I’m lucky. I get a front row seat with founders, key executives, and DSO teams every day.
That’s the benefit of being independent. I’m not tied to anyone’s agenda.
I can sit with executives, practice teams, and innovators, give honest feedback without holding back — plus, people tell me things.

Because of that, I work hard to see what’s really happening with technology and call it like I see it, so I can be an informed, independent voice for those who need one.

Everywhere I go whether I’m on calls, at conferences, dinners or with DSO partners — the conversation still ends up at some point centered around AI.

I get questions like:
💬 “Hey Matt, what works for outbound recare?”
💬 “What integrates with Ascend for RCM?”
💬 “What’s new and exciting on the market?”

And from founders:
💬“Hey Matt, can you take a look at my platform? What do you think?
💬Do you know anyone interested?”

This flood of inbound questions to me is a sign of where we really are… lots of curiosity, not a lot of clarity.

And where are we?
The hype machine is loud.
The ROI is questionable.

Clinical AI — radiograph reading, caries detection is starting to feel safe. It’s gone from interesting to trusted. People know the names, they’ve seen enough to pilot, and in some cases even roll out. ROI is still being debated, but there’s at least trust forming there.

Operational AI is moving slower. Missed call handling, outbound recare, RCM eligibility, task automation — all the unglamorous but revenue-driving work — is still early. We’re in the innovator phase.

A number of DSO’s are poking at it, testing, trying to see where the real opportunity lives. I’ve watched skeptics turn into believers, smart people, you know who you are, but we are still in the early days.

I’m not an AI expert. I can’t build or train a model.
Neither can most of us, especially DSOs.

I’ve seen plenty of so-called “experts” — the engineers and data scientists — but they don’t know dental. Not a clue. And if you don’t understand how practices actually work, how does that help? What are you an expert of?

Most of us out there testing this aren’t prompt engineers either — but we know what drives practice growth and that caries weight.
We know what tech’s real, what fits, and what gets rejected the moment it hits a practice.

The desired outcomes for all when it comes to technology lies in working together.

And to the founders:

→ Stop walking in with buzzwords and EBITDA slides.
→ Stop promising to “replace the call center” or “deliver instant ROI with zero integration.”
→ Actually talk to the practice, ask questions to the front desk teams, associate docs, partners, clinical directors.

Because the truth of the matter is — new patient flow isn’t always the answer.
You can have all the new patients you want… but terrible doctors still produce terrible outcomes.

Let’s be real: this is still a same-store growth game.
We all know this.
That’s not changing anytime soon.

Leverage technology.
Maximize recare.
Tighten RCM.
Create new lines of business.

These levers matter before you buy growth, at least for now.

→ Recare outreach through voice and text
→ Missed call management
→ RCM eligibility checks
→ Automate clinical documentation, analyze provider–patient interactions

Test small. Prove ROI. Learn and expand. Work towards task management and workflow improvements.

Don’t wait for perfect model or magic wand. There are solutions for this, ask me about them.

🧭 Closing Perspective

This is what I’m hearing from operators who are actually in the work, not from LinkedIn threads or demos. That’s why I write.

My job is to connect the innovators who will listen with the DSOs and groups who know what really moves the needle to produce desired outcomes for all.

Something we should all be striving for, not just being worried about building a successful exit.

👉 Hit reply and tell me what you’re piloting and what’s still just hype.

Check out where I’m going, where I’ve been and what I’ve seen.

Build vs. Buy: The AI DSO Dilemma — Many DSOs are wrestling with the same question — build AI in-house or buy from vendors? The smartest groups are blending: moving fast with off-the-shelf tools, then tailoring them with their own data and workflows. I wrote about what I’m seeing.

Culture Before ROI: Lessons from a Visit Inside MB2 — Too many DSOs lead with ROI and spreadsheets. MB2 flips it — putting doctors and culture first, then letting growth follow. I wrote about what I saw inside their walls and why it matters.

👉 Deal Watch: Synchrony has acquired Versatile Credit, a consumer-financing platform that connects merchants, lenders, and consumers at the point of sale. Moves like this signal a growing focus on integrated financing tech — and companies like Endeavor could benefit from the momentum and market attention.

⚠️ Epic, the EHR giant powering more than half of U.S. hospitals, is headed to court — a federal judge just allowed key antitrust claims to move forward after a rival accused it of blocking competition and locking down patient data.

We spent a quick trip back home to Buffalo loaded up on Italian food, wings, beef on weck, and capped it off with a Bills game. My dad had tickets to this stadium before it even opened back in ’73, so going back with him to see another Bills win was special. I swear this is the year. Go Bills!

Have ideas, questions, or tech you want me to explore? Just reply and let’s chat.

- Matt