The practice is in a period of stabilization following Dr. Feuille's passing on April 7th/8th. The team, while still adjusting to the new normal, is steadily finding its footing. Dr. Grant has been full-time and is learning and growing with the support of Lisa and Heidy's coaching. The team is working through the natural transition of adapting to a new provider, and Lisa continues to set clear expectations and maintain strong communication with Dr. Grant to ensure consistent leadership.
As expected, referral numbers have seen a decline since Dr. Feuille's passing. Key top referrers — including Connor, Castro, Sink, and Pelletier — are showing dips. Dr. Pelletier, who had previously been on maternity leave, has since returned but referrals from her office remain below prior levels. Lisa has proactively refocused outreach efforts toward these top referrers to prevent further erosion of these critical relationships. Jayme noted that a clear picture of referral recovery will not emerge until Q4, as referring doctors are also processing the loss of a colleague and friend — time and consistent presence will be the most important factors.
Using the marketing dashboard, Jayme and Lisa reviewed past campaign outcomes. St. Patrick's Day baskets generated a strong return with earnings up $5,100. The Cinco de Mayo outreach to top referrers was also a forward-thinking move. Events focused on unranked providers showed limited ROI at this stage, reinforcing the priority of concentrating effort on established referring partners. Jayme highlighted that earnings increases — even when referral volume dips — indicate stronger case value from existing partners, which is also a positive signal.
Southern New Mexico dentists — including Dr. Frizzell, Dr. Cortez, Dr. Cunningham, and Dr. Beck — are actively referring patients to Dr. Grant, a result of the relationships he developed during his time in Las Cruces. These referring doctors are choosing to send patients approximately 20 to 25 minutes away based on their trust in Dr. Grant. Jayme affirmed that these are legitimate, earned referrals that should be embraced and maintained. Lisa visited only offices that have referred to Dr. Grant, ensuring outreach respects existing referral boundaries while capitalizing on the momentum Dr. Grant has built.
A suite event has been planned for July 2nd targeting Dr. Feuille's top referring doctors — his professional colleagues and personal friends. The goal is to give Dr. Grant the opportunity to personally introduce himself, build rapport, and begin earning the trust of this critical group. Spouses are encouraged to be included to create a more personal, relationship-focused environment.
A second suite event in El Paso is scheduled for July 30th, focused on celebrating and strengthening the relationships Dr. Grant built through his Las Cruces network. Southern NM doctors who have been referring to Dr. Grant are the primary invitees. A deposit has been placed. This event reinforces those earned referral relationships in a dedicated setting.
Suite and ticket costs will be paid for in June using the April funds that were moved to June. Food costs for both events will be covered in July, which also has allocated event funds. This split approach aligns expenses across both months without requiring budget increases.
Lisa is considering a fall-themed event or BBQ in October, taking advantage of El Paso's pleasant weather mid-month. A potential joint event with the Las Cruces office was discussed but agreed to be better suited for Q1 2027, allowing both practices time to stabilize relationships independently first. This will be revisited during budget season in early September, with a combined planning conversation that includes Alyssa and Salina.
Jayme introduced a new monthly outreach logging approach adopted from SGA. Each month, a marketing event should be created in Referral Lab (e.g., "June 2026 Marketing Outreach") with every provider visited added to the event. Dr. Grant should be set as the company provider. The event total should reflect all Doctor Referral Program spending for that month. This enables ROI analysis at the 30, 60, 90, and 120-day benchmarks. Provider notes should continue to be added separately in parallel — Jayme hopes this dual process will be streamlined in the future.
Lisa confirmed that Thunderbird Study Club events should be logged as marketing events in Referral Lab. Lisa has reached out to Naomi for sign-in sheets from the two recent study club events to ensure these are entered retroactively and accurately.
Lisa is committed to maximizing in-person outreach in June, visiting offices as frequently as possible to maintain visibility and provide support to referring partners who are also processing the loss of Dr. Feuille. In-person visits are especially important right now as referring offices want personal connection and conversation. On days when getting out isn't possible, Jayme suggested catering lunch or breakfast to a referring office as an effective desk-based alternative that is highly appreciated by receiving practices.