As a chiropractor you must ask yourself whether your office is a
doctor-run office or a patient-run office. That means, do you have the
courage and big vision to know what is needed by humanity? Will you take a
stand, rather than cave in to momentary patient demands?
The power that made the body is the power of perfection. It is so much
more than healing. It is allowing the innate greatness that you were born
with to be expressed throughout your life. It's connecting you with that
intelligence and life by continually removing interference from its
expression.
A fly on the wall at a "cave in" office would hear the
following: "My insurance covers me for five visits, what have I got
to lose? Fix my back pain. Just crack it good and put some of that hot
lotion on." If you don't have the courage in yourself and the belief
in the big vision, society will shape you by default into a back-cracker
and a marginal health care provider.
D.C.s in charge
Many chiropractic offices have the inmates running the asylum. Some of
the signs of a successful doctor-run practice are:
*** Large numbers of acute and wellness patients.
*** High referral activity, high patient visit average (over 100),
patients who are proud of chiropractic, you and your office.
*** New Patient Orientation is the crown jewel of your practice.
*** Big vision-driven practice automatically results in huge income.
*** Bulletproof office procedures that communicate wellness from the
first phone call.
*** Practice is fun, fun, fun.
*** C.A. and D.C. form a motivated team aimed at a common goal of
bringing Chiropractic to the world one family at a time.
Patients in charge
Some of the signs of a patient- driven practice are:
*** A lopsided mix of all acute or all wellness patients.
*** Low referral activity, low patient visit average (17), patients are
disrespectful of the D.C. and staff.
*** No New Patient Orientation, or even more deadly, the 16 danger
signs of pinched nerves or a back stretching snoozefest.
*** Financially driven practice may or may not reflect great income,
but it has the financial gain of the doctor at the forefront instead of
the big vision and humanity.
*** Office procedure is a hodgepodge of many different viewpoints, not
a complete system.
*** Practice is stressful and getting less fun by the day.
*** C.A. and D.C. are not even on the same team.
Dr. Joe Flesia always taught us that without engineered communication
strategies and office procedures, patients will always take
the path they know best, that of least resistance. This path of least
resistance is the allopathic, outside-in, low pva, and fix-it mentality.
Have you ever wondered why patients react rudely or even aggressively when
you mention something not on the path of least resistance -- like
wellness? This is where you cave in, don't talk about what patients need
(wellness), all for financial remuneration.
When you do this, it's not because you want to. It's because you feel
you have to or else they will go somewhere else. This is not a position of
strength. Patients feel your lack of belief in chiropractic, yourself and
your office. They start negotiating with you about everything: fees,
recommendations, etc. They rarely refer because they are not proud of
chiropractic, you or your office. The question you must ask yourself is,
why would you surround yourself with people who really don't want to be
there?
Leadership always has its attendant risks. Some patients may not want
to play by your house rules. You must have the courage and belief in
yourself to allow those patients to find an office that can satisfy their
needs. Another patient or two will "magically" appear to take
their place in your office.
These patients are glad to be at your office and also want all of their
friends and family to participate. How many times have you had a patient
who discontinued care at your office, only to return at a later date with
a new attitude of "you were right, this IS a serious problem and I am
committed to correcting it as much as possible." Count me in!
This is why it's so important to not have an attachment to what people
will or won't do. Getting mad at patients or chastising them will assure
you of only one thing: they'll never return to your office. As Dr. Joe
Flesia always taught us, there are some who will and some who won't. It's
as simple as that. Having the big vision to know what's needed and the
courage to take a stand is the only way to go!
(A complete system of practice based on science and philosophy working
on the doctor from the inside-out, The New Renaissance is the next
generation of office procedure, chiropractic mindset for success, and
patient education for today's chiropractor. The new Mentor IV Practice
Development Program takes 24 years of the pioneering experience of
Renaissance procedures and combines it with the practical daily activities
of doctors in the field. To learn more about The New Renaissance, contact
Dr. Kevin Pallis at 781/255-7080, Dr. Ed Plentz at 517/592-8208, or The
New Renaissance world headquarters, 800/525-3879.)
