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We’re pleased to have you back for another episode of The GrowOrtho Podcast! In today’s episode, we have the pleasure of talking to Dr. Ben Fishbein of the massively successful practice Fishbein Orthodontics, which currently has eight locations throughout the Florida panhandle.

Be sure to tune in to hear about:

  • Dr. Ben’s origin story and how his “day-in-the-life” differs now compared to in the beginning
  • How he transformed his practice into a highly efficient business delivering high-quality care to at least 200 patients per day — and why he was able to help his business grow so fast
  • Why he prefers overstaffing vs. understaffing, especially in the early stages of a business’s development
  • Why Dr. Ben is suspicious about generalized incentives (and what his preferred bonus strategy is instead)
  • If and how the pandemic changed the operational workflow at Fishbein Orthodontics
  • Why same-day-starts and “physician-free consults” actually improves Dr. Ben’s clinical efficiency and patient care
  • His ongoing exploration of marketing — and why he spends a higher percentage of his resources on marketing than many other orthodontists do

Dr. Ben Fishbein says that while his day-to-day flow has changed a lot, he’s still spending a good portion of his week seeing patients, although in quite a different way than when he first founded his practice years ago.

In the beginning, he says, 30 patients per day was what he thought was the most any reasonable orthodontics practice could manage. Today, that figure exceeds 200 — and Fishbein Orthodontics still isn’t at capacity.

What changed? Maybe what didn’t change is a better question. But there are some key factors that Dr. Ben attributes to his company’s massive growth:

  • Transitioning to physician-free consults (what he calls “TC-empowered consults”), a move which was in large part inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. By removing the doctor from the consult room, Dr. Ben says, his team figured that they’d be able to “see more new patients even though it may cause a lower conversion rate.” As it turns out, they were pleasantly surprised, as both new patient consults and conversion rates went up.
  • Dr. Ben also stresses the importance of taking care of your people (e.g., providing bonuses “for the behaviors you want to see”) and ensuring each staff member has a clear role to fulfill. “If there’s one missed step, it will throw the whole thing off.” Erring on the side of specialization rather than generalization, Dr. Ben acknowledges that while it’s understandable to have some team members performing multiple roles (especially in the beginning). As you grow, it’s important to have new team members who are ready to dedicate themselves specifically to new responsibilities, “otherwise you’re stunting your growth.”
  • Dr. Ben also discusses his changing views on marketing, noting that “the amount you spend on marketing is way less than [the cost of] open chairs.” His willingness to try new things is a clear tribute to his growth-oriented mindset — a mindset that he feels many other doctors lack and are inadvertently limiting their growth because of it.

Want to learn more from Dr. Ben and his team? Consider signing up for one of his exclusive courses by checking out fishbeinfundamentals.com. Just note that these courses fill up well in advance, so look into booking a spot early if you’re interested in the opportunity.