Marcelle Parrish emphasizes the importance of a patient-focused approach in healthcare. She says that studying, understanding, and improving each step of the patient experience is crucial.
Meaningful change for patients comes from healthcare focused on hospitality. Marcelle Parrish emphasizes the importance of a patient-focused approach in healthcare. She says that studying, understanding, and improving each step of the patient experience is crucial.
Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar. A podcast about how operations and facilities drive brand performance.
On today’s episode, we talk with Marcelle Parrish, CCO of ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers. ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers, equipped with innovative technology, serves more than 200,000 patients across the United States through advanced oral treatments that can help lead to better overall health and quality of life.
Guest Bio:
Marcelle Parrish, Chief Commercial Officer of Clear Choice Dental Implant Centers and Chief Digital Officer of TAG - The Aspen Group, is responsible for developing innovative strategies to deliver business results across the TAG family of brands and reimagine patient experiences.
A Kansas City native, Marcelle graduated from Southern Methodist University and attended George Washington University for her MBA. Upon graduating, she embarked on a 25+ year career holding major digital and brand leadership positions at global retail and direct-to-consumer organizations including Johnson & Johnson, eBay, and Ralph Lauren.
Timestamps:
00:22 - About ClearChoice
00:55 - Marcelle’s journey
04:52 - Hospitality in healthcare
07:02 - Design in healthcare
10:37 - How ClearChoice leverages technology
15:03 - Adapting to consumers
26:20 - Future thinking
34:57 - Where to find Marcelle
35:28 - Sid’s takeaways
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[00:00:06] Sid: Hello, everyone. Welcome to Elevating Brick and Mortar. Thank you for joining us. I am here today with Marcelle Parrish, Chief Commercial Officer of ClearChoice Dental Implant Centers. Marcelle, welcome.
[00:00:18] Marcelle: Thank you for having me and Happy New Year
[00:00:21] Sid: Happy New Year to you as well. so Marcelle, for folks in our audience who might not be familiar with the brand, can you share some insight into ClearChoice?
[00:00:28] Marcelle: Absolutely. ClearChoice is a national network of more than 100 centers across the nation focused on full mouth dental restorations. So the network has treated over 200, 000 patients and placed over a million dental implants.
[00:00:42] Sid: Wow. Uh, that's phenomenal. So, you know, I want to start with you. Um, you know, you have a really
[00:00:48] interesting background. Um, you spent quite a few years in e commerce and then transitioned into marketing. And today are the Chief Commercial and Digital Officer at ClearChoice. So, tell us a little bit up here about your journey and, and how you got here.
[00:01:02] Marcelle: It's been a very interesting journey and my focus has always been on the customer and now the patient. And I think it's just a natural evolution of how I wanted to connect more closely with patients. And it's the interaction between brands and patients that is so intriguing ClearChoice. What I love about this is the opportunity to really change the experience for our patients in a very powerful way, so we feel, they feel more connected.
[00:01:29] To me, it's all about your brand is your experience, and they can't be disconnected, whether it's retail, marketplace, or healthcare. And I feel like this industry is really ripe for disruption.
[00:01:41] Sid: I'm sure there's a lot of differences between, you know, your previous life, you know, in e commerce, but especially now, as you, as you look at like the physical space and interacting with your customers in person, you know, what's been like one of the biggest pieces that, you know, um, has attracted you to the space and, know, there's a lot going on in retail healthcare, right. So can you share a little bit more about that?
[00:02:05] Marcelle: Sid, you're exactly right. When you walk into a healthcare facility, it really feels sterile. It feels very cold. It does nothing to really create a sense of warmth and trust between the patient and the doctors. And when I think about the brick and mortar experience for healthcare, and specifically for ClearChoice, What we want to do is create a welcoming environment, and Brick and Mortar is the ideal place to do this.
