Bill Klaproth (host): This is an AAOMS On the Go Podcast. I'm Bill Klaproth. And with me is Dr. Michael Safian. He's the Associate Program Director at Yale New Haven Hospital Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He is also in private practice in Shelton, Connecticut. He is here to discuss the AAOMS Informational Campaign with Resources for OMS Practice Marketing. Dr. Safian, thank you so much for being here.

Dr. Michael Safian: Oh my pleasure, Bill. Thank you so much for having me.

Host: You bet. So, tell us what is the AAOMS Informational Campaign and what it does for members.

Dr. Michael Safian: Well, the AAOMS Campaign was started in 2013, so 10-year anniversary on this, and it was devised to inform the public, our patients and potential patients what an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is, what our training is, what our skills are, and what the expertise and broad scope of practice that oral and maxillofacial surgeons have. A lot of this was designed to drive traffic to AAOMS's MyOMS.org website, and it's there that prospective patients or even current patients can go to find out more about their surgeon and about the procedures that oral and maxillofacial surgeons can perform. We created all these campaign materials with member use in mind, so that they can use them in all of their outlets and all of their ways of informing and discovering new patients. We've developed a wide variety of materials that they can use.

Host: Absolutely. This is really good information and good materials for our OMSs. So, what's included in these campaign materials?

Dr. Michael Safian: Well, we've got some great stuff. We've got some new patient-focused podcasts and it's a series called OMS Voices. We have videos that are available. They include patient testimonials, some animated videos that explain some of the procedures we do; promotional, educational information focused on specific procedures and treatments. And we've got our range of OMS expert videos. Over the last 10 years, we've done a variety of public service announcements that have gotten great national coverage on oral cancer, facial protection, dental implants, wisdom teeth and sleep apnea. We offer some web graphics, social media guide books, infographics that are incredible. We've got 38 of them in total, 20 of them in English, 18 of them in Spanish. And we've got all kinds of ads, flyers that can be printed and placed in advertisements for our members that they can advertise themselves to other dental professionals as well as potential patients.

Host: These marketing materials are dynamite. I'm glad we're doing this podcast just to make sure everybody knows of this great resource for them. So, how can OMSs access these materials and put them to practical use?

Dr. Michael Safian: Well, the great part is our members have really easy access to these materials. They can simply log into their account at AAOMS.org/InfoCampaign. And anything they want in regard to the informational campaign is free to download.

Host: Well, that certainly makes it easy. No question about that. So, where can potential patients see these materials other than from an OMS?

Dr. Michael Safian: Well, if they're not seeing it directly from their own oral and maxillofacial surgeon, they can also see most of these information at MyOMS.org. Everything that is available to our members is also visible there for patients. And a lot of the videos in particular, the expert videos and some of the patient testimonials are available on YouTube.

Host: Well, again, very beneficial, these resources. So, what is the most important thing members can do to benefit from the campaign?

Dr. Michael Safian: Most important thing they can do is take advantage of all these materials that we are supplying to them. It's a great benefit of their membership in AAOMS, so they've got the opportunity to have their profile in the informational campaign on the Find a Surgeon directory on MyOMS.org. And when patients are searching for an OMS by city, by state, by ZIP code, they can filter profiles by selecting conditions that they're looking for treatment on, procedures that they're looking for, even languages. So, having their profile set up appropriately on MyOMS.org is the best way they can benefit from this campaign.

Host: Absolutely. Another easy thing to do, and we definitely recommend OMSs doing that. Dr. Safian, anything else you want to add?

Dr. Michael Safian: The most important thing I'd say is when we talk about MyOMS.org, it's important to know that 63% of all of the eligible AAOMS members participate in the Find a Surgeon. That's a great number, but the downside is only 36% of them have indicated the procedures that they perform at their practice. So if they really want to find the patients that are looking for them and for the patients to find them, they should update their member profile on MyOMS.org and make sure that those procedures that they perform are listed appropriately for them.

Host: So, make sure that member profile is updated. That's one of the best things you can do.

Dr. Michael Safian: Absolutely. Otherwise, they might be missing out on some potential patients that are looking to find them.

Host: And I would imagine in today's fast-paced world, having all of these marketing materials already created for them really is a time saver. Is that right?

Dr. Michael Safian: Oh, time saver and a money saver as well. You know, we've done all the work for you. You can brand it to fit your needs, but we've done all the work for you.

Host: Wow. This is really good stuff. Well, thank you for your time, Dr. Safian. We really appreciate it.

Dr. Michael Safian: Oh, it's my pleasure, Bill. And it was great talking to you today.

Host: And once again, that's Dr. Michael Safian. And you can download any of the resources mentioned by visiting AAOMS.org/InfoCampaign. And if you found this podcast interesting, please share it on your social media and don't forget to subscribe. Thanks for listening.