..we’re sneaking away to do some planning…

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Like elves going to our workshop, we are off to our New Year’s planning meeting…somewhere up in the Far North (Wisconsin)…looking at what new “presents” we have in store for all of our great fans and wonderful clients for 2011…reviewing what’s working and what is new that will deliver the most benefit to the chiropractic teams we serve…and what trends we see for the new year.

Be the first to hear about what we have planned at our teleseminar on Tuesday, December 28, 12:30 C.T. Contact us for the phone number if you want to attend.

Timely Filing of Insurance Claims

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We recently received an inquiry regarding the timely filing of insurance claims and where the responsibility of a denied claim lies.  As many offices may be faced with this similar situation, we would like to share this helpful information with you.  Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Situation/Question presented:
Situation is we have a patient who was seen two times in our office for a PI $395.  Our policy is to bill the auto med pay portion of the patient’s auto policy. So we billed their auto insurance.  Two months later his wife asked us to bill their health insurance,  so we did .  Months later the bill still was not paid by either insurance  so we resubmitted to the health and it was denied for timely filing saying they did not receive our initial billing.  So before billing the patient I called the auto insurance to see if we could seek payment from them. I was at that point informed they settled with the patient like 8 months ago. they would not tell me the amount but did confirm they had all our claims on file.  I then put together a letter to the patient along with a bill for the full amount.  The patient recently called me disputing this bill saying that in the state of WI  there is a law about collateral source of which states she is allowed to collect from both ins companies and that because of that she is not responsible for the bill.  She said their health insurance  told her because we did not send the bill in time that she is not responsible for it.  She basically is refusing to pay and is threatening us hearing from her attorney if we pursue her.

The way I see it is even if there is a collateral source it doesn’t have anything to do with us. She tried to collect from both parties and it didn’t work out so now she is mad she isn’t profiting from her injuries if she ends up paying us.  As far as her health telling her she isn’t resp. because we didn’t send it in on time. I don’t think they can say that. Isn’t she still responsible no matter what? I have two different lien forms signed by the patient.  I don’t believe we are doing anything that an attorney would even bat an eye at.  We are talking about two visits totaling $395, is it worth it???
I’m just confused on how to move forward with this and wanted to get a second opinion  on this matter before I do so.

Frustrating Billing Clerk
Sample Chiropractic Clinic

Dave’s Response
You are correct. The patient is personally responsible for the bill. Her auto medpay was primary and should have been billed first (which you did). You should have received a denial from them (not sure why you did not, but you can request one) and that should have been forwarded to the health insurance  for any “timely filing” concern.

I have attached an article on disputing the health insurance timely filing claim.  Article
Her attorney (if he or she is ethical) will tell her the same thing, that she is responsible for the bill for services rendered.
So you can do a few things here: rebill to health insurance (disputing the timely filing denial) and balance bill the patient for her portion (deduct/copay/coinsurance) or just send the patient to collections.

I would try the nice approach first and rebill to the health insurance . Make sure you document your collection efforts because I’m sure she will dispute the collection agency.
Thanks, Dave

Dr. Munson Named Wisconsin Chiropractor of the Year – 2010

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Dr. Wendy Varish and Dr. Cindy Munson

We are proud to announce that Dr. Cindy Munson has been selected Chiropractor of the Year for the State of Wisconsin!

Each year the Wisconsin Chiropractic Association (W.C.A.) reviews candidates who have contributed the most to their communities, to their profession, and to their patients.

Dr. Wendy Varish, president of the W.C.A., stated that “Dr. Munson was selected from other candidates as she excelled in all areas of clinical practice, patient care, and community leadership. She has run an extremely successful wellness practice in Plymouth for the past 16 years.”

Dr. Munson works actively on community projects and also has a leadership role in many local activities including professional organizations, her church and local charities.  She has inspired and assisted several young people in pursuing a career as a chiropractor.  One is Dr. Kristi Wick who is currently practicing in West Bend.  Dr. Wick said “Her commitment to the Chiropractic profession is unparalleled. She is an ambassador for health, wellness, and fitness in every aspect of her life. Her commitment to educating patients is evident if you spend even one minute in her office. She is on a mission to help one person at a time by ensuring that they understand the potential they have for overall health.”

When asked about her feelings about receiving the prestigious award, Munson stated, “It is such an honor to be chosen among all the fantastic Chiropractors in the state. It is a true privilege to come to work each day to serve my patients. I am blessed to have a fabulous staff and wonderful family supporting me. Together we will continue to strive to make Plymouth a healthier place!”

