The Patient Conversion Podcast

Verifying patient benefits can be a pain. Not only does it require extra staff, but if it's not done quickly you can lose surgical volume. In this episode, Jonah talks to Ben Kocaj about the solution he's built for bariatric benefits verification.

There's been a lot of talk lately about private equity, venture capital and what the future looks like for independent practice. On this episode, I talk to Kate Othus, CEO of Health Professionals Alliance (HPA).  Unlike most organizations, which seek to own or control practices, HPA is on a mission to preserve independence in healthcare. Doctors in private practice join HPA as a member, which...

My first car was a 1984 Honda Accord. You could probably find one today for $1,000. And then there's a Lamborghini Veneno. Price is $4 million. Both of these cars could get you to the store and back, right? So if they do basically the same thing , why on earth would someone pay an extra $3,999,000? The answer to that question gives us insight into every bariatric clinic on the planet. What makes p...

If you are like most private practice surgeons, you didn't get much training on how to craft a working business plan.  On this episode, Dr. Sunil Bhoyrul joins me to talk about:  Why consultants are the real c-word Having $60,000 per year embezzled from his practice Why the surgeon must learn financials in order to grow Dr. Sunil Bhoyrul is the Chief of Surgery at Olde Del Mar Surgical.&...

This short episode is an interview with one of my best friends, Dr. Dagley.  aka "Dag"  aka "The Dagger"  We talk about:  Running clinic on time Not working on Fridays Investing as a physician 

Recruiting great people is painfully challenging right now.  In this episode, Jonah and Matty talk to Robyn Reis, a professional recruiter and coach in the dental industry.  We talk about:   Hiring employees for clinics around the country The things you can do to drastically improve hiring process The future of hiring

More and more small companies are passing credit card fees back to the customer (and the customer is okay with it!).  I interview David about how his company helps businesses be more profitable by avoiding credit card fees. This seems like the future in medicine.

Your bariatric website should function like a full time 24/7 salesperson who never sleeps (and doesn't leave their tuna and rye in the break room fridge to get stale and moldy).   Many of our clients aren't getting the full value from their site. There are several reasons why.  Jonah sits down with Loryn Lyle, founder of SILVR Agency, and talks about the questions every clinic should ask...

Dr. Lorne Lavine is a cybersecurity expert.  He explains how the threat of malware and ransomware attacks have become more commonplace for medical clinics. It is estimated that 30% of medical practices have dealt with some sort of malware incident.  Attacks like these can cripple a clinic or hospital system. Dr. Lavine describes a few steps you can take to protect your business and your...

Jonah and Matty talk about their "order of operations" for growing bariatric patient volume. They cover how to build the patient funnel and talk Traffic, Leads, and Sales.

The last year and a half has been quite a ride for Dr. Bernie Hanna. In this episode, we talk about his journey in private practice bariatrics. For 17 years, Dr. Hanna was a solo practice. When he decided it was time to grow, he doubled his staff to 20 people and hired two additional surgeons in just 18 months.

In this episode, I talk with Priyanka Pulkur, clinical director at Advantage Point Behavioral. We discuss their service of offering pre-surgical behavioral assessments and the impact that it makes. 

Mike Grant has journeyed from West Point to Ethicon (bariatric rep) to being the CEO of an Ambulatory Surgery Center. The center he runs is about to perform their 1000th bariatric surgery.  In this episode we talk about:  Getting to 15 doctors operating at the surgery center Performing sleeves and switches in the ASC The surprises and hurdles on the way to getting the doors open

A really fun episode with Dr. Sachin Kukreja where I ask multiple ignorant questions about using the robot for bariatric surgery.  Quick facts on Dr. Sachin Kukreja:  Med School - University of Texas Health Sciences at San Antonio General Surgery Training - Rush University Medical Center and Cook County Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery Fellowship - Medical College of Wisconsin Fu...

Plenty of clinics have considered throwing a big party for all of their post op patients.  In this episode, Dr. Bilof talks about hosting an annual Celebration where they will have 500 to 600 people show up.  About Dr. Bilof: Dr. Bilof began his career as a vascular surgeon where he continuously saw chronically ill patients suffering from type 2 diabetes and other medical problems often...

Dr. Bo Neichoy talks about growing clinic staff as surgical volume goes from 100 to 850+ bariatric cases per year. Includes: when they hired a full time manager, then a CEO, when they said no to general surgery call, and more.

Jaci Reinbold graduated from the Oklahoma State University on a Saturday. She started her job at a bariatric clinic the following Monday.  She went from receptionist to being a linchpin for the clinic.  In this episode, we dive into how she manages to guide 850 bariatric patients from consult to surgery... by herself... with no expensive software. We cover: the tool Jaci uses what metric...

Gina Ciolli and Bobbie Abuzaid helped TLC go from zero bariatric surgeries to almost 1,000.  They cover: the one thing that matters most in getting new patients how to tell the difference in needing to hire another employee VS needing more efficiency their approach to a "phone room" for new patient calls

Can you imagine selling over $70,000 of product per month through your store?  Lauren Armstrong, lead dietitian, explains how to build a program that promotes in-store sales. 

As a kid, Trevor memorized all the facts and data from his baseball cards.  Now he's a little obsessed with the metrics of the bariatric clinic he manages in Oklahoma.  Weightwise is a "one stop shop" for bariatrics. With over 20 employees, they provide in house exercise and dietary, psychologist, a full gym, etc.  Drs. Walton and Broussard perform 500 bariatric surgeries per year....

Dr. Neichoy with Panhandle Weight Loss Center gives great details about how to attract more self pay bariatric patients.  We cover:  Averaging 750+ bariatric cases per year, 40% cash pay Adding a third bariatric surgeon to their practice 10% to 15% Medicare

Look, we all hate spam. But when patients start to message you, sending important questions and sharing the emotion of the bariatric journey, that is something radically different.

Every time you say Yes to one marketing idea, you are saying No to others. There is always an opportunity cost