Case study: Visiting specialist wins clients and revenue

Dr. Brad Rosonke, owner of Hillside Animal Hospital in Scottsdale, Ariz., has little interest in dentistry. But he knows that offering dental services means better care for his patients. His solution: Hire a dental resident—in his case, Dr. Peter Bates—to visit his practice on a regular basis.

"It was a win-win situation," says Dr. Rosonke. "Dr. Bates needed to see more patients during his residency, and I was freed up to see other patients. In the end our clients got better care for their pets."

Dr. Bates earned 30 percent Dr. Bates of his production working Mondays and was quickly booked more than a month in advance. He used mostly his own equipment, and handled any dental procedures more complicated than cleanings.

"Dr. Bates did more advanced dentistry than we were doing, which brought in more money for the practice," says Dr. Rosonke. In the first month, he saw 13 patients over four days, bringing in an additional $6,426 in revenue. "And I was free to spend more time on the cases I enjoy. I really urge doctors to think about services that would benefit their clients—and if it's something they don't enjoy, consider similar arrangements."

Dr. Rosonke's advice: "If you try something similar, just make sure you're on the same page when you begin in regards to expectations, percentage paid, and equipment use. At first we didn't outline a contract because we wanted the ability to separate easily if we couldn't get enough appointments for Dr. Bates. Once we knew clients were interested, it was important to put expectations in writing."