Southern Roots Dentistry Success with Fuse Software

Fuse gives Southern Roots Dentistry the confidence to grow

A hometown group practice cultivates expansion and patient experience with this cloud-based practice management software

The entire team at Southern Roots, based in Shreveport, Louisiana, prides itself on delivering a personalized patient experience during every appointment. Practice manager Abby Howell says Fuse, the group’s practice management software, is a key component in fulfilling that mission.
 
“Our motto is ‘Faith, Family, Community,’ and we really try to embody that every day with our patients and people in the community in general. We also strive to be on the cutting edge of technology with the latest and greatest when it comes to practice management software.”

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Rooted in the community

James Lowder, DDS, practice manager Abbie Howell, and Reed Moore, DDS
Treating every patient as he would a member of his own family was important to James Lowder, DDS, right out of dental school. “We wanted to keep that mom and pop feel,” he reveals. “That’s where my partner, Reed Moore, DDS, and I thought of our roots – where we’re from – and that we want to cater to our local community.” And that’s exactly how Southern Roots dentistry planted itself firmly in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Sowing seeds of success

Southern Roots grew from one practice location to two in just three years. Lowder and a co-owner now have a third office in the works, expected to usher in patients within a year. An early Fuse adopter, he relates from the minute they opened, they knew they wanted to implement cloud-based software. “We use Patterson for everything, so we came to our rep and she introduced us to Fuse.”

So far, Lowder says, the capabilities of the practice management system have grown alongside his practice. “We’re real-time users. When we started with Fuse, we had two employees and now we have more than 19. A bunch of other software systems are outdated. Fuse has been able to change over time. We’ve seen differences even from two and a half years ago. It’s definitely a modern product I don’t think we could live without.”

Howell agrees, and adds that Fuse offers dental professionals the ability to provide feedback, which enhances the overall user experience. “We’ve learned a lot about dentistry, practice integration and management, and software development just being a part of Fuse. It really has been such a cool experience.”

Nurturing a mature connection

Lowder and Howell say a key benefit of Fuse involves the ability to effortlessly access data from their multiple practices anywhere, anytime. “If I need to jump on an emergency call at home, I can pull up the system at home very quickly, see a patient schedule, send a prescription electronically, find information across offices simultaneously, use electronic ERAs and review X-rays from one office to the next,” explains Lowder.
 
All useful and especially timely, Howell describes, in the southern U.S. during hurricane seasons. “If we have to close indefinitely throughout the week due to power outages and such, we have a way to see our schedule from home and contact patients without a server. A cloud-based software solution is essential when you have more than one location. They can work together and create this new patient experience no matter where the patient calls.”
 
Lowder says Fuse empowers seamless front office communication as well. “If we have one patient at location A that really needs to schedule at location B for any reason, we can have a person over the phone who can look at their notes, treatment plan, and schedule their appointment knowing what they need to have done without having to call the other location. We don’t have to call around.”

Effortless access to data

Anywhere, anytime, from multiple locations

Seamless connection

Transparency between the front and back offices

Superior support

Ongoing support from helpful, responsive experts

Harvesting the benefits of Fuse

Rapid expansion can lead to staff anxiety, suggests Howell. However, Fuse has provided Southern Roots’ team members with the assurance they need to operate effectively. “It allows you to think outside the box and realize that growth is possible and it’s not scary because you have this software platform that’s going to allow for multiple locations, patient growth and being able to handle day-to-day activities in order to have good patient management and experience. When you have confidence in your software system, you have confidence you can handle that growth.”
 
Lowder says a dental office’s practice management software must be adaptable yet reliable amid a constantly changing profession. “Our amazing staff is our heartbeat but Fuse is the brain – the core that keeps us running.” He adds, “It’s the product as a whole. The fact that it’s modern – it’s every aspect within Fuse.”
 
Though no practice management software is perfect, Lowder and Howell are thriving with the help of Fuse and the Patterson support team they now consider to be part of their dental family. “It’s a really cool thing to be a part of, and regardless if you’re looking for growth or remaining comfortable where you’re at, it’s allowing you to achieve both of those goals while continuing to provide outstanding patient care,” Lowder states. “I really do think it’s a great product that can change and revolutionize the dental world.” A world, they believe, that has deep roots and far-reaching possibilities.

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