Dr. Cindy and her staff

Part of her secret is that she has brought together and created a truly outstanding team of dedicated professional staff that work as “irresistible force” for chiropractic care in their community.

We really couldn’t be prouder.

Congratulations Team Munson and Chiropractic.

Ed

Dr. Munson’s web site: Link

Office Facebook Fan Page: Link (Become a fan!)

Parker Seminar in Jan with Ms. Phyllis Frase

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We wanted to let you know that Ms. Phyllis Frase will be speaking at Parker Seminars 60th Anniversary event in Las Vegas, NV.

January 13-15, 2011

Parker Seminars is the largest and most long lasting seminar program for the chiropractic profession. The early registration discount is a month away and Phyllis wanted to be sure we reminded everyone. It is a great program and we encourage everyone to attend if you can make it. Great for the staff too.

(From Parker)

Join thousands of members from the chiropractic community for an unforgettable three days of education, networking, and an exposition featuring the best in chiropractic technology.

Spread the word that Parker Seminars’ 60th anniversary series lets you:

  • Learn critical practice-building techniques.
  • Strengthen your chiropractic foundation.
  • Create a more effective, efficient office.
  • Earn valuable continuing education credits.
  • Learn from world-renowned speakers and leading experts.
  • Maximize your potential and start living your best life!
  • Be one of the first to preview and order The Well Adjusted Soul,one of this  year’s most exciting practice expansion tools. (Featuring an article, “Can You Hear Me Now?” by our very own, Dr. Tom Potisk.)

Come share the excitement and let us welcome you to our neighborhood!

Advanced registration available through December 13!

Register today! Visit www.parkerseminars.com or call 888.727.5338.

“Parker Seminars, “One voice for Chiropractic”

Patient Compliance in a Chiropractic Office

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The success of your chiropractic practice is directly related to the level of patient control you and your staff have with your patients.

No matter if you are the best healer this side 1895, or if your office is perfectly modern and your team is the friendliest in town, you will fail in business if you are weak on control.

Once your patients agree to their treatment plan, can you get them to comply? If you can’t, they won’t really get or stay healthy and neither will your practice.

You have to be friendly and have good communication, of course. But you also have to be a coach. A good coach, if you have had one, is just a bit and demanding. They are this way because they care. They care about winning and they care about their players.

If you care about your patients “winning” back their health, and staying healthy, then you have to be willing to be assertive about them sticking to their schedule of care.

And if you aren’t being insistent with your patients, we know that the pharmaceutical companies certainly are with their constant commercials and medical prescribers.

Who do you want to win that contest with your patient?

Health Never Takes A Holiday!

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Holidays

Holidays are a time when chiropractic patients can find many reasons not to keep to their schedules. To help you and them stick to their health program, you can pre-schedule them for the entire month of December.

We have made a couple of posters centered around:

Health Never Takes a Holiday

You can find links to these below.

When talking to your patients about their schedules, be understanding and empathetic. Hear their story. Then, be bold about your interest and concern that they maintain their care schedule through the holidays – and get them scheduled until next year.

And it is OK to use bribes.. Spicy warm apple cider gives off a very cozy smell and tastes great.. and is healthy, and free screenings/exams for patient’s holiday guests.

Links to posters:

Poster for Nov/Dec
Poster for any holiday

Edmund Fitzgerald

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November 11, 2010
Whitefish Bay, WI

35 years ago, this morning, the news was coming over the radio that the night before the ship called the Edmund Fitzgerald sank, taking all 29 crewmen with her.

It had departed from Superior, Wisconsin and got caught in a violent storm.  She sank in Lake Superior, just 17 miles from the safety of Whitefish Bay, Michigan.

A few months later Gordon Lightfoot wrote a song in commemorating the sinking.

“…When supper time came the old cook came on deck
Saying fellows it’s too rough to feed ya
At 7PM a main hatchway caved in
He said fellas it’s been good to know ya.

“The Captain wired in he had water coming in
And the good ship and crew was in peril
And later that night when his lights went out of sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.”  (Gordon Lightfoot)

It is a fine song that gives tribute to the death of 29 men: sons, husbands and fathers.  Kind of a sad song, really, and a little ghostly.

But living here in the Midwest around these Great Lakes, I think there is a positive meaning we can take from this anniversary.

Sailors are tough people. The saying once was: “Men of iron, ships of wood.” They are courageous and self reliant. They risk the security of the land and take their lives in their own hands on a floating platform that moves over an unpredictable surface which can kill them at any time.   They only have themselves to count on whether they arrive at their destination or even stay alive.  They confront the elements face to face and there is no tolerance for excuses or mistakes.  The result of negligence is not an angry boss but the cold rocky grave of the water below.

