Interview with Nathan Barz, CEO of DocVA
Nathan Barz is the Founder and CEO of DocVA, the most trusted virtual medical assistant agency for healthcare practices seeking premium support, flexible staffing, and hands-on client service. For dental practices such as Peninsula Center of Cosmetic Dentistry, growth depends on more than strong clinical care and a polished patient experience. It also requires reliable front-office workflows, fast patient communication, and enough administrative capacity to keep the schedule full without overwhelming the team. In this interview, Barz explains how dedicated virtual medical assistants can help dental practices reduce bottlenecks, protect the patient experience, and grow with more control.
Q: What is the core staffing problem dental practices are facing right now?
Nathan Barz: Many dental practices are not struggling because they lack patient interest. They are struggling because the front office is overloaded. Calls, scheduling, treatment plan follow-up, insurance verification, billing support, reminders, and patient questions can all compete for the same team’s attention.
When that work piles up, it affects the entire practice. New patient inquiries may not get answered quickly. Hygiene schedules can develop gaps. Patients may wait too long for follow-up after a consultation. Even strong practices can lose growth opportunities if their administrative systems cannot keep up with demand.
Q: How can a virtual medical assistant support a dental practice without disrupting the patient experience?
Nathan Barz: The key is to make the assistant part of the practice’s existing workflow. A dedicated virtual assistant can help with phones, appointment scheduling, insurance tasks, patient follow-up, documentation support, and other repeatable administrative work. The practice still controls its systems, standards, scripts, and patient communication style.
That matters in dentistry, especially for cosmetic and relationship-driven practices. Patients expect a smooth, personal experience from the first phone call through treatment follow-up. A good virtual assistant should help the in-office team respond faster and stay organized, not create another layer of complexity.
Q: What makes DocVA different from a generic virtual assistant provider?
Nathan Barz: DocVA focuses on experienced healthcare professionals with proven experience working with U.S. medical clinics, facilities, and hospitals. Many of our assistants are licensed RNs, including USRN and PHRN dual license holders. Others are Registered Pharmacists, certified billers and coders, prior authorization specialists, or highly experienced medical scribes.
We also use a dedicated, embedded model. That means the practice works with the same assistant day to day rather than a rotating pool of people. We begin with a discovery call, provide a shortlist of qualified candidates, support interviews, set a clear start date, and stay involved after placement. If something is not working, we step in quickly.
Q: For a dental practice like Peninsula Center of Cosmetic Dentistry, where does staffing connect to growth?
Nathan Barz: Growth often starts with visibility, reputation, and patient trust, but it depends on follow-through. If a patient calls after researching cosmetic dentistry, veneers, implants, or another high-value service, the practice needs to answer quickly, schedule efficiently, and follow up with care.
That is where staffing becomes part of the growth system. Better administrative support helps the practice capture more inquiries, reduce missed opportunities, and keep the patient journey moving. Marketing can bring interest to the door, but operations help turn that interest into booked appointments and long-term patient relationships.
Q: What practical takeaway would you give a dental practice considering virtual support?
Nathan Barz: Start by identifying the bottleneck that is costing the practice the most time or opportunity. It may be unanswered calls, delayed insurance verification, weak follow-up after consultations, or too much administrative work falling on the in-office team.
Then look for a partner that understands healthcare workflows, offers experienced candidates, and provides support after the assistant starts. A virtual assistant is not a magic fix, but the right dedicated person can create more capacity, improve consistency, and help the practice grow without burning out its staff.
DocVA provides dedicated virtual medical assistants who help healthcare practices manage scheduling, phone coverage, documentation, billing, prior authorizations, and patient follow-up. With an embedded staffing model and experienced healthcare support professionals, DocVA helps practices ease administrative pressure, improve responsiveness, and deliver a better patient experience.