[00:02:29] You know, I've listened to some of your podcasts, and the Brick and Mortar piece is really all about the brand, and how the patient feels when they come into that Brick and Mortar experience. So at Clear Choice, we don't rush patients through. So you've been to doctor's offices, and you're like, okay, and they're like, in and out, right? It's like a five minute, like, what's wrong with you, and you're out. Our specialists really take the time to spend with our patients, to build that trust. They never feel rushed. And beyond that, it's really about the experiences they walk in. So, really understanding it's not about sort of that sterile environment. We want to create that sense of warmth. We're testing things now through scents and how patients feel when they come in. So to reduce the anxiety and looking at things like sound, how does, how does the sound in the office really start to find a more calming experience? So it just comes down to creating an experience through brick and mortar that is representative of the brand and puts our patient first and foremost.
[00:03:26] Sid: Love it. What are you responsible for? Like, what does it mean to be the commercial officer and the chief digital officer, um, in a retail healthcare environment?
[00:03:34] Marcelle: Yeah, absolutely. So I'm responsible for the marketing, the digital experience, and the center operations. And what that means, essentially, is how do we put the patient at the forefront across each of those aspects? When you think about the patient's interaction with Brick and Mortar, with the brand, online.
[00:03:50] And it's really important for us at ClearChoice to make sure that the patient feels connected with our brand and with their doctors across the board. Each aspect of the patient's journey, we look at to see how can it be optimized. That's what I oversee.
[00:04:05] Sid: Got it. What does ClearChoice's north star? You look at the brand and how the brand has evolved, um, you know, has there been a certain value prop or brand promise that, um, ClearChoice has always had to its customers?
[00:04:17] Marcelle: Absolutely. Our North Star is changing over a million patients lives. And we do so by transforming their smile. And this is so critical of every single person's life. And when you and I look, or you know, we're interacting over Zoom, right? And we're smiling at each other. how people communicate. And this is the key.
[00:04:35] The, the core at ClearChoice, it's the transformation of lives through people's smile. And it's been our North Star for the last 20 years. Like that is really critical for us, like where the patient feels really good about their smile and all of the after effects of how, of their life once they have their smile back. Yeah, I mean, a warm smile can say a lot, right? Um,
[00:04:57] Absolutely.
[00:04:58] Sid: Yeah, I love it. So you're a big proponent of the idea and the importance of hospitality, you know, but that's not something that most folks would think about or associate with the dentist's office. So what do you mean by that? And why do you think it matters?
[00:05:12] And why is it important to you?
[00:05:15] Marcelle: I love this question because it's critical in terms of how Clear Choice differentiates from a lot of the other centers out there. First and foremost, when we think about hospitality, it's all about the service. It's that exemplary service that the patient feels. And that starts with trust. Right? The patient wants to feel like they are trusted.
[00:05:32] This is an intense and sometimes complex procedure. We want our patients to feel absolutely comfortable at all aspects of their journey with us. And to me, when I think about hospitality, it's the little things, and how do you continue to reassure that patient? We have incredible specialists, prosthodontists, oral surgeons, but it's also the entire team that that patient feels connected with, whether they're coming in, how they're greeted at the door, how they are integrated into what to expect across those CRM journeys.
[00:06:01] When you think about our hospitality experience, it's really dissecting every aspect of the patient's journey. So when I make an appointment, when I go online, can I research and find out what's What is this procedure like? Can I connect with different people in a Facebook community to really hear about their experience?
[00:06:18] And so we look at it, every aspect of hospitality for us is where is the patient interacting with our brand outside of brick and mortar, in the digital experience, with other patients, with other advocates. So it's really a spectrum for us across hospitality, which has to be focused on at each level of detail.
[00:06:37] That's
[00:06:40] Sid: like you mentioned, you know, plays a huge role in the experience like a brand delivers, uh, the location, the construction, the design, how the facilities are, you know, maintained, all either add to the experience you deliver, um, to your consumers or patients, uh, as well as your employees, right? Or they take away from it. And yet, You know, these functions many times are overlooked. Um, what are your thoughts on that as a whole? And then how is that different at ClearChoice?
[00:07:09] Marcelle: From a retail perspective, you always know when you're walking into a store and my past at Ralph Lauren, we were very focused on how does the patient, how does the customer feel as they're walking into the stores? Everything from how assortments were curated to how they were interacting in the dressing room.
[00:07:24] We tracked every aspect of it. And it's very similar for ClearChoice. When you think about it, and I wish more healthcare companies thought about it in this way because the physical space is such an incredible way to transform the experience and it's not just about the patients, it's also the center employees.
