Do you need to hire an IT company/MSP (Managed Service Provider) if you have decided to pursue a Startup Dental practice?  After all, when everything is new it is less susceptible to vulnerability right? Wrong.  This outlook is kind of like getting a filling for a cavity and never going back to the dentist because nothing is wrong and with things like toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss and dietary knowledge you have everything you need to stay healthy.

Startup Dental Practices stand to benefit from partnering with an MSP for a variety of reasons but first, what is an MSP?  An MSP is hired to manage their customers' IT (remote or in person).  An MSP handles many aspects of a dental office's technology and software from investigation, procurement, installation (often remote) and support.  This is done while also maintaining HIPAA compliance through management of data, cybersecurity, communication platforms and more.  Since an MSP has access to a Dental Office's Protected Health Information (PHI) they are considered a Business Associate and as such are personally invested in their client's compliance to HIPAA regulations as they are also liable.

One of the most common ways to handle IT for a Startup Dental Practice is to go internal either with an employee with computer aptitude, educating yourself or hiring a family member or friend part-time.  Each of these solutions will "work" but the perception that they save money is false, they all result in lost time, added frustration, and do not come with the benefits of a specialist.

When thinking of how an MSP can help your practice it may be best to consider the phases of a startup, from planning, installation, opening and running an established business.

Services Provided in the Startup Phase

Design

When thinking of how you will design your practice you will think of workflow, patient experience and your own aesthetic, you will rarely think of IT. However, MSPs who have a startup specialty have experienced hundreds of Startup Dental Practice buildouts and work with all vendors involved in a startup from plumbing, electric, interior design, general contractors and more.  How these aspects impact IT and vice versa is knowledge hard-earned and well worth tapping into.  As such an MSP we will work with our startup clients to help refine their designs holistically, considering how each aspect of their buildout may impact various contractors.

Integrations

An MSP with a focus on Dental will know how various integrations work (from practice management and imaging to paperless billing and client engagement) which integrations to avoid and which to embrace and how the blend will impact the necessary specs on your computer decisions. That kind of knowledge is invaluable for a Startup Dental Practice and will save your budget in the long run and in the short term many 3^rd party vendors will have "deals" you can access by engaging a well-respected and positioned MSP

Double Check

Is there anything more valuable than a trusted friend or business partner when evaluating who you are going to work with and the job they are doing? Having experience with all types of vendors in a Startup Dental Practice an MSP can help you evaluate who to work with as well as the quality of the work being done and in certain circumstances can step in to "save" a project with valuable insight.

Future Proofing

By trusting an MSP with your vision they will have an understanding of your "road map" from opening day to five years in and beyond. This type of view offers an MSP the ability to save you money in the outset with various decisions from hardware and software and beyond while making sure that you can "upgrade" whenever possible rather than needing to replace and invest unnecessarily.

Services Provided in the Installation Phase

Project Management

MSPs with Startup Dental Practice experience know the importance of project management, they will have a dedicated team who will work with your other vendors to ensure smooth and timely installation. By having a team dedicated to communication and project management you can be confident that you aren't alone in overseeing your project.  An offshoot of this advantage is an MSP with Dental-specific knowledge lending an eye to construction and wiring decisions that may be specific to a dental office.  Not every general contractor has dental experience, same goes for plumbing, electric and beyond.

Tech Installation and Implementation

Once your office is built and you begin putting in your finishing touches an MSP will come in to install your computers, network, security cameras, patient entertainment and so on. As the tech install moves forward they will test all equipment, install your software and ensure that your team is trained and ready to hit the ground running on opening day.

Services Provided Once You are Open and Established

Worthwhile MSPs run software that constantly monitors your network, automatically alerting their team to potential issues. With this type of system in place you do not have to wait for something to go wrong before you address it.  Consider this software an early warning system, the MSP can address any potential issues and determine the course of action from "false alarm" to impending downtime and respond accordingly.

Ongoing Support

One of the greatest benefits of partnering with an MSP is the ongoing support that they offer after the Startup Dental Practice phase. Most MSPs will operate from a ticketing system meaning, any of your employees can trigger a ticket via email, text, phone, etc. and the team of specialists on the other end can begin working on any issue in the background while you and your team go on about your business.  The issues addressed in ongoing support can be anything from front desk printer issues to Dental-specific imaging issues and everything in-between.

HIPAA Compliance

Almost no one spends their free time keeping up with HIPAA compliance and few understand if they are compliant to begin with. Dental-specific MSPs are aware of the latest regulations and have systems in place to ensure your compliant, your patients data is secure and that your practice is at no risk from malicious activity.

Future Planning

Anyone who opens a Dental practice will get to a point where they have to start thinking about the growth of their business. Will you expand within your office to more treatment rooms, open a second location, consider opening multiple locations?  MSPs can help you budget for plan and implement whatever growth you envision.

About Darkhorse Tech

Whether you're just starting out or a well-established organization, Darkhorse Tech has the experience and technology to help get you moving, cut costs, and streamline your operations via unlimited IT support. We are here to help you do what you do best: focus on providing top-notch care and service for patients - not dealing with IT problems, lag time spent talking with technical support, or complicated technological mishaps. Unlimited IT support services help the whole team work efficiently without worrying about significant system issues or constant interruptions.

Our additional security services include:

• Unlimited Remote and/or On-Site IT Support of All Your Hardware and Software
• Improved Network Performance and Security
• HIPAA Compliant Off-Site and Local Backup Service (Darkhorse Secure Backup)
• Managed Antivirus, Anti-Malware, and Anti-Ransomware (Darkhorse Security Products)
• Compliance & Security Laws Standards
• Microsoft Security Patch Management
• Vendor Management: We will be on the phone, not your employees
• Secure, Remote Access to Your Office
• Firewall Management
• Network Management
• Long Term Planning and Budgeting

Contact us anytime if you want to learn more about our dental-specific solutions and unlimited support packages. Our friendly customer service team will get back to you in no time.

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Darkhorse Dental IT Is Here For You

We understand that caring for your patients is your top priority. Dealing with a computer issue, slow IT response time or HIPAA compliance requirements just aren’t high on your list of to-do’s. That’s where Darkhorse Dental Tech comes in. Our team of Dental IT specialists are experts when it comes to running a great, secure and successful practice —and so much more. Whether you’re looking for IT services for startups, or existing support and security services for your practice, Darkhorse can do it all for you, so you can get back to your patients.

Have questions? Looking for ideas? Just want to talk teeth? Drop us a line at sales@darkhorsetech.com to get the conversation started! Or head to our Contact page to send us a message. Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!

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