Living and Working in Alaska
Wasilla is the sixth-largest city in Alaska. Located on the northern point of Cook Inlet in the south-central part of the state, its population was just over 10,000 in 2017. The unique locale appealed to Dr. Craig Lowrie who moved to Alaska with his wife and two children where he bought Advanced Family Dentistry (www.AKFamilyDental.org). Advanced Family Dentistry is a family-based, general dentist office.
The practice cares for the dental needs of area families and offers sedation dentistry for patients with dental anxiety and an oral appliance designed to treat sleep apnea. Dr. Lowrie is a Burkhart client who recently finished his first year in Burkhart’s Supply Savings Guarantee program. The following are some of his insights on the program and how it saved his practice over $17,000 in the first year.
Q. How long have you been with Burkhart and its Supply Savings Guarantee (SSG) Program?
A. We started working with Burkhart in February or March of 2018. We had not worked with Burkhart before and were interested in looking at their supply savings program.
Q. What was it that made you want to work with Burkhart?
A. Burkhart’s Account Manager, Arne Valdez, came by and talked to me about what the Supply Savings program was. He has a good reputation in the area, so I decided to give it a try. I liked Arne and he’s been doing this for a long time.
Q. What part of the Supply Savings Guarantee do you find most valuable to you and your practice?
A. I think probably just Arne himself. When we need something or have questions or when we looked for another associate or a practice to buy – he has been very helpful. He’s kind of a jack of all trades. Also, the savings are really nice too. We had a savings of over $17,000 in the first year.
Q. How did your Account Manager help you closely monitor your inventory?
A. I let the staff do all the ordering and I periodically check on what we’re buying and how much we are spending. I know it was helpful when Arne came into the office and tagged everything.
Chris in our office works with Arne on supply ordering and monitoring inventory. I know she and everybody else really love working with him. Anytime they need anything, he can help them.
Q. Were you able to switch to any of the high-quality, better-value products Burkhart offers? If so, how did those work out for you?
A. Arne initially looked at a lot of the things to see how we could switch to different brands to save some money. I’ve been happy with the new products. Especially if they are products that don’t directly affect patient care — like a 2×2 or cotton rolls, or head rest covers — you can save a lot of money there.
Q. Were you able to take advantage of the manufacturer coupons and free goods that led to some of your cost savings?
A. Yes, Arne takes care of all of that for us – which is very helpful.
Q. What would you say to a doctor considering taking advantage of Burkhart’s Supply Savings Guarantee Program?
A. I think sometimes as a business owner, you just have to look at ways you can save money. You shouldn’t be afraid to try new things. It was a good business decision and a good personal decision to work with Burkhart. And Arne is great to have in your corner.
Helping Our Clients Succeed
Kudos to Burkhart Account Manager Arne Valdez, not only for his efforts in saving Dr. Lowrie money, but in the other ways he’s helped the practice be successful.
A Message from Arne Valdez Burkhart Account Manager
“Dr Lowrie and his team are very welcoming and always greet everyone with a genuine smile,” says Arne. “I really appreciate him taking the risk to try our supply saving plan. There are so many offices that could save thousands in their first year, but don’t give us the chance to prove it,” he adds.
“Dr. Lowrie has become a great friend, and his experience is further proof that Burkhart helps clients lower their overhead while freeing up valuable time to serve their patients. The sales team at Burkhart takes great pride in our professionalism. As members of our dental office teams, we work to help our clients become more successful.”
Learn More Burkhart’s Supply Savings Guarantee might be just the right option for you – visit our Supply Savings Guarantee page.
Written by Denise Ploof
Published in Catalyst – Summer/Fall, 2019
Category: Supply Savings Guarantee
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