July 2009

Do you want to see more families?

by Joe Borio, DC

For years now I've been speaking to clients who ask me how they can see more families. My first piece of advice is, if you want a high-volume, stable, healthy bottom line, low-stress office, there's really no other way to practice. Seeing many children may be a new experience for some of you, but I assure you, it's one worth having (just today a little boy was untying my sneakers as I was adjusting his older brother).

Reggie Gold once told me that the number of children a doctor adjusts is always a great indicator of his or her certainty and purpose. So, for starters, count the number of and take a look at the children you have in your practice a week. Ask yourself are they the only family members who receive care? Did they come in as referrals? Do both parents come in as well? This is a good place to start to determine where your strength is and, better, to identify your weakness.

Family practice 'musts'

I want all of you to have pictures of you adjusting children in and around the office. If you have none, grab a camera next visit with the help of your CA and be sure to start taking pictures. If you have no children, go up to the school or a children's group, or the next family gathering and get a few pictures of you with kids climbing on you as well as some pictures of you adjusting children and babies. Frame them for the wall, put them on a DVD and play them on the TV in your office, make a flyer for the front desk as well as a health handout announcing, "Kids need to be adjusted too!"

After a re-examination, and in a private setting, ask every parent you know about bringing in their children to be checked and for wellness care. Do this only after you have pictures up and a health handout has been circulated for a month or more.

Set up a children's area in the office for kids to play in while they're waiting to get adjusted. Make sure that it's pointed out to new patients during their office tour.

If you have the room, purchase or make a children's adjusting table in the shape of an animal or race car or something fun for the kids to climb on top of for their care.

You want to make it fun and inviting for children to participate in their care so, I'd encourage you to have wall paintings at the eye level of a child, and make "children-friendly" things available including stickers, safe play treats, coloring books and stuffed animals.

Our clients are given health handouts to circulate regularly throughout the office on topics important to children and parents, as well as good information for their website. Put pictures on your site and feature YouTube videos of you adjusting children, and explaining why care is an important part of any child's wellness program.

Be sure to discuss child care on your "Doctor Report" as well as fees. We have a baby model, forceps, and a vacuum extractor in the office always visible to parents to help them understand the damage that occurs during the birth process. I purchased all of these on ebay for a small amount and encourage all of you to do the same.

You'll certainly have to design a family wellness financial plan for all family members to help make care affordable for the entire family. We charge a lesser fee for care as more family members participate with chiropractic care.

Making your office fun, comfortable, and inviting for children is vital if you are to serve more children and families with care.

Having children in my office has been the best part of being a chiropractor over the past 20 years. Many of the children I adjusted years ago are now parents brining their children in and it is a wonderful cycle. Know this, as a parent, there is no greater compliment to you as a doctor or as a human being than having a parent entrust you with his or her child or infant.

You know the number of obese children and children exhibiting diabetes and all manner of sickness and disease today, as well as the number of children taking psychotropic drugs. There's no one better than you as a chiropractor to raise them with a healthy model that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives!

It has been said, with great power comes great responsibility. So, go for it and serve the children of this country who desperately need our help to find their way to wellness.

(Dr. Joe Borio is president of Chiropassion Consulting. For more information about the topics raised in this article and to learn about the company's services, call 866-441-7928, or e-mail drborio@cnymail.com. Visit the Chiropassion website at www.chiropassionconsulting.com.)