September 2018 DSM Insider 28 | Page 20

ROY NOVICK, DDS THE VITAL ROLE OF THE SLEEP AMBASSADOR T here are many things which are integral to success in dental sleep medicine: proper education and training, home sleep testing, medical billing expertise, a solid marketing plan - but one item tends to get overlooked: having a sleep ambassador. 3. Schedules the test result consultation What is a sleep ambassador? The Sleep Ambassador is the person on your team whose sole job is running and growing your sleep practice. They are the main contact for your sleep program, responsible and accountable for each patient moving through the program; leading other team members to complete their specific tasks. • • • • The Sleep Ambassador: 1. Supervises screening process, ensuring protocols are followed and that every patient is screened 4. Works with medical billing team or provider to overcome any insurance issues 5. Track patient through treatment Impressions Fitting Adjustment Follow up testing As the main point of contact, the Sleep Ambassador is uniquely positioned to fine tune the sleep program. They talk with the patient at each stage of treatment, giving them unparallelled access to the patient’s experience, administrative hang-ups and roadblocks. An engaged Sleep Ambassador can translate these insights into improvements that can streamline your sleep program. may already have a good candidate in mind. A member of your team who is smart, motivated and eager to pick up a new responsibility. This may require shifting responsibilities to allow an existing team member to take on this responsibility or hiring a new team member just for this job. I know what you’re thinking: “I already spent so much on this! Classes! Training! Software! Now this???” Don’t worry, this is an investment that will pay for itself. The Sleep Ambassador is absolutely critical to the growth and success of the sleep practice. Someone must own the process and purposefully move the patients through the program. Select a Sleep Ambassador. It’s crucial to your patients’ health and the health of your DSM practice. 2. Guides patients through the sleep testing process: • How to use the HST correctly • Ensuring they test promptly • Return equipment on schedule • Ensures data is sent for diagnosis The Ideal Candidate: Who makes the ideal Sleep Ambassador? You ROY NOVICK, DDS Dr. Roy Novick is Senior Vice President of Clinical Training of N3Sleep.