[00:07:42] If they're coming into a space that is warm, that is welcoming, the design, the architecture, the pathway, how they interact on a day to day basis is really critical. At ClearChoice, we've looked at the center in a couple different aspects, and I think this translates to all brick and mortar across the board. As the patient enters, what is their experience? What does the lobby design look like? What is the, what is the art on the wall? What is the sound they're hearing? How is the, how is the general manager greeting them as they come in the door? What does that look like? What does it sound like? Are they offered water? Are they offered coffee and tea? These are moments that are small, but really make a difference, and it's similar to how people are. Employees come into the center every day. They want to experience something that they are proud to be in. So we are very focused on every aesthetic detail across that brick and mortar experience for our patients first and foremost, but also for our center employees.
[00:08:34] They need to feel excited about where they are.
[00:08:36] As I mentioned, we don't want this to feel clinical. When they first come in, we want this to be an opportunity for us to build trust with the doctor and our team prior to them going in and getting their x rays done. And so how do we ensure that the pathway that the patient follows really is seamless, eliminating all aspects of friction across the board.
[00:08:55] Sid: There was a time when, you know, you, you'd think about a doctor's office or a dentist's office. It was, you know, sterile looking, you know, white, and, and basic furniture, and you walk in, it's very transactional, you do what you have to do, and, and then you walk away. How did we get to a place where you walk in, and, there's an expectation that there's some sort of, you know, music in the background, that the, the space looks, you know, nice.That almost seems like, um, an impossibility if you, if you were, you know, thinking about this five years ago. So, what are your thoughts on how did we get here?
[00:09:29] Marcelle: Sid, you're absolutely right. It used to be super transactional. When you think about all your experience in the past, dentists, doctor's offices, even candidly some retail experience, you're just like, it's kind of an in and out. It's about the convenience. I think consumer behavior and consumer expectations have shifted dramatically over the last five years.
[00:09:47] Especially when you think of us coming out of COVID. After that isolation, I think expectations of consumers have shifted. And I also think it's a wellness aspect. There's this wellness sort of phenomenon that has really permeated our culture, and I think that you're seeing that reflected in the brick and mortar experiences for different doctor's offices. They're recognizing that it's important that our patients, that their patients feel connected and feel like they're in a trusted experience. That expectation for the patient when they walk in, they want the doctor to know their name, they want not to feel rushed. And the shift in consumer expectations, I think has really transformed how brands and how healthcare providers have to come to market.
[00:10:28] Sid: Yeah. Now, you talked about, um, the way you're leveraging technology to actually also, um, guess, engage with your customers, how that's kind of differentiating, you know, clear choice in many ways out there in the market. Can you share a little bit more about that? And how did you end up, you know, leveraging technology in the way you are?
[00:10:50] Marcelle: There's different aspects of technology that can intersect during the patient customer journey, patient and customer journey. So when you think about going to the dentist's office, do you remember getting those molds and it's like your teeth are like full of like this goop and you're trying not to choke? The gooey stuff that goes in your mouth. Yeah, for
[00:11:07] Exactly. Those days are gone. We now have digital imaging that we've integrated for the patient, so you never have that horrible experience again. And I think it was two different aspects of technology. Technology improving first and foremost to, um, Uh, improve sort of the clinical experience, right?
[00:11:25] The clinical sort of expertise and the clinical outcomes, that's first and foremost, but also the patient experience. And so where can we leverage technology in both ways from a clinical perspective to ensure that we have the um, exact details of the dental scan, exact details of the bone, where the implant should be placed.
[00:11:43] There's a clinical aspect of technology that ClearChoice has employed a great deal. Cross the board from a digital imaging perspective, but there's also technology from a patient experience. And to your point, really when you think about this procedure, it is, there's complexity and it is a little bit scary for patients.
[00:11:59] And so if we can showcase to them, this is what your smile will look like, they can visually see it. We've leveraged technology to create a virtual smile design. So even before they go into surgery, they have an understanding of what their smile will look like. And this is really important. This is not a one size fits all.
