How To Build a Practice That Doesn’t Depend on New Patients

How To Build a Practice That Doesn’t Depend on New Patients- A webinar hosted by Dr. Miles Bodzin.

ChiroCorrect was fortunate enough to sit in on a top notch webinar 2 weeks ago hosted by Dr. Miles Bodzin, a DC from the San Diego area. Dr. Bodzin has operated a wellness practice for close to 9 years now. All who attended got to see firsthand his travel cards on patients that were anywhere from 700 to 900 visits strong.  What a truly successful wellness clinic and a truly successful, passionate chiropractor!

It was an honor to sit under his teaching and have him firm up, in my mind, ideas that I have placed at the fore front of my consulting business as being enormously successful business strategies.   

The main theme of the call was building a practice that truly doesn’t need to depend upon new patients. This concept seems so foreign to some, but to the REALLY successful DC’s, they totally get it! Why? Because new patients create up and down collections. You can never project 3 months out or further because it all depends on who walks in the door. Patient retention is the #1 factor to increase collections. With patient retention, collections go up, collections stay up and new patient dependence goes down. Dr. Bodzin is actually at the point in his clinic that he will choose to go a whole week without seeing anyone new just so he can focus on the existing patients that he has. What a concept! Wouldn’t you love to be in that spot? You can be if you’re willing to refocus and put these 7 principles into practice.

1.  Have a STRONG PHILOSOPHY!  Do you love what you do? Does it show? Do your patients know what you believe and get onboard with the wellness lifestyle or are you simply a “get out of pain” doctor? This is where the line is drawn.
2. Get your TEAM ON BOARD with you.  Train them constantly, get them excited about the vision of the clinic, and reward them for a job well done. Cut dead weight NOW!
3. Master your Visit 1 and 2 talks. Master your close. The bare bones of chiropractic is the treatment plan. You must do this well every single time!
4. Recommend long term care. Help them to understand that this can be a way of life, not just a back pain fix.
5. Offer affordable payment options.  When recommending anything over 10 visits, be sure to offer payment plans that help the patient reach the goal set before them. Have a few options.
6. Stop reminding people of paying! It‘s a proven fact, the frequency of the conscious purchasing decision influences your retention. The more frequent a patient thinks about paying for care, the lower the retention. (I have seen this with my own eyes! They won’t stick around! I’ve worked for BIG guys and small guys…the #1 distinction is always this one point. The BIG guys have working payment plans, the small guys have patients pay as they go. BIG small guy mistake!)  The more often you remind people they are paying, the more often they will leave. The leading cause of dropped patients is payment each time in the office. It doesn’t matter how great your education is, the wallet will always prevail, especially if they are out of pain.
7. Transition the patient to wellness care. If you have #1 solidly in place, this won’t be hard to do. Chiropractors who present their philosophy well have patients that follow them for years. They know that the doctor is representing themselves truthfully, they trust his /her care, and they feel the love the DC gives to his calling that in turn trickles down to the patient.

Let’s transition back to #6. Dr. Bodzin has invented this nifty piece of software called Cash Practice. Now if you know me, you know that I think ChiroTouch software is just about the best thing since sliced bread. Cash Practice falls into a close 2^nd.  It virtually eliminates #6! How amazing is that!  It’s something you should all check out for yourselves and see if it could be a working solution for your clinic. You can go to https://www.facebook.com/CashPractice?sk=app_4949752878 and watch the video.  You can also get a live demo at www.Cashpractice.com. If you are lucky enough to own Chirotouch software you can call Cash Practice and have them show you how it will interface with your CT program. Amazing stuff! This is the future of time saving, patient retention, audit proofing, going green chiropractic!

Are you ready to stop relying so heavily on new patients? Do yourself a favor, post these 7 steps on your wall and review them until you have them down. You WILL see your clinic take off like you’ve never dreamed. I have seen it first hand, the BIG guys, they know this stuff, and they’ve got it down. The little guys wish they did.

As always, ChiroCorrect is here to help you. We are in the business of helping DC’s reach their goals. We don’t work for ChiroTouch or CashPractice. We’ve just been around long enough that we know a good thing when we see one! www.ChiroCorrect.com

(All material quoted above is paraphrased and modest opinions added on to Dr. Bodzin’s webinar)

Billing Specialist

Spring is upon us and business is booming! We've had the opportunity to attend some FANTASTIC conferences in the past 2 months. Let's finish blogging about what I look for in a billing assistant position before we move on to all the other exciting topics we've learned about this Spring.

I like a biller who really cares about the clinics success as a whole, someone who is invested in their office. They tend to take their job very seriously and will collect your money as if it was their own...this can be very hard to find!

A biller needs to be confident in what they do and not afraid to push for answers or solutions to billing questions or denials. 80% of appeals are paid on the first attempt!

Most important quality in the billing department is the ability to prioritize! Let's face it, there are some claims/denials that just take precedence over the others! But ALL must be able to be dealt with in a timely manner. The best way I've found to prioritize is to make categories that each claim/case falls into. You can do this with file folders or with a multi-tiered desk organizer. Put all those little piles on your desk into each category;

A FEW MINUTES: this is for small things, a quick phone call back, a small fax, make a copy, etc.
ONE HOUR: reverify benefits, argue a claim, checking status, calling on PI cases.
TWO HOURS: major claim disputes, appeal process, printing out patient statements and mailing.
LOTS OF TIME: pulling no-paid claims reports, all patient reports, updating balances.

I take these 4 categories and make a space for them on my calendar each week or every other for my LOTS OF TIME spot. This insures that each category gets the proper amount of attention that it deserves, and the stacks on my desk get smaller and more organized. No more misplaced papers!

Reward your staff! If they are doing a great job I can not emphasize this enough! Your biller especially knows what kind of money your clinic takes in. They have their finger on the pulse. If she has just closed a huge PI case or insurance appeal for you, DO SOMETHING for her! It will develop that #1 quality I touched on in my first requirement. If your staff needs a little push, set some weekly/monthly goals and make a BIG deal of it when they hit them. Bring the FIRE back into your practice and always acknowledge a winning staff.

If you need help in these areas, please contact me. I am always available for questions and to help launch your practice to the next level! kara@chirocorrect.com

Excellent advice from a webinar we attended last week; have confidence in your care plans! Present your care plans without hesitation. Make sure your price points are at a level where you feel comfortable asking for the amount of the plan. This not only guarantees you success but it gives the patient assurance and comfort. Need help in this area? email kara@chirocorrect.com

Take A Cold Hard Look at Your Staff- The CA

The CA is there to make your job easier. 
Some of you just stumbled over that sentence.

When I am looking for good quality CA's, I look for two distinct capabilities:

• The ability to multi-task
• The ability to leave their baggage at the door (i.e. don't take your drama to work) 

Let's expand on the first point as the second should be fairly obvious. 

A great CA in my opinion, has the ability to get each patient where they need to go in a timely fashion with as little chaos as possible. Whether it's from traction to an open adjustment bay, from exam room to muscle stim, to check out, it must be done as efficiently as possible to shave valuable seconds off the doc's time. Especially in offices that average 60+ patients a day. Continually practice this in your office, be exact on what you want the flow to look like and what best suits your patient volume size. Once you have a system in place, you will quickly add valuable time and less confusion to your daily schedule. 

One of my favorite details to train CA's on is "chatting with a purpose". To me, this in an invaluable quality. It is the ability to always be looking for ways into your daily patient interactions to promote, educate or seek a referral for chiropractic. It is an outstanding key to continually remind the patient the importance of sticking to their care plan. It is an excellent way to talk about family care and the importance of starting chiro care at a young age.

Example-

CA: Hi Ms. Smith! Nice to see you today. How is your family? 

Ms. Smith: Oh Joey's out of school again with another ear infection. I haven't been able to get out much.

CA: I'm sorry to hear that. Did you know ear infections can be treated relatively quickly by chiropractic adjustments? It's an excellent drug free approach to care. We would love to get him set up for an appointment  and get him feeling better. I'll let Doc know so he can tell you all about the benefits for children with ear infections. 

*added bonus if the CA can hand the patient a brochure about ear infections and treatment. 

Qualities like these are what equal outstanding CA's. Not only will your patients enjoy them, they will help grow your practice and cause you LESS STRESS!

Do you need help in this area and not sure where to start? Contact me today and we can help you train stellar CA's! visit www.chirocorrect.com or email Kara @Chirocorrect.com

We won't tell you how to practice, but our ideas linked with your goals WILL grow your practice in every way!

2011 Goal #1- Take A Cold Hard Look at Your Staff! The Receptionist

Well, it may not be pretty folks BUT it has to be done! It's time to take a fresh look at your staff. One of the best ways to begin this task each year is to evaluate your goals for the new year;

• where do you want your practice to go
• what type of feel do you want it to have
• how do you plan on getting there

Start asking your self those questions and get a good grip on your answers. Really track where you are heading this year....and then sit down and evaluate your staff. Let's start by department shall we?

First impressions first...Your front desk-
Think about how you want to be greeted and welcomed when you walk into a Dr's office. Isn't it nice when the receptionist greets  you with a smile, already knows your name and is prepared with all the paperwork you are required to fill out. I think inviting, pleasant, knowledgeable and helpful. I already feel relaxed about the experience and any traces of apprehension I felt about my appointment tends to dissipate.
Counter this with a receptionist that doesn't greet you when you walk in, stays on the phone for minutes after you walk through the door not even bothering to look up and acknowledge your presence. When she finally does, it is with disdain that she is being forced to once again place a few pieces of paper onto a clip board and hand them to you as she huffs out a sigh of "I'm so busy today" attitude.
We've all been greeted by both types haven't we?  Which one sits at your front desk?

I go even farther when hiring for a front desk position as I believe this spot can really make or break a practice. Here are some of the keys I push for:

1. Not just a sunny disposition but also one who can leave their problems at the door when they step into the office. 
2. The ability to learn most patient's names and make them feel comfortable and accepted.
3. A non-confrontational style but firm enough to feel comfortable collecting copays and unpaid debts.     (I'm very opposed to the "No problem, we'll catch you next time!" attitude. It's a "cross your fingers" approach to ever seeing that money!)
4. Excitement for the Chiropractic field and an interest in learning about it that pours over to the patient as they sit in your waiting room (seem like a lot to ask? I don't think so!)
5. Looks for an opportunity to ask for referrals

The patient always comes first....ALWAYS. Not the phone call or the computer report; the patient standing right in your office. That patient represents not only insurance reimbursement but most importantly referrals. They have friends, family and coworkers they see everyday that they could potentially be sharing their amazing story about the Chiropractor down the street with.....or the really unpleasant receptionist who finished her personal call while they stood there....it's your choice! Remember the old adage, " You only get one shot to make a first impression."

Join me next week as I blog about, " Take A Cold Hard Look at Your Staff! The CA." As usual I have plenty to say on this position! Please contact us at Kara@ChiroCorrect.com or visit us on the web at www.ChiroCorrect.com. Let's make your practice "POP" this year!

ChiroCode Webinars

Be sure to sign up for the ChiroCode Webinars offered on tues and thurs afternoons. They are well worth your time. If you are not available during the times they are set for, be sure to have a knowledgeable staff member watch it and take notes. I have emailed the doctor speaking many times to get personal copies of the information they present. It's really great stuff and there is so much to learn this year in the Chiropractic field! Be sure to stay on top of the game!