Referral Health Snapshot
Referral Trend — Previous 90 Days
229
▲ +21.16% vs. prior 90 days (189 → 229)
Referral Trend — YTD YoY
593
▼ -1.17% YoY (600 → 593)
Active Referring Providers — Previous 90 Days
78
▲ up from 77 providers
Key Discussion Topics
- Drop-Off Tracking And Timeliness: Kirsten's referral lab notes showed her last logged drop-off as July, though she had actually kept visiting practices through August without updating the log. Jayme asked that she log and lock each visit right after it happens going forward so the numbers stay current. Actual July volume landed around 30–34 stops, well above the sub-20 count the team had feared.
- Fall Event ROI Review: Looking at last year's fall event, the 90-day pre/post comparison showed referrals essentially flat (down two) but nearly $43,000 in lost earnings — reinforcing that steady, in-person drop-offs at random times, not large seasonal events or holiday campaigns, are what's actually driving referral ROI. If this year's event underperforms again, a spring or early-summer event may be worth testing instead.
- Dr. Abbass's Departure And Transition Plan: Dr. Abbass is leaving the practice; his last working day will be around November 20 (his official date, November 22, falls on a Sunday). Heidy and Dr. Stoner are working to recruit a replacement specialist. In the meantime, new-patient scheduling for Dr. Abbass will be blocked for his final month to six weeks, and his profile will come off the practice website effective November 22.
- VA And Delta Dental Referral Disruption: Delta Dental told the practice that Dr. Wetzel can no longer see VA patients, despite being VA-credentialed through Community Care — an issue that appears to sit between Delta and the VA. VA patients make up roughly 5% of the patient base; two approved new-patient referrals have already had to be turned away, and the practice is owed an estimated $50,000 in VA claims dating back to March. Heidy has looped in both Delta Dental and the VA directly and is pushing for a resolution.
Marketing Initiatives Discussed
- Move To Referral Lab Marketing Events: Rather than tracking outreach in free-form notes, Kirsten will create a dedicated Marketing Event in Referral Lab (under Expenses) for each month, dated the first, with a budget and every provider visited added as an attendee — giving SGA a clear ROI view of what's working. September, October, and November events have been set up; no drop-off events are planned for the rest of Q4 given the fall event and the December office closure.
- Fall Referral Event Planning: Invitations for the October 22 fall event are out and a handful of practices have already called to RSVP. The team is targeting roughly 100 confirmed attendees (accounting for the usual ~15% RSVP no-show rate), matching last year's turnout, and will follow up on outstanding RSVPs before the end of the month. One or two prospective, non-referring practices were also invited.
- Office-To-Office Events: The practice has hosted one office-to-office event so far and has another planned with a neighboring team before the end of the month. Going forward, these should also be logged as marketing events in Referral Lab so they're captured in the same ROI reporting.
Wins & Opportunities
Despite a rocky stretch this summer — Kirsten covering the front desk solo for a while and now the Delta Dental/VA credentialing disruption — the practice is showing real momentum. Summer drop-off volume beat the team's own worst-case expectations, August referrals came in strong, and active referring providers continue to trend up. One of the practices invited to this year's fall event has already sent two new-patient referrals, a promising early sign that the guest list is reaching the right audience.
Action Items
| Action | Owner | Due |
|---|
| Update the referral lab drop-off log for the remaining July/August visits, and log each future visit as soon as it happens | Kirsten | September 30, 2026 |
| Finish setting up September–November Marketing Events in Referral Lab, and log office-to-office events the same way | Kirsten | TBD |
| Follow up with invited practices to confirm a final fall event RSVP count | Merie Cabello | End of September 2026 |
| Remove Dr. Abbass's bio and marketing presence from the practice website | Jayme Monroe | November 22, 2026 |
| Continue escalating the Delta Dental/VA credentialing issue and the outstanding ~$50,000 in VA claims | Heidy | TBD |
