Dear RDH:
In her editorial (July 1997) expressing her displeasure with practice management consultants, Heidi Emmerling does a great disservice to dentistry by categorizing all consultants as "blood-sucking leeches."
The vast majority of dental offices that have used consultants have been highly satisfied and have seen great improvements in patient care, staff satisfaction, and productivity. I would not think of attempting to practice dentistry without our consultants to guide us toward excellence and efficiency.
Each of the consultants` suggestions that she has ridiculed contains the seed of a valid idea for improving patient care or solving a particular problem that an office might have. She may have had an overzealous consultant, but if a dental team will listen to consultant`s suggestions with an open mind, they will certainly learn and improve their patient care.
Charles E. Woods, DDS
Albuquerque, New Mexico
