Membership Matters
A Checklist for Moving Your Practice
By Tori Rineer , Membership Coordinator
Perhaps you ’ re looking to downsize , expand or relocate your practice to a new area . Let PDA assist with making your move as smooth and successful as possible with the “ Moving Your Practice ” Checklist .
Checklist for Moving Your Practice
❑ Determine a budget for the move
❑ Select new office location
❑ Professional Notifications
❑ Landlord / Lease holder
❑ Accountant
❑ Financial Institution
❑ Patients
❑ Display flyers in the office , discuss during check-in or treatment , have staff give a reminder at check-out
❑ Have new appointment and business cards , stationary , address stamps and return mailing labels made with the new office address
❑ Send postcards announcing the move to all patients
❑ Include a message about the relocation in your “ on-hold ” messaging system or after-hours answering machine
❑ Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry ( SBOD )
• You must notify the SBOD within 10 days of a change of office address .
• Contact information Phone : ( 717 ) 783-7162 Fax : ( 717 ) 787-7769 E-mail : ST-DENTISTRY @ state . pa . us Web : www . dos . state . pa . us / dent
❑ Drug Enforcement Administration ( DEA ) Office – Registration Change
• Registration changes ( change of address ) should not be submitted until an approved state license for the new address is received . Changes will become effective immediately upon DEA approval .
• Phone , DEA Call Center : ( 800 ) 882-9539 Local Divisions Philadelphia :( 215 ) 238-5160 Pittsburgh : ( 412 ) 777-1870 Scranton : ( 570 ) 496-1020 E-mail : DEA . Registration . Help @ usdoj . gov Web : www . deadiversion . usdoj . gov
❑ United States Postal Service : www . usps . com
❑ Insurance providers
❑ Electronic claims clearing house
❑ Credit card companies
❑ Professional Associations
• Pennsylvania Dental Association ( 800 ) 223-0016 We will forward your change of address to ADA and your district / local dental society .
❑ Practice support providers :
❑ Utility companies , municipal services
❑ Practice software company
❑ Website design company
❑ Product supply companies
❑ Answering service company
❑ Patient payment / financing company
❑ Prepare the office
❑ Inventory supplies
❑ Disinfect instruments , countertops
❑ Properly dispose of refuse , chemicals , sharps
❑ Network by attending local dental society meetings in new location
Additional items for consideration :
❑ Place an advertisement in local newspapers
❑ Send thoughtful expressions of appreciation ( flowers , thank you cards or other modest gifts ) to businesses or referrals that helped to support your former office
❑ Thank your patients for staying with you and for coming to your new location
The following resources can be used to help determine a new location for your practice :
• Consider Pennsylvania ! - Lists statistics for the number of privately practicing dentists , population , number of patients per dentist , average age of practicing dentists and median household income , all broken down by county . Contact PDA ’ s Membership Department at ( 800 ) 223-0016 to request a copy or simply visit www . padental . org / am / pdf / considerpa . pdf .
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September / October 2010 • Pennsylvania Dental Journal
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