a manual backup!.”

Dr. Bill appreciates the way Omnicore has lightened his staff’s IT stress. “With Omnicore, we have eliminated the need to back up our data, saving the staff hours of constantly fighting with back-up drives.”

Omnicore provides value and flexibility that they also both enjoy. Tamara says, “We combine some add-on services with Omnicore that are worth every dime. And I appreciate the included monitoring. If we have a problem or get a computer virus, it will alert Support, and they will instantly handle it. It’s so comforting that they can easily remote in to our computers to fix issues and keep our data safe.”

“I love everything about Omnicore! What’s not to like?” laughs Tamara. “I know our data is protected by the firewall router. We have a true server now that can actually handle our business needs. We love the automatic cloud backup and not hassling with manual backup.”

She continues, “Omnicore has lot of great functionality, but what it boils down to is the security. I love being able to go to sleep at night and feel my office systems are taken care of and my patient data is more secure.”

SMOOTH TECHCENTRAL IMPLEMENTATION

Tamara and Dr. Bill were very happy with the TechCentral Implementation process. “Omnicore has been the bright spot in our larger implementation,” Tamara notes. “The equipment was exactly what was promised. TechCentral did what they said they were going to do and even ahead of time.”

Dr. Bill wholeheartedly agrees. “If someone were considering new IT services, I would tell them that TechCentral gets the job done quickly and accurately. The Omnicore implementation created minimal disruption to my practice.”

“You can't put a price on the feeling that your practice is secure. I never felt so secure in my life.”

TAMARA WHITLEY
Whitley Family Dental

Their enthusiasm about how well things have gone with the Omnicore implementation shows. (Tamara enjoys their Omnicore network so much that she even raved about it on her personal social media page.) “When we switched to Omnicore,” Tamara says, “we were operational the next day. To have the TechCentral implementation go as well as it did, with very few bumps in the road, I thought, ‘The staff are going to love me for this switch!’”

PEACE OF MIND

Tamara and Dr. Bill knew that switching their technology would give them great benefits, since it would make their IT work together better, provide features that would save time and make their practice more efficient, and save their practice money.

“Omnicore gives us a powerful server and the equipment we need to run our practice smoothly,” Tamara comments. But more than that: it’s bestowed peace of mind. “You can’t put a price on the feeling that your practice is secure,” she says. “I never felt so secure in my life.”

Tamara and Dr. Bill have a simple wish for their IT that TechCentral is fulfilling: “We just want the technology to work together,” Tamara says. “It takes time away from our practice when the computers aren’t running right.” She continues, “We’ve saved time with all our integrated services being with one company.”

They advise others seeking a better experience to not be afraid of change. “Check out your options,” recommends Tamara. “Don't let fear make your business decisions for you. People need to know that Henry Schein One has so much more to offer.”

Many of your peers depend on TechCentral solutions and services every day. See what Clay Center and Perkinson & Associates are saying with their case studies.