It takes a team to be your best

An interview with William B. Looney, DMD, a HighFive Partner

What inspired you to become an endodontist?

You try to gravitate toward the things you like and the things you’re good at and hope those two cross. So, endodontics is a little bit mathematical, and I was a math major in school. Not to mention, you truly get to help people that are feeling pretty bad.

Can you tell us a bit about your background?

I went to college at Birmingham Southern College, which had a math/business interdisciplinary major. Then I attended the University of Alabama (UAB) School of Dentistry.

Did taking business classes in college help you run a practice?

Before partnering with HighFive, I would have said yes. But after HighFive came along, I realized how little I truly knew. We all try our best to handle the business side, but we’re usually too occupied with the dentistry part.

What advice would you give to new graduates?

Focus on the dentistry. Stay true to your roots. Work. Strive for perfection in every case, and be kind to your patients. If you focus on that, the rest will fall into place.

How important is it to find the right people for your staff?

I couldn’t do it without them. My staff members keep me going. It’s priceless knowing they have my back, so I get to do what I’m good at. And as a referral practice, when you have other offices call, and they know the people on the other end, that really helps develop relationships.

How has your practice and life changed after partnering with HighFive?

I’ll tell you I’ve loved every day of it. HighFive has made practicing a lot better. In my opinion, it’s the only way to practice. HighFive takes care of all the stuff behind the scenes that we used to, so we can focus on what we like, and what we are good at. We thought we were good at the business side, but HighFive are pros, and we’re not. I couldn’t go back to the way I used to practice.

What sets HighFive apart from other groups?

HighFive wants to be invisible. The HighFive Healthcare team doesn’t want to tell you how to do root canals. They want you to do what you do, and they just handle the rest. They do show us opportunities to improve, but they really let you do what you want to do.

How important is having a network of colleagues you can turn to for advice?

I joined HighFive right as the pandemic hit. The first thing HighFive did was get everyone on the phone. We worked through our protocols before the state had even put out theirs. A lot of our friends were solo practitioners. They had to figure things out on their own, while we had 20 minds working on the same goal.

What do you think is the future of endodontics?

I think our future is bright. The technology that we have really advances the profession. Everyone knows that people are living longer and are more committed to holding on to their teeth longer. As people get older, I can promise you the root canals get harder, and as you know, that’s kind of our wheelhouse.

To learn more, visit www.High5health.com.

This information was provided by HighFive.