Seattle, Washington–July 22, 2009–The Washington State Dental Association (WSDA) today endorsed Sesame Communications, pioneer in online patient relationship management software for the dental field, as the preferred provider of online services for its 4,000 member dentists to acquire and retain patients. With this endorsement, the WSDA is signaling its belief in the growing importance of the internet in the operation of dental practices and recognizing that dental patients live online. Research shows that patients want to deal with their dentist online—from web information access to appointment reminders to paying bills. “We conducted a nationwide search for the best dental web services provider to recommend to our members and chose Sesame,” said Steve Hardymon, Executive Director of WSDA. “Of all the firms we interviewed, we found Sesame Communications had the most comprehensive suite for web design, search marketing and online patient relationship management. The fact that they happen to be a Washington company was a positive.”
Over the past ten years, Sesame Communications has created a custom solutions package that helps dentists and specialists get found and chosen online, and stay connected with their patients. Over 2.5 million patients around North America are getting information from their dental professionals through Sesame’s services. Through its partnership with the WSDA, Sesame will offer Webinars and lectures for WSDA Component Society meetings around the state on the findings of research Sesame conducts on topics related to patient preferences in online communications.
“We appreciate the WSDA’s vote of confidence,” says Sesame Vice President of Sales Rachel Mele. “This relationship is significant because it illustrates that dental professional organizations are helping their membership adapt to the online age. The economy has challenged all small businesses to examine their core functions. Dental practices are no exception—we’re seeing them investing more in having a smart online presence.”
While the economy has hit many industries very hard, the dental profession is finding that patients are continuing to invest in dental care for their families. Sesame research proves that online patient convenience is integral as part of a dental practice's countercyclical growth. Sesame Member doctors have looked hard at all facets of their practices and found two things: 1) Being in touch with their patient base has never been more important, 2) Sesame’s suite of best of breed applications cements this connection. Sesame Communications has benefited from this trend. The emerging growth company has steadily built its market penetration with substantial year-over-year growth and sustained profitability since its inception in 2000, emerging as the category leader in the space. It posted 47% sales growth in 2008 and is operating at a similar pace for the first half of this year. In May 2009, Sesame experienced the most profitable month in its business history. 53 of the company’s 82 employees are based in its Seattle-area headquarters. One of the fastest-growing companies in the region, Sesame continues to expand its team of Web Design and Google Adwords-certified Search Marketing Specialists.