[00:12:16] Like you'll see people out there and they're like, Oh, it's the same teeth. No, this is very different. Our experience is so focused on that personalized aesthetic, and with technology in our virtual smile design, our patients get to design every single aspect of the shape of their tooth with the expertise of our prosthodontists.
[00:12:34] One of the patients that I recall was very focused on creating the smile that her mom had, that she really remembered from her mom. These are very personal stories, and for, for a lot of patients, this comes through in their smile, and so this technology has enabled us to let the patient design their smile in conjunction with our specialist, so they can see the outcome even before they undergo any sort of surgery or procedure.
[00:12:57] Wow. That's pretty phenomenal. You know, is AI something that has, you know, found its way into a retail healthcare?I think we hear a lot a about ai, it's kind of that buzzword like is how are you using ai? Where is it integrated? We think about a in a couple different ways. I think AI can be leveraged for patient experience when we're thinking about, you know, different cohorts when we think about how will cohorts assess, um, their patient journey.
[00:13:26] So as an example, if I'm a Denture wearer and I come in and I'm a little bit worried about what does the full mouth restoration look like? What are the steps? I have to take versus someone who might have had a cancer treatment and they have to have a full restoration without any denture. There're different steps.
[00:13:40] There's different expectations. I like the idea of using AI to understand that cohort of different patients so we can start to streamline and personalize content that we deliver to them from a clinical perspective, our specialists don't use AI because it's really all about their expertise. They have ABA, they've been certified, they've done residency programs, the decades and decades of research. Our Clear Choice doctors are recognized across the boards in different journals. So their clinical expertise is sort of first and foremost. I think from an AI perspective, it's more interesting to leverage it for marketing than it is in the clinical healthcare perspective. That's for Clear Choice. I think you're seeing it across the board integrated into different areas.
[00:14:23] When I think about Aspen Dental, or when you think about clear aligners, there's opportunity to leverage AI in terms of how to teeth straighten, etc. But to me, you always have to have that clinical expertise joining that AI solution. It's always, it's a little bit, um, you know, the cart before the horse. We have to make sure that, uh, We have that same personalization, that human touch, before we let AI go, go far. Now that could be different from different industries, but I think for healthcare, the clinician is so critical for us.
[00:14:53] Sid: Oh, I agree completely. And that makes a lot of sense. Um, you know, let's, let's pivot a little bit, we talked about consumer expectations and how that's been, you know, has radically changed over the past few years. And I think, you know, even more so post COVID, right?
[00:15:10] what are your thoughts on, you know, how brands are, uh, adapting to ensure that they're meeting the consumer where they are, or rather where they're going to be?
[00:15:22] Marcelle: It is a great question and it's something that I think as marketers we always have to think about. Where are the consumer expectations changing and how do we ensure that our brand and our experience is constantly evolving to meet the customer where they are? I think a couple different aspects when I, when I think about the consumer expectations shifting. Brands as a whole really have to understand the mindset of each of their patients and really understand where they are and I think that sometimes you can't understand that unless you're in center. So for me and my team, we spend time in center at least once a month. We want to understand what is changing, what are we hearing from our patients.
[00:15:58] And I think as brands, you have to continually listen to the patients to understand how their expectations are changing. On the other side, we should be looking as brands at different aspects that we can do to change the experience to help up level the expectations for the At Clear Choice, we are innovating to ensure that we are meeting, going above and beyond those patient expectations.
[00:16:19] I'll give you one example, and it goes back to hospitality. When you, at Clear Choice, after your surgery, it's really a scary time, right? You just want to make sure that everything's fine. We have our doctors on call 24 7. I'll share a story from Dr. Wang, one of our doctors, um, in the Clear Choice Centers.
[00:16:36] She said to me, I received a page from one of my patients when I was giving birth. called that patient back after she finished giving birth from the hospital make sure were okay. I mean, that is exemplary service. I'm telling you, that is what we stand for at Clear Choice, is really going above and beyond.
[00:16:56] And when I think about consumer expectations, no consumer nor patient would have expected their doctor to call from the hospital. that's the kind of commitment and passion that our doctors have for our patients. That says It's wild, right? They wanted to make sure, like that call comes through 24 7, that paging service goes straight to our specialists. So our patients are never worried. And that is, to me, raising the bar.
