by Where We Are Headed
Last issue’s Publisher’s Letter focused on the DSO event lineup for Q1. Due to the magazine’s deadline, I was unable to include an analysis of the largest DSO event of the year – and most likely the largest DSO event ever – the ADSO Summit. With close to 900 attendees from DSOs across the globe and their dental industry partners, the always exciting meeting was held in Orlando at the Swan Hotel.
What struck me as different this year was the variety of dental group practices that attended the event. As one might expect, there were the larger, ADSO member DSOs. However, I also talked with many smaller, emerging dental group practices. I believe that some of these new attendees were driven by the ADSO’s new focus on emerging dental group practices, as well as some of the content that was geared specifically for smaller dental groups. Dr. Mark Cooper’s half day program at the beginning of the Summit was designed for new or small group practices looking for direction and education on how to scale their businesses. The rest of the event was full of great networking opportunities, in addition to a variety of breakout sessions, and of course several inspiring speakers. For more detailed information on the ADSO Summit, make sure you read our recap piece in this issue. Furthermore, make sure to read upcoming issues of this magazine as the ADSO has mentioned there may be a second meeting this year focused exclusively on emerging groups.
Our big story in this issue of Efficiency is our DSO Progress Report. This is an extensive piece that reviews DSO model momentum, market share gains, and market movement. We asked experts at Benevis, Great Expressions and Dental Care Alliance to give us their impressions of where we are as an industry, and where we are headed. The piece addresses challenges and opportunities with our panel of DSO experts.
One of the biggest takeaways I got from the experts is that the DSO model is still the exception to the rule. Other healthcare vertical business models have already matured, while dentistry is still primarily made up of solo practices. The popularity of DSO business models is growing, but DSOs, the ADSO, and publications like Efficiency in Group Practice need to continually educate dentists, dental staff, and patients so they can make an informed decision as to what type of practice is best suited for their specific needs.
Read on, we have some great content in this issue.
Bill Neumann
