Emma Nodine

Daily Summaries 

Tuesday – 02/10/2026

On this day, I began by continuing to review the data that I have been collecting about the prices of the preventative procedures and treatments to be included in the Dental Savings Plan (DSP). I reviewed the data that I have collected regarding the prices of treatments to be included in the DSP. I specifically analyzed the charges and costs for each procedure to determine the profit associated with each appointment type. I analyzed these data to help develop my recommendations for what the cost of the DSP should be offered for. I then met with my supervisor, Kristen, to review my current progress on the presentation thus far and gather feedback on how to proceed. Kristen and I discussed the application of the DSP to the patient population and began brainstorming how we could realistically apply this intervention to the dental clinic. We specifically began planning how this DSP can be filed under the insurance portion of our patient portal software, Point-and-Click and Eaglesoft, so that we can start establishing implementation protocols.  I also reviewed the patient reports in Point-and-Click to try to determine the proportion of “DC Cleanings” and “DC Cleanings and Exams” appointments that included Prophy-plus procedures instead of the basic Prophylaxis because there is a significant profit difference between the two levels of cleanings. 

Thursday – 02/12/2026

Throughout this day, I worked toward finishing my draft of the presentation that will be presented to the Core Operations team of the UHC. I specifically added data about the different pricing of local dental savings plans and memberships that would be considered the “competition” to the UHC DSP. I continued researching universities and colleges that have any dental savings plans or memberships done on a university scale, rather than the local, private competition options. I gathered this data and reported it in the slide show presentation. I met with my internship advisor, Kristen, to review the “final” version of the program presentation that I completed. We reviewed each slide to ensure compatibility with the UHC Dental Clinic and understandability for the Core Operations team. Kristen and I reviewed factors related to the implementation of the DSP involving purchasing through the financial portal and integration of the plan into the dental clinic’s charting and financial software. I went through the Eaglesoft and Point-and-Click software to test how we could involve the Dental Savings Plan in the financing and insurance portions of patients’ accounts without it being classified as an actual insurance plan. I also planned the next steps that need to be taken to officially finalize the presentation.

Summary of Week 5 with Competencies 

• 1.4 Synthesize assessment findings to inform the planning process.
  • 1.4.1 Compare findings to norms, existing data, and other information
  • 1.4.4 Develop recommendations based on findings. 
  • 1.4.5 Report assessment findings
    • I continued to review the data that I have been collecting about price, profit, and reimbursements for the preventative care procedures I aim to include in the Dental Savings Plan (DSP). I used this information to develop recommendations for the price and inclusions of the DSP. I developed this recommendation by reviewing the specific profits that would be associated with a patient paying the full cost for a year of preventative care procedures, including cleanings, oral examinations, and bite wing x-rays. I then compared these values with the profit margins that would be associated with offering these same procedures for the flat rate of the DSP to determine how much money the Dental Clinic would still gain or lose to tailor my recommendation. I also continued to research other dental savings plans and memberships offered on private practice and university-scale clinics to determine the best price point option and procedures included for the Dental Savings Plan.
• 2.1 Engage priority populations, partners, and stakeholders for participation in the planning
  • 2.1.1 Convene priority populations, partners, and stakeholders.
  • 2.1.2 Facilitate collaborative efforts among priority populations, partners, and stakeholders.
  • 2.1.3 Establish the rationale for the intervention.
    • I met with my site supervisor and UGA UHC Dental Clinic Office Manager, Kristen, to review what I have been working on thus far. We reviewed the current progress that I have made in creating my slides to present to the Core Operations team for the UHC and gathered feedback for how to proceed with the rest of the presentation. We also discussed how we can practically apply the DSP to the dental clinic’s daily operations in terms of insurance. We specifically began planning how to file the DSP under the insurance portion of our patient portal software, Point-and-Click and Eaglesoft, so that we can start establishing implementation protocols for real-life application of the intervention to the target population. 
• 2.4 Develop plans and materials for implementation and evaluations.
  • 2.4.3 Address factors that influence implementation
    • Kristen and I reviewed the practical application of the Dental Savings Plan to the UHC Dental Clinic on an administrative level. We reviewed options that should be considered for integration of the DSP into the financial portal, Point-and-Click (PNC), and the charting portal, Eaglesoft. We determined options that include creating an insurance “tab” for the DSP in PNC and creating a code to charge the enrollment fee through financing. We also figured out how to add the enrollment date into the system for automatic charge to the DSP insurance tab so that the software would not automatically print a claim to Primary Insurance and to indicate that the patient would need to re-purchase or automatically fall-out upon plan expiration. 

Week 5 Summaries 

During my fifth week with the UGA UHC Dental Clinic, I continued transitioning from data collection to applying my findings to the development of the Dental Savings Plan. spent the majority of this week reviewing and analyzing the pricing, charges, and internal costs associated with the preventive procedures to be included in the DSP. I specifically focused on comparing the costs of cleanings, examinations, and bitewing X-rays to their respective charges in order to determine the profit associated with each appointment type. This analysis allowed me to begin forming realistic official recommendations for the DSP that would remain affordable for patients while still being financially sustainable for the clinic.

While finalizing the presentation for the Core Operations team, I mainly focused on differentiating between preventative care appointment types that could arise within the boundaries of the DSP, specifically between basic prophylaxis and prophy-plus procedures. By reviewing patient reports in Point-and-Click, I assessed the proportion of “DC Cleanings” and “DC Cleanings and Exams” for uninsured patients that included prophy-plus services rather than standard prophylaxis. Because these two levels of cleaning differ significantly in both cost and profit margin, this analysis was useful in determining how the DSP should be structured and priced to account for variation in preventive care needs among patients of the targeted priority population. 

I also met with my site supervisor and UHC Dental Clinic Office Manager, Kristen, to review my progress on the presentation and discuss next steps. During this meeting, we talked through how the DSP could realistically be applied within the clinic’s current operations from an administrative perspective. We specifically discussed how the DSP could be built into the existing patient software systems, including Point-and-Click and Eaglesoft, under the insurance section of the portal for both billing and charting. This included brainstorming options for creating a DSP insurance tab, establishing an enrollment charge, tracking plan expiration dates, and ensuring that appointments under the DSP would not trigger claims to traditional insurance. We also finalized the date that we will be meeting with the Core Operations team to officially present our proposal for the DSP. 

Overall, Week 5 focused on adding and refining the financial and operational details of the Dental Savings Plan. By combining the data analysis of what I have collected thus far in the semester with collaboration with my clinic supervisor, I was able to finalize details for the DSP presentation that are more realistic for real-world implementation.