{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Booked out doesn't mean you're ready for an associate OD","description":"Being booked out for weeks might feel like proof that you need another doctor\u2014but it could be giving you the wrong answer.   In this episode of The Optometry Success Podcast, we continue our conversation around associate ODs and tackle one of the biggest questions practice owners face: How do you actually know when it\u2019s time to hire another doctor?   We discuss why owners often hesitate to add an associate, the financial fear of giving up production and profit, and why adding another OD can actually create significant margin when much of the practice\u2019s overhead is already in place. We also get tactical about successfully integrating a new associate, including why established doctors need to intentionally move patients onto the new doctor\u2019s schedule rather than simply expecting the associate to build a patient base from scratch.   Most importantly, we challenge the commonly used benchmark of being \u201cbooked out\u201d as the signal that it\u2019s time to hire. Two practices can both be booked out three weeks and have dramatically different levels of actual capacity.   Instead, we revisit schedule health and the numbers practice owners should be tracking: available appointment capacity, how much of that capacity is already scheduled a week in advance, and how many of those available slots ultimately turn into completed exams.   NBS (Next Best Step): Stop using \u201chow far booked out are we?\u201d as your primary measure of capacity. Calculate your schedule health using actual available appointment slots and completed exams. If you\u2019re consistently filling roughly 85% or more of available capacity in advance\u2014and completed exams remain within about 10 percentage points of that number\u2014you now have objective data to help determine whether it\u2019s time to seriously consider adding another OD.   Have a question for us to address in a future episode? Submit it here!   Resources: The Optometry Success Podcast, Episode: What is "schedule health" and why should practice owners be measuring it Learn more about Partners in Profit Download the Practice Owner's Financial Toolkit 20\/20 Money Ultimate Financial Success Masterclass OD Mastermind Interest Form Check out Adam's new book: How to Buy an Optometry Practice   Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https:\/\/shorturl.at\/Fq1Ro  Subscribe on Spotify: https:\/\/shorturl.at\/jCtsk      ","author_name":"The Optometry Success Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/sites.libsyn.com\/604445","html":"