[00:17:21] Sid: Yeah, you know, what's interesting is the fact it sounds you say it, it doesn't actually hit you immediately. But when you think about it, you never really expected to have 24 7 support from your, you know, dentist. Did that, when did that expectation change? Or is it that ClearChoice is just going way above and beyond industry norms to just ensure that, you know, you might, you might actually want to talk to someone at nine o'clock at night and just be reassured. I mean, how did that come about?
[00:17:55] Marcelle: I think a couple different aspects. For ClearChoice, they've always been about patient centricity. So this has been at the forefront, and we've been a pioneer in really connecting with our patients. But I do think, with technology, patients expectations have changed. They want to make sure that they can connect with their doctor, with their dentist, after any sort of procedure. And if brands aren't doing that, if they lack that personalized service, that hospitality, they will fall behind. And this is why it's so important for us to stay at the forefront. And then another example is bi directional texting. To your point about being in contact, we're introducing bi directional texting so our patients can text. A lot of people don't like to talk on the phone. I mean, how many times do you get a call from your doctor and you're like, I don't want to talk to anyone, or you don't recognize the number. You're like, I'm not picking up.
[00:18:41] That's right. That's right.
[00:18:42] But if you get a text, it's much easier, and so, for us, when we think about how we want to make sure that we are meeting the patients where they are, it's finding a way to connect with them where they want to be connected with. So our patients can now text with our centers, and really finding ways to ensure that they have access to questions that they need answered, through text, through calls, etc.
[00:19:06] Sid: How does, You know, a brand maintain customer loyalty, especially in the, in the retail healthcare space, because, you know, there's a lot of choice out there and especially now, you know, there's this massive boom in, in the retail healthcare space or Medtel as they would call it, right? How do you maintain customer loyalty and how do you make your customer want to come back?
[00:19:28] That is a great question, and to me, it all comes down to trust. And if our patients trust us and they connect with us, that's how you maintain that loyalty. I'll tell you what we're, there's a trend in our industry that we're seeing right now and there are doctors that are placing convenience over the health of patients where they are placing teeth in 24 to 48 hours, like the finals, which you cannot take out ever again. And we're seeing, actually, let me see if I will do a little show and tell.
[00:19:55] Marcelle: What we're seeing is facilities out there that are saying get your teeth in 24 to 48 hours. Now, as you know, the human body needs to heal and it's a little bit, um, it's not even a little bit, it's critical that you ensure that the body heals correctly before you put your final teeth in.
[00:20:11] So this is a, this is what I have on my desk now, different prostheses, but I know if you can see that. Did you see there's this gap that can, that, that gets created? So when you're rushing and you're prioritizing speed over the patient's health, what will happen is you develop a gap between teeth and the gum. And then you can imagine like the bacteria. Actually, the other side can show you, the bacteria, see how gross this is? Bacteria that can get stuck in there and it also creates a lisp. You would be shocked by the amount of, uh, rushed procedures that our clear choice doctors are having to fix. And when you think about loyalty, it really goes down, it comes down to that long standing relationship with the patient where you put their health first,
[00:20:57] first and foremost. And the personalized care that comes along with that is so critical. And at ClearChoice, our focus is that patient building that trust, creating that lifelong relationship, and that is what builds loyalty. We always put the patient and the clinical outcome first and foremost above convenience.
[00:21:16] And so it's a little scary to see what's out there from a med retail perspective when you look at it, because patients are, I think, being harmed by this and not getting the result that they want. I
[00:21:27] Sid: makes a lot of sense. I mean, if you, if you look at the, in the industry as a whole, I mean, it seems to be this trend of a lot of PE money coming in, right? There's a lot of consolidation, um, you know, in, in some great brands create, being created, and in some cases you don't even know that, you know, all these different brands are part of the same group, you know, because different, I guess. Brands, you know, handle it differently. But why is there this sudden influx of, of PE firms coming in? Why is there this consolidation happening? What, what has changed or what has evolved over the past few years?
[00:22:01] Marcelle: said it's a great question because I think you see PE firms investing a lot across a lot of different industries. But for us, and our specific PE firm, they have zero integration with our clinical expertise whatsoever. There's no clinical decisions, they don't weigh in in any way at all. So I think that's important because, you know, As a consumer, I would always question, like, am I getting the best possible clinical care if there's a PE firm behind that?
