You’re a perfectionist with your patients.
Is your practice’s financial management
just as precise?
At J.M. Shoemaker Consulting, Inc., we know the benefits of a financially healthy orthodontic practice reach far beyond your bank account, and we know what it takes to help you realize these benefits in full.
The foundation of our consulting begins with our education – our recommendations come from our backgrounds in business, both accounting techniques and marketing principles. The vitality of our business comes from our experience – with more than 30 years in the orthodontic industry, the policies we implement are based on an unparalleled knowledge of practice management systems and industry standards. Our mission is to create and maintain financial policies and procedures that are in line with your goals while complementing other areas of your orthodontic practice. Whatever your needs may be, whether small adjustments or a financial realignment, we invite you to discover the extensive services we offer and our unique benefits.
METHODS
Initial Inspection
We recognize that no two orthodontic practices are the same, and therefore we want to make sure we know exactly what your practice needs. It’s also just as important to identify policies and procedures that are working well as it is to identify areas that need improvement. This is the purpose of this detailed, report-card style Initial Inspection report on your practice. Via remote access to your computer system, analyzing data, and combing through specific examples, this report will provide you with our extensive observations and recommendations. The Initial Inspection is even a great option for existing or past clients who would like a check-up on their practice’s financial fitness.
On-Site Consult
In just two to three days, an on-site consult can provide your practice with a wealth of benefits. While the Initial Inspection often provides the foundation for an on-site consult, through actual observation in your office, our recommendations become even more personalized. Extensive hands-on training is performed, providing your staff with the tools and techniques they need to maximize cash flow and lead your orthodontic practice to financial success. There are opportunities throughout the visit to check in with the doctor to confirm necessary policy changes, ensuring that our recommendations are in line with your business philosophies. These on-site visits are an excellent opportunity to get to know you and your staff, which only enhances any continued monitoring and necessary support.
Remote Consulting
Long before teleworking became the cool thing to do, we’ve been utilizing technological capabilities to provide real-time remote consulting via a combination of access to your practice management system and scheduled conference calls. Rather than a simple periodic meeting or asking you to send us reports, we obtain accurate figures, review individual ledgers, and analyze data to conduct in-depth training or coaching sessions for our clients on a daily basis. This provides you with the most constructive and efficient support. It’s important to us to ensure that our recommendations are being implemented on a regular basis to create healthy financial habits in the practice.
SERVICES
In our analysis of your cash flow and orthodontic financial figures, adjustments play an important role. Due to the nuances of certain orthodontic practice management systems, adjustments could have an adverse impact and skew your practice’s financial figures. We train your staff to realize the importance of generally accepted accounting principles, the effects of certain adjustments, and the most efficient forms of documentation. This is done via a patient-by-patient analysis of adjustments in a given time period. We can then monitor your adjustments at regular intervals and follow up to ensure items are properly categorized and documented. Consulting on adjustments provides customer service benefits to your practice by ensuring accuracy in both patient and insurance ledgers, and alleviates some of your CPA’s workload by maintaining clean, accurate figures.
Collection activity can be an orthodontic practice’s most valuable marketing tool. Our sister company, AccounTrac, Inc., is founded upon this theory. We have more than 25 years of experience working as a third-party collections avenue for orthodontic practices. With our consulting services, we can transfer the knowledge we’ve gained and techniques we’ve perfected to your staff. We will provide the tips and tools they need to handle the ever-sensitive topic of collection activity while maintaining orthodontic standards and presenting a positive image for your practice.
Orthodontic insurance strategies are different than many other industries. There are two important things to analyze – how orthodontic claims are filed, and how the insurance ledgers are maintained. Initially, we consult your staff on the way they are filing their claims to ensure you are accelerating cash flow to maximize insurance benefits while still following proper insurance protocols. On an ongoing basis, we work with your staff to develop a game plan to tackle the insurance workload. By identifying which insurance ledgers require follow up and prioritizing the delinquency workload, JMShoemaker Consulting, Inc. will help your staff sift through their orthodontic insurance responsibilities.
Your financial coordinator is not the only person who has a direct impact on your cash flow – the financial arrangements for new patients made by the treatment coordinator can often have the greatest impact on a monthly basis. We analyze the elements of each new orthodontic contract in a given month, take a look at their impact, and consult you and your treatment coordinator on setting goals for the future. In addition, we can provide your staff the tools to track these statistics firsthand on a monthly basis in the most collaborative way possible – via Google Drive for JMShoemaker Consulting. This will provide you, your staff, and our staff, up-to-the minute results on the cash flow impacts from financial arrangements.
A skilled CPA is an invaluable asset for your orthodontic practice – their specialized expertise means accurate financial reporting for your business. However, specific industry and practice management software knowledge is beyond the reasonable scope and time constraints of their work. With our combination of orthodontic industry knowledge and financial accounting education, we can consult you on protocols and procedures to keep your financial data streamlined and secure. We can also work in collaboration with your CPA on special projects such as reconciling bank statements and investigating daily accounts.
