May 2006

A dog in a tree

by Dr. Ben Lerner

One thing's for sure, if you find a dog in a tree, the dog didn't climb up into it. Dogs can't and don't climb trees. If a dog's in a tree, somebody put it there.

Practice is the same way. There's only so far you can go. After that, someone or some force greater then yourself has got to place you there.

Of the many challenges chiropractors face, I feel the greatest is that there's more of a focus on what we do and how we do it than who we are. Who you are, what you stand for, and what you're becoming in life is of far greater importance than your technology, college, and billing procedures. If what you stand for doesn't change, changing your technique, coaching program, coding isn't going to change much about your results.

In fact, in any profession, changing how you do business rather then changing yourself in an effort to do more business is usually replete with some serious moral and ethical implications. For example, in chiropractic you start performing more services and raising fees instead of becoming a more effective doctor or helping more people.

When it comes to practice growth, you can really see a doctor's intent by looking at the numbers of people he or she sees.

***  0‑150 patient visits a week is typically a practice with a symptom‑based model and/or a problem‑focused practice.

***  150‑250 patient visits a week is typically a practice that's still problem‑focused, but opening up the patient's mind to the idea of family and wellness care.

***  300‑500 patient visits a week is typically a practice with well‑executed, consistent procedure and a stronger commitment to family care. The word "commitment "can mean "in place." In other words, this is a more professional level practice where, as a code of conduct and procedure, families are checked and wellness plans are in place.

***  600+ patient visits a week is the "Dog‑in‑a‑Tree" practice. You can't just put yourself here.

Communication is no longer local, but global. It's no longer about you, your patients and their families. It's about community, world, and serving your fellow beings and God. You can't get yourself here. Talent and hard work  alone won't do it and those who try are miserable. You need an inspired team, patients who have moved from patients to committed volunteers of the "movement."

High‑volume practitioners in the 500+ range tend to get a whole lot of grief from low volume and/or struggling chiropractors who don't understand the dynamics going on at that level. By your commitment to grow as a person and continually stand for something greater then yourself, you not only see practice success beyond what others consider "normal," you evolve as a human being.

You'll be happier and more successful while others stand by wondering and even complaining about how that dog got in that tree.

(Dr. Ben Lerner and Dr. Greg Loman are co-founders of Teach the World About chiropractic, part of the Maximized Living Companies. Their book, "One Minute Wellness," was the first book about chiropractic to make it to the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal best sellers lists.)