[00:22:23] And for ClearChoice, what's most important is that independence of all our doctors across our TAG network. So that's sort of first and foremost for me. I think what PE funding can do, that we've leveraged at TAG, is really to scale the back end offices. office experience. So when you think about supply chain, when you think about HR experiences, accounting, taking all of that work off of the doctor's office is really critical so they can focus just on the patient.
[00:22:51] And so for TAG specifically and ClearChoice, what we're focused on is how do you leverage PE firms and those relationships to create the best experience for the patient and for the centers. So, improving that patient experience through, um, the ability to streamline the back end systems of Serum. How am I using Salesforce, am I using, you know, multiple different back end solutions, so it gets streamlined and scaled, so our doctors can, number one focus is their patients.
[00:23:21] Much like in private practice, we don't want them distracted. The private practice is really have to focus on how am I getting patients in the door? How, you know, what equipment has not, you know, is sort of outdated? For us, what's really important is that we have the best, um, medical treatment available. And I think that's what's enabled the PE firms to invest in healthcare and scale them in a way that we haven't seen in other industries.
[00:23:46] Sid: Now, you know, for the sake of our audience, would you mind just explaining the relationship between clear choice and tag? Like how, what is that construct look like?
[00:23:55] Yeah, absolutely.
[00:23:56] Marcelle: The Aspen Group, or TAG, is a collection of health and wellness brands very focused on providing more access to care to our patients and our pets. Clear Choice is actually one of those companies that is part of the TAG family.
[00:24:10] Sid: Now that makes a lot of sense. So, you know, before we move on to like the future, um, how do doctors and dentists see kind of this change happening? And I think you mentioned already something really critical, you know, the fact that this is allowing dentists and doctors to just do what they love, which is to be, you know, focus on the clinical aspect and to take care of their patients and leave everything else to, you know, the corporate offices that, that are being created to manage these locations. But I'll let you answer that question.
[00:24:39] Marcelle: From our perspective, our doctors are so passionate about our brand and our connection with our company for a couple, in a couple different ways. So for TAG, our focus is on training. And so we want to provide the best training. That's training for our doctors and our vets across the board.
[00:24:56] And at TAG, we focus in on how do we train our doctors that continuing education, that continued training on new innovation, new technology is critical. So we've actually created something called the TAG University where all of our doctors have the ability to come in and create and learn more about implant procedures, about new technology or new innovation that can help provide better clinical outcomes for their patients. So for us, our doctors are very passionate because we focus on putting them first.
[00:25:27] Sid: What does growth for ClearChoice look like? I mean, do you essentially go into a new geo and, and, you know, build from scratch and, you know, um, and staff it with the right doctors and dentists, or do you actually go and acquire businesses that already have presence and, uh, kind of rebrand them?
[00:25:44] Marcelle: We have a DeNovo model. So we are very focused on, to your point, creating that brand and experience. And we feel the only way to do that is if we create that, um, that experience. So we will open a new DeNovo or a new brick and mortar, uh, center, and we staff it with the best possible, um, team.
[00:26:03] And now these are independently owned. But we will create the brand experience, we'll create the architecture, the design, we'll staff the back office, but it's a de novo model that TAG employs. We're not buying up different, um, private practices because we really don't feel that you can maintain the consistency of the brand and our experience is paramount for us.
[00:26:24] Sid: That makes a lot of sense. Um, so let's talk about the future, Marcelle. What does the future, you know, for the doctor's office look like? And independent of whether it's a dentist or any kind of healthcare, but what does it look like? You know, it's already looking very different compared to five years ago. What are your, uh, predictions for, you know, the next five years?
[00:26:44] Marcelle: I think it's pretty exciting across the board, and I love how technology is enabling us to connect with our patients and our customers in different ways. So, outside of ClearChoice, I see a lot more of the virtual, um, the virtual sort of reality coming into play. seeing it a lot, you know, it's a little, it's something that's interesting for entertainment.
[00:27:02] But as you think about what is going to happen during my procedure, can I visually see like how easily, you know, the jaw is going to be changed and whatnot in a way that is, isn't scary. So I think there's going to be a lot more virtual try ons with different types of solutions. So I think that's first and foremost.
