Smiles By Rembos

Smiles By Rembos: Lighthouse 360 Gives This Practice a Virtual Assistant

Communicating with patients at Smiles By Rembos can be complex. The cosmetic, general, and implant dentistry and oral surgery practice has two dentists and four locations in Marco Island, Naples, Fort Myers and Sanibel, Florida. Adding further complexity, its clientele includes many “snowbirds”—retirees who visit Florida only part of the year. 

The patient communication software Smiles By Rembos was using wasn’t helping matters; it was complicated and hard to use. So when Dr. Alan Rembos heard Lighthouse 360 could save his practice time and make it more efficient, he signed up for a trial. Since then, the Smiles By Rembos team has never looked back. 

Patient Communication Made Easy 

Front Office Coordinator Stacey Mitchell says two-way texting is her favorite feature of Lighthouse 360, especially since she can text directly from the Lighthouse portal. “I’m usually on the phone,” she explains. “[With Lighthouse], if a patient’s running late or the office is running late, I can just bring up the program, type a text and send it immediately with no time wasted on my end.”  

Patients appreciate texting, too. “It’s non-invasive, so they don’t have to drop what they’re doing; they can get to it when they get to it,” Mitchell explains. “All they have to do is click C for confirm—it’s really easy for them. And it’s on their cell phone, so if they forget what time their appointment is [or which location they’re visiting], they can go back and check.” 

Automation Saves Time 

Most of the practice’s appointments are now confirmed using Lighthouse 360’s automated appointment reminders, which saves Mitchell a lot of time, as does the automated messaging for patient recall and reactivation. 

Mitchell also likes the Front Desk Task List feature, which automatically generates a list of recommended tasks each morning. “It’s great for checks and balances,” she says. “[For example], if the hygienist didn’t schedule a patient, I can go back and find out why.”  

A Virtual Helper

“I’ve used three different [patient communication systems] in my 15 years, and this is the easiest to use and navigate,” says Mitchell. The few times she has needed Lighthouse customer service, she says, it’s been professional, helpful and most important, quick: “They know I’m busy!”  

Is your practice on the fence about whether to implement patient communication software? Mitchell notes that a monthly subscription to Lighthouse 360 costs much less than hiring another employee. (Plus, there’s no annual contract required.) 

“This is like having an assistant who’s not in my way,” she says. “With Lighthouse, I know I’ve got a virtual helper.”