Matt Zubiller, chief growth officer at Smile Brands, joined "Becker's Dental + DSO Podcast" to share industry priorities, trends and strategies.
When asked what his biggest priority right now is, Mr. Zubiller said, "That's easy because it's my middle name: growth."
Five notes, per Mr. Zubiller:
1. Growth for the sake of growth is wrong.
"When I say growth, I mean really creating value, not just adding EBITDA," Mr. Zubiller said.
2. Growth at Smile Brands occurs in several ways.
One is through expansion of affiliates by partnerships and mergers and acquisitions. The DSO also focuses on payer relationships, with the goal of reducing payer costs while always ensuring that Smile Brands providers are paid fairly. Mr. Zubiller said the DSO aims to make care affordable through its discount plan.
3. Investors are looking for a place to put their money.
It's a race to consolidate and add more practices, Mr. Zubiller said. However, if organizations don't focus on practice integration and driving value, they won't succeed, which is why the DSO is really discerning about who it offers to join.
4. Getting the practice management system right is incredibly important.
Smile Brands is investing in discovering which practice management systems work best in the dental industry.
5. Growth starts with the community being served.
Organizations have to engage in their local community, Mr. Zubiller said. The Smiles for Everyone Foundation is a key part of the DSO's value and culture, and allows it to give back to both local and global communities.
Click here to listen to the full episode.
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