[00:27:19] The personalization I think is going to continue. And that I think is really important when we think about the personalized experience for the patient and how that evolves with sort of future technologies. So let me give you an example. When you think about how you come into the store is something curated for you based on your personal likes.
[00:27:39] So whether it's a store or healthcare, can I come in and say, here, here's all of my information and have a personalized wellness sort of record for you as you come in and you're greeted and your doctor already knows your information. You're not having to enter in, here's my insurance, here's this.
[00:27:54] Imagine a world where you walk in, the doctor knows all of your background and you have a So I think there's an opportunity that is really going to be disrupting for healthcare industry as a whole as we move forward. So I think the next five years for those people that are patient centric and stay at the forefront of the, you know, understanding the customer expectations, that's what we'll see some really, um, core winners emerge.
[00:28:22] Yeah, I
[00:28:23] Sid: a lot sense and,
[00:28:24] makes
[00:28:25] you know, I think if you looked at, you know, any kind of healthcare five years ago, I don't think virtual care was even a thing, right? You could never expect to do a FaceTime call with your doctor and do a virtual consult, but now that's normal.
[00:28:40] It's going to happen sooner than we even expect because consumer expectations are evolving so fast, right?
[00:28:46] Marcelle: Absolutely, and I think virtual care is so interesting because it provides more access to care. So imagine all those, all those times that you, you know, felt too sick to go into the doctor's office. Having the convenience of virtual care is so critical. And again, even for our doctors at Clear Choice, if their patient ever has a concern, it's that moment of connection, virtually, where they know that they can get the solution or the just reassurance that they need immediately.
[00:29:12] And I think you're right, Sid. I think they're going to see, we're going to see a lot more of those immediacy, convenience come out in the next few years.
[00:29:20] Sid: What about the physical environment? Like, you think that's going to evolve even more over the next five to ten years and in terms of the kind of experience that consumers or patients can expect when they walk in through your doors?
[00:29:32] Marcelle: Absolutely. And I think this is really important because you can never, from my perspective, like one and done, you cannot sort of set it and forget it. And you see that a lot in the healthcare industry. It's like, all right, we're not going to evolve. This is the space, unit economics, etc. What we are doing is really ensuring that we have an understanding of how design and technology can continue to enhance our brick and mortar experience.
[00:29:54] So when you look at integrating technology into the brick and mortar space, just imagine walking in and being greeted by someone who already has an understanding of your, of your experience and what you want with your smile. So you can already visually see different examples of your smile that you can scroll through to understand like, okay, this is what I want, or this is how I recognize like my mom and my smile.
[00:30:16] There's different opportunities for us to integrate that technology that really connects our patients more effectively with our centers. And I think doing that in the right way where it doesn't feel cold or impersonal is really critical. I don't believe in implementing technologies just for the sake of a shiny new thing. It has to really show a purpose and connect patients in the right way. So that's what I'm excited about.
[00:30:37] Sid: I love it. Is there any particular trend that you're seeing right now, you know, outside of retail healthcare as well? That you're like, yeah, that's not gonna really stick. It feels more like a fad to me.
[00:30:50] Marcelle: I think there are, I think there are a couple out there actually, especially when you look at retail, right? There's a lot of this has been some of the facts that I think have worked really well is that speed. Speed. Right? So when you think about Amazon, they've really disrupted things in terms of speed. If I have to wait, you know, in the old days, you had to wait, like, A week to get your package. Now you're like, is it coming in the next hour?
[00:31:10] Yeah, So I think that immediacy is a great trend and we'll continue to see that sort of that's shifted to consumer expectations pretty dramatically. When I think of things that haven't yet worked, some of that augmented reality, um, hasn't translated, I think, in the way that a lot of, uh, brands thought that it might in terms of sometimes the, um, you know, having to put on that huge headset right now.
[00:31:32] And. You know, you're wandering around with this and have the different experience. I'm not sure that's going to translate in its current capabilities. It's just not, um, it's not working as well. And even like the, the metaglasses, the wearables overall, I think have a ways to go before we can actually see some really true consumer shifts and behavior and expectation.