Adjustment Review
In our analysis of your cash flow and orthodontic financial figures, adjustments play an important role. Due to the nuances of certain orthodontic practice management systems, adjustments could have an adverse impact and skew your practice’s financial figures. We train your staff to realize the importance of generally accepted accounting principles, the effects of certain adjustments, and the most efficient forms of documentation. This is done via a patient-by-patient analysis of adjustments in a given time period. We can then monitor your adjustments at regular intervals and follow up to ensure items are properly categorized and documented. Consulting on adjustments provides customer service benefits to your practice by ensuring accuracy in both patient and insurance ledgers, and alleviates some of your CPA’s workload by maintaining clean, accurate figures.
Collections Training
Collection activity can be an orthodontic practice’s most valuable marketing tool. Our sister company, AccounTrac, Inc., is founded upon this theory. We have more than 25 years of experience working as a third-party collections avenue for orthodontic practices. With our consulting services, we can transfer the knowledge we’ve gained and techniques we’ve perfected to your staff. We will provide the tips and tools they need to handle the ever-sensitive topic of collection activity while maintaining orthodontic standards and presenting a positive image for your practice.
Insurance Followup
Orthodontic insurance strategies are different than many other industries. There are two important things to analyze – how orthodontic claims are filed, and how the insurance ledgers are maintained. Initially, we consult your staff on the way they are filing their claims to ensure you are accelerating cash flow to maximize insurance benefits while still following proper insurance protocols. On an ongoing basis, we work with your staff to develop a game plan to tackle the insurance workload. By identifying which insurance ledgers require follow up and prioritizing the delinquency workload, JMShoemaker Consulting, Inc. will help your staff sift through their orthodontic insurance responsibilities.
Financial Arranging
Your financial coordinator is not the only person who has a direct impact on your cash flow – the financial arrangements for new patients made by the treatment coordinator can often have the greatest impact on a monthly basis. We analyze the elements of each new orthodontic contract in a given month, take a look at their impact, and consult you and your treatment coordinator on setting goals for the future. In addition, we can provide your staff the tools to track these statistics firsthand on a monthly basis in the most collaborative way possible – via Google Drive for JMShoemaker Consulting. This will provide you, your staff, and our staff, up-to-the minute results on the cash flow impacts from financial arrangements.
Audit Trail Analysis
A skilled CPA is an invaluable asset for your orthodontic practice – their specialized expertise means accurate financial reporting for your business. However, specific industry and practice management software knowledge is beyond the reasonable scope and time constraints of their work. With our combination of orthodontic industry knowledge and financial accounting education, we can consult you on protocols and procedures to keep your financial data streamlined and secure. We can also work in collaboration with your CPA on special projects such as reconciling bank statements and investigating daily accounts.
Our Team
Jackie Shoemaker
Founder, Chief Executive Officer
As the premier financial strategist for patient accounting in orthodontic practices, Jackie is the founder and president of JMShoemaker Consulting, Inc. and AccounTrac, Inc. With over 35 years of national experience in the orthodontic field and experience working in a practice, she brings an extensive knowledge of the orthodontic industry. Even more importantly is what this experience is founded upon – an accounting degree from Miami University of Ohio followed by working for a Fortune 500 company. She has been instrumental in improving income, raising profitability, and enabling orthodontists to develop more satisfying and profitable practices.
Jackie strikes an important balance between a no-nonsense approach and thinking outside the box to provide customized guidance and obtain optimal results for her clients. Her extensive training experience, vibrant personality, and service-oriented approach complement her accounting and management experience to provide lasting benefits to each practice she works in. Her expertise and services especially enhance the areas of cash flow maximization, financial arranging, and internal financial controls.
Kayla Hoorelbeke
Chief Operating Officer
Kayla has more than 15 years of experience in the orthodontic industry working for AccounTrac, Inc. and JMShoemaker Consulting, Inc, learning from the best — her mother, Jackie. She is a graduate of the University of Miami where she received her degree in Marketing with a minor in Accounting. She went on to obtain her Masters in Business Administration graduating magna cum laude, also from the University of Miami. This background helps her bring a unique combination of creativity, analytical thinking skills, and management insight to each project she takes on.
Kayla provides a staff-friendly approach with a task-oriented focus to keep your practice running efficiently, while also helping to keep our businesses running smoothly too.
Casey Hoorelbeke
Chief Technology Officer
As the leader of the tech department, Casey optimizes remote accessibility with our clients, implements the newest hardware and software for maximum efficiency, and patiently troubleshoots day-to-day to keep us in constant operation.
Casey is a native of Los Angeles and received his bachelor’s degree from Indiana University. His unique combination of patience under pressure and competitive perseverance is something he developed during his eight years as a professional baseball player. As a relief pitcher in several organizations, including the Dodgers and Mets, he traveled across the country honing his ability to handle stressful situations, learning how to work cohesively with a wide variety of people, and understanding that each challenge requires it’s own unique approach. As a league-leader in pitching appearances nearly every season he played, it’s clear Casey is not afraid to work!
Contact Us
Contact Info
PO Box 277
Vero Beach, FL 32961
For assistance managing patient collections for your practice, visit our sister company:
For assistance with Case Acceptance and HIPAA Compliant Email, please visit:
