Don't worry, you don't need to speak with a salesperson to find out. Just visit the pricing page.
Do I have to commit to a contract?
Absolutely not. We firmly believe that PLZ is worth many times the monthly fee, and it will be every single month. If you ever feel that you are not getting your money's worth, you can cancel your membership at any time. If you cancel, PLZ will continue to function until your next monthly billing date, at which time you can no longer use PLZ, and billing will cease.
How does PLZ work?
We install a small program on your server. The program synchronizes basic data about your scheduled appointments and active patients to our servers. Following the initial synchronization, PLZ checks for changes every ten minutes and sends those changes to our servers, so we always have a current copy of your data.
As soon as the initial data synchronization is finished, PLZ can begin sending messages and you can use the additional features.
How do I get started?
Please visit our Contact Us page and send us an e-mail indicating you're ready to join, or give us a call at 888-427-5454 ext. 4. We'll contact you within one business day to schedule your installation.
Lighthouse PLZ Messaging
How does it work?
After we've completed your initial data synchronization, messages are sent immediately and without any work from you. Lighthouse PLZ Messaging is totally automatic and controlled completely by the campaign logic, replies from your patients, and normal activities in your practice management system (i.e., confirming or changing appointments, inactivating patients, etc.).
Does PLZ keep track of the messages sent?
Yes. You can look at the history of messages that have been sent and at messages that are scheduled to be sent for the entire practice, a campaign, or individual patient. However, most practices never do this, as it is not necessary. This feature may prove useful if you want to see how a patient responded to an individual message in case he/she fails to show for the appointment.
How is PLZ Messaging different from other patient messaging systems?
PLZ was created to solve some of the problems that frequently plague dental practices - broken appointments and the inefficiencies in traditional patient communications. We understand that no two practices are identical, just as no two patients are the same. Unlike other patient messaging systems, PLZ:
- Combines e-mail, SMS (cell phone text messaging), traditional postcards and even letters to ensure your messages reach every patient
- Uses a sophisticated schedule for
contacting (and if necessary, re-contacting) patients based
on carefully designed intervals to achieve the appropriate
result (i.e., a confirmed appointment or a scheduled prophy
appointment)
- Enables complete customization of your messages - how they look, what they say, when they're sent, even if they're sent
What if my patient complains about receiving a bill for an SMS reminder?
Text Messaging can be turned off for an individual patient, or for the entire practice. Text messaging does not HAVE to be used at all, but for the efficiency and productivity of the practice we strongly recommend that it is used for as many patients as will give you permission to send them text messages.
Web Site
What if I already have a web site?
If you like it, keep using it. If you don't, keep your current one in place while you customize your PLZ web site. When you're ready, we can help you make the cutover to your new site.
Will my site be generic looking, since I'm starting with a template?
Absolutely not. Your PLZ web site is almost infinitely customizable. You can have as many pages and pictures as you want and update it as often as necessary. Consider using sound, video, Flash presentations, and any other content that makes a web site truly eye-catching. And if this seems like more than you want to attempt yourself, let us know and we'll put you in contact with a company that specializes in customizing the type of templates that are used for PLZ web sites.
Lighthouse PLZ Intranet
What is the PLZ Intranet and how will it help me?
An Intranet is a privately maintained computer network accessed only by those authorized to view the content via a web browser. Intranets are most often used by companies to communicate with employees regarding internal business matters. For complete information on the PLZ Intranet, visit the Intranet page.
How do I access the Intranet?
If you select a "vanity" domain (something like www.yourpracticename.com), we'll register that for you, and literally within minutes, your site will be up. Your Intranet will be http://staff.yourpracticename.com. Just type the web address into your browser, and you're good to go.
Who can access the Intranet?
Anyone can get to it, but only you - and those you permit - can get into it. Each member of your team will have their own username and password. As the administrator/owner, you will have privileges that other members of your team won't have.
Is the Intranet secure?
Yes. The security system is based on "roles." You assign each of your team members to one or more roles, and provide them with a username and password. Most of your team will have read-only access, but you and perhaps other key team members will have the ability to update the content.
Club Lighthouse
What kind of information will I find on Club Lighthouse?
Since 2003, Club Lighthouse has provided dentists with practice management consulting services in a whole new way - online for a low monthly fee with the ability to cancel at any time for any reason. Two features of the Club provide the greatest value for most members - the forums and the articles.
What are the forums?
The forums provide a means for members to ask questions and receive responses from Lighthouse Practice Management Group and from other dentists, office managers, and other team members. Forum discussions focus on practice management systems, computers and technology, clinical technologies, "Hot Deals," and other practice management issues faced by most dental practices. Since Club Lighthouse began, over 5,000 questions have been asked and 35,000 replies have been posted.
What types of articles are available?
Over 60 articles are available, with new ones added frequently. They cover all the following topics, and more:
- Accounts receivable
- Care and feeding of the digital office
- Going chartless
- Insurance
- Office administration
- Patient relations
- Recall management
- Scheduling issues
Is Club Lighthouse valuable only if I have PracticeWorks?
Absolutely not. Every day, we deal with issues that every practice faces, regardless of their practice management system. Examples of topics include: basic computer problems, major computer purchases, implementing technology in your practice, common problems with managing accounts receivable, recall issues, insurance, and scheduling. Our expertise is in analyzing problems and helping to design solutions, and we can do that for any practice.
Are there additional benefits of Club Lighthouse for PracticeWorks users?
Yes. We are the original creators of PracticeWorks and are responsible for the vast majority of the program's design. Club Lighthouse offers tips and tools for using PracticeWorks in ways you never dreamed possible. We've created over 100 "Exchange Packs" - computer files that contain one or more custom-created PracticeWorks "Experts" that you can download, install, and begin using within minutes. Each of these represents an enhancement to PracticeWorks that you've wanted for years - some are small (a Contact Expert of all patients, searchable by first name, phone number, or e-mail address), some are not (a complete system for gathering, storing, reviewing, and updating every patient's medical history), but all are valuable to most practices.
