How to Use This Playbook

A repeatable 120-day framework for every new doctor onboarding at an SGA specialty practice

Why This Plan Matters

Built on lessons learned from onboarding 5 new associates across SGA practices

Four Onboarding Pillars

Each track runs in parallel across the 120-day window

Top Referring Provider Engagement Plan

Template (example data shown) – replace with your practice's own Top 10 from its Referral Lab overall rank report

Source: your practice's Referral Lab overall rank report. Exclude non-provider entries such as “Record, Patient of” — track those separately.

Referring-Doctor Lunch & Dinner Series

Personal introductions before patients see the new doctor's name on a referral

Referral Appreciation Event

Welcoming the new doctor – and thanking the referring network that makes the practice possible

Recommended timing: 45–60 days after start date (~Day 45–60) – enough time for the new doctor to settle in while the “new provider” moment is still fresh.

Digital Presence & Announcement

Website, social, and email launch in sync with the referring-doctor outreach

Note: SGA marketing does not currently have the internal resourcing to manage this centrally – for now, the referring-provider and patient announcements should be planned and executed at the practice level.

What We Need From the New Doctor

Items to request before the pre-launch window opens (target: by Day -14)

Marketing Materials & Digital Checklist

Everything that needs the new doctor's name and photo before they go out to referring offices

Marketing Materials – Live Example

Bio card, business card, referral pad, and welcome flyer from a recent SGA specialty practice launch (Pensacola Periodontics)

Bio Card (6″ × 4″)

Business Card (3.5″ × 2″)

Referral Pad (5.5″ × 8.5″)

Welcome Flyer (8.5″ × 11″)

Example only – swap for your own practice's branding, provider bio, and contact information.

Systems, Outreach & Ramp-Up Checklist

Behind-the-scenes setup, referring-doctor logistics, and check-in cadence

Growth Engine & Prospect List

The engine that keeps referral growth going after day 90 – lives inside the new doctor's marketing playbook

The top-10 launch gets the new doctor in front of the practice's best current referrers. The Growth Engine below is the repeatable system – and living playbook section – that keeps expanding the referral base long after day 90, maintained by your practice's Practice Relations Director and your Practice Growth Manager and reviewed quarterly.

Repeats continuously – a rolling cycle, not a one-time list

Prospect List – Three Tiers (template)

Referral Outreach Cadence – First 120 Days

Visit frequency, visit types, and best practices that power the growth engine

Target: ~30–35 total referring-provider touchpoints across the 120-day window

Best Practices

• Always bring updated referral pads & marketing materials
• Send a handwritten thank-you within 48 hours of a first referral
• Loop in the sponsoring doctor for at least the first visit to each office
• Log every visit in Referral Lab
• Follow up within a week if there's no response to an invite

120-Day Onboarding Timeline

Day -30 through Day 90, relative to the new doctor's start date

Referral & Engagement KPIs

How we'll know the plan is working

Note: the external referral volume KPI is measured over the standard 90-day clinical onboarding period starting Day 0 – distinct from the Day -30–Day 90 marketing outreach calendar above.

Roles & Responsibilities

Who owns what across the 120-day plan

Immediate Next Steps

Action items to lock in before Day -30 (pre-launch start)