The Big Transition

I promised to update the blog as I venture into private practice, so, here we are again.

This blog has become quite popular.  Last check of the monthly stats showed 2,500 hits per month! I had no idea there was such an interest in chiropractic.  Thanks for reading!

The transition to private practice has been slow and arduous, to say the least.  My patience has been tested again and again, just like the final term at UWS.  I guess all that sitting around wishing and waiting really paid off!  The time these days isn't spent sitting around though.  I am waiting though.

There was a back order on all the doors to my clinic which delayed opening by 3 weeks.  The clinic is done but lacks doors.  You can peer right in from the hallway because my front door is not attached.  It is kind of funny but when reality sits in, I realize how much money and productivity has been lost due to this backorder.  Nothing can be done except wait a little longer.  I have postponed all the major deliveries of big equipment and my apartment continues to stockpile crap, making it quite cramped.  Oh well.

Money aside, I am happy the clinic isn't done yet.  I have been scrambling to get on all the big insurance provider networks in hopes of getting paid later on down the road.  Massage therapists have been interviewed and hired and the fitness pro/rehab provider is all ready to go.  All we need is patients and clients.  Much of my time has been spent planning the grand opening party scheduled for October 20th.  There is plenty to do.

In addition to all this, I have many little marketing ideas going on with local businesses.  My intention is to sell the clinic's services softly by offering clients and patients a glimpse into our world at the clinic.  I don't intend to overstep my sales by pushing my awesome ideology on them, but I do intend to show them what we can do for them.  This takes quite a bit of training for the staff to adhere to and practice the strategy.  Regardless, we have to prove ourselves to the community and head into the proverbial battle and we must have a plan and follow it.

It excites me to think I can finally put the training to use and start helping people.  So many folks can be helped by simply providing guidance through the challenging first few weeks of a fitness plan or helping them regain function of a dysfunctional area of their body.  This might sound funny, but pain and disability affects not only the person afflicted with the issue but those around them.  It renders them useless and quite bothersome to their friends and family.  Restoring function and obtaining freedom from pain and dysfunction and perhaps obtaining a new level of fitness, sets people up for success in all realms of life.  People know this.  Insurance companies know this.

Our clinic will be quite different than the competition and it will push an ethical ideology.  Many of the insurances are moving toward quality improvement these days.  This means, no more long term passive care programs. They want to see active care throughout the patient's program.  Rehab will be the future of chiropractic and the lines between physical therapists and chiropractors will soon be invisible.  The old ways of the past will vanish and the modern practice will be forced to conform or be left in the dust.  We can differ from PT's by thinking about overall health versus simply recovering injuries and dysfunctional joints.

I see this as an opportunity.  We have a chance to be the clinic in town that is cutting edge and pushing forward the most recent evidence in chiropractic and rehab.  Combine this with high quality fitness  training and you are practicing true preventive medicine through active care.  I think about what I would want in a clinic if I was looking for one and my hope is to provide exactly that.

We open our doors in a week and a half!

Cheers,

Dr. Spangler
Trailhead Chiropractic