[00:31:55] So I think wearables, I'm not, Absolutely, uh, sold by yet in terms of the visual aspect of them, uh, but I do think wearables from a wellness perspective that, uh, you know, beyond a Fitbit, the Apple Watch, those pieces, that's starting to shift consumer behavior, which is pretty exciting. So, sort of a tale of, of two coins.
[00:32:13] Sid: There you go. And as we wrap up, and as we think about Clear Choice in the future, um, what do we have to look forward to? Like,
[00:32:21] Marcelle: We're going to continue to see happy patients, lives transformed across the board. That is our North Star, and we'll continue to deliver that, and really in the most powerful way for our patients.
[00:32:32] Sid: And, you know, Marcelle, you're a C level exec, and, um, sometimes, like I mentioned earlier, the folks that are involved in the physical built environment, you know, the functions like, you know, construction, facilities, design, and so on, Yeah. Yeah. They sometimes have this perception that it's transactional.
[00:32:49] Like they, they go and they, they, they build a particular facility and then they move on and not, you know, not always does that do those teams get their due credit. Um, and so as someone who has a seat at the table, what would you say? These different functions should do and talk about in terms of how they impact the overall brand for them to kind of get the attention that they deserve to get the funding that they deserve.
[00:33:15] Um, and to be able to, you know, articulate what they do has a direct impact to the North Star of the brand.
[00:33:23] Marcelle: Absolutely. I have to tell you, we work so and so closely with our construction team. They are on, on 24 7 dial for me in a couple different ways. And you're right. This is where funding can get cut pretty quickly. Like, Oh, nope, it's fine. It's really important that our construction team understands that their experience, much like the digital experience.
[00:33:42] You don't see this a lot from a digital, that's funny it's not getting cut, it's like, oh, the digital experience is so critical, every aspect of that patient journey. But for me, really understanding that brick and mortar experience that a construction team enables is very powerful. And you'll see when we've walked the building for our walkthroughs of any of our new DeNovas that are opening, there's a passion.
[00:34:02] Our construction team understands that connection with the patient that is really paramount. And if there's that disconnect, if it seems just, to your point, transactional, they don't get to experience that. When they see our patients walk through, and they'll walk, they'll walk the patient, they'll walk through with the patients, they'll see, they'll understand are there friction areas, are there areas that we could shift, whether there's a door, on the, uh, we had a long discussion about actually a door for privacy versus like the entryway for the doctors, the entryway for the team.
[00:34:32] They really are so invested in it. And so that's, I'm thrilled with our TAG instruction team because they have that same passion for the patient as we do. from a marketing and commercial perspective. So that's, and that's rare to find. I think you're right. The way for us to ensure that the construction teams really have that equal set at the table is by ensuring that they have KPIs that are associated with that patient centricity at MPS. And here we do, which I'm pretty excited about.
[00:34:57] Sid: I love it. That's great. Well, with that, Marcel, I just want to say a huge thank you. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation. For folks in our audience who might want to, you know, follow you on social or look you up, um, where can they find you?
[00:35:10] Marcelle: Absolutely, I'm on LinkedIn, and I'd love to connect, so please link me in. And then if anyone listening has any dental problems or pain, please visit any of our ClearChoice doctors or ClearChoice. com. You will find the best solution and the best patient care out there.
[00:35:24] I love it. Well, thanks again, Marcel. I really, really appreciate it. And to all those in our audience, thank you so much for joining us. And I'll see you on the next episode of Elevating Brick and Mortar.
[00:35:34] Sid: Thanks for listening to this interview with Marcelle Parish, Chief Commercial Officer at ClearChoice. So, a big takeaway for me today was how front and center this idea of hospitality is at ClearChoice.
[00:35:48] It's not just a nice to have, but a big part of their brand and how they think about customer care. Their customer and their experience is the number one priority. I also loved hearing how they're using technology and the physical environment from the feel, the scent, the sounds, all your sensory experiences to deliver a calm, soothing experience for the patient.
[00:36:12] It's not just a consideration, but critically important to make their patients feel less anxious and always welcome. With that, I'm your host, Sid Shetty, and I'll see you on the next episode of Elevating Brick and Mortar.