While many stay sheltered in their shops along a harbor, sailors seek opportunities and set sail. They have goals and rely on their skill and initiative to arrive at their destinations.

Sometimes they may configure the ship incorrectly, plot a bad course, or out of nowhere, get hit by rogue waves.  And they may die. But at least they died seeking their goals.

This is a lesson of the Edmund Fitzgerald, at least for me.  Those 29 men knew the risks they were taking but were braving the storms and the security of the harbor to arrive at distant ports.

This week I visited a veteran doctor at his office whose numbers over the last few years have been crashing. He had recently gone through a bankruptcy and was now moping around his office feeling depressed and complaining about insurance cut backs, joblessness, and other woes.

We all have been in comparable situations of one type or another before. Maybe we made a wrong turn somewhere and tripped and fell and then held ourselves back out of fear. But the solution is not to restrain ourselves but to get back out and risk it all again.

As entrepreneurs and those of us in the chiropractic profession, I suggest we honor those sailors who have perished on this anniversary, and do so by getting out of whatever harbor we may find ourselves in and set sail.

A New Year is coming.  Where are YOU going to sail in this New Year? We suggest that you set some high and distant goals and start plotting your course now.

Consider this quote from Mark Twain:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.  (Mark Twain)

Safe travels and best regards.

Nice video with the song by Gordon Lightfoot: “Edmund Fitzgerald”LINK

Internet Marketing for Chiropractic Offices

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What a great teleseminar we just completed about Internet Marketing.

I wanted to provide a short summary and a few follow ups for those who joined us as well as for those who weren’t able to.

Face To Face Networking – now more valued than ever. As we live increasingly in a virtual world of “friends” and emails and ordering products and services from our computers, meeting and connecting in person with real live people is rarer and therefore more valued. Get out of the box and meet people!

Virtual Networking – We discussed Facebook and creating a fan page. Here is a link provided by Dr. Jamie Phillips on how to do this. (link) There are many ways to add content, or information, to your Facebook page including automatic feeds.  Dr. Phillips gives one example, using Google Alerts,  listed below.  But automated content or ads about upcoming events do not take the place of “newsy” and interesting articles about you and your office. A fast note about a patient success, something new about the office, a favorite recipe of one of your patients,  a notice from Sister Hilda (a patient) who is inviting one and all to the fish fry at Saint Paul’s this Friday – these are topics your patients are interested in.  Keep it local.

The Internet Is About Search. It replaces the phone book, the dictionary, and the encyclopedia. There are many people who are in pain and sick of drugs and corporate medicine and surgery. They are looking for you. Dr. Phillips went over how to best get these people to find you with local search.

Web Site. We also discussed some simple ideas for your web site and what to do if you already have one.

Other Topics Included: The importance of Social Proof, Reputation Management, use of the new bar code on you printed materials and signs, and the coming necessity of mobile web sites were other subjects we spent some time on.

Chiropractic Internet Marketing Assistant. You need one of these!   Delegate a team member to put 2 hours in per week, or more, dedicated to working on your internet presence.

We did record this teleseminar and it will be available at no charge for our active clients on our Members site in about a week. Non members who listened to the talk will receive a CD within the next several weeks.  The CD can be purchased for $65 – all proceeds will be donated to Oklahaven Children’s Chiropractic Center.

Internet Marketing CD Order Form

Links.
The links below are to PDF documents. For customizable WORD docs, active clients can find these on our Members Site (www.pmamembers.com) under Advertising.

Videos

More info on Jamie Phillips internet marketing. Link

Healthy Hiking In Outdoors Wisconsin

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Tom-and-wife

Chiropractor Dr Tom Potisk and wife Susan

12 Steps to the Top

Success, whether it be in business, relationships, or even hiking can be a challenge. It’s a lot easier when you know the formula to succeed.

Join the PM&A team for a fun and motivational outing at Devil’s Lake State Park on Saturday, October 23from 11 till 3 PM. The state park is located near Baraboo, Wisconsin.

This event is free for PM&A members, their families and staff. Non-members are welcome for a fee of $10.00. Food will be provided courtesy of PM&A.

Itinerary:

11:00 – meet in the parking lot. Food and drink will be served.

11:40 – warm up with martial arts taught by Ed Petty.

12:00 – begin hike to top of bluff/scenic overlook. The motivational program “12 Steps To The Top” will be presented along the route by Dr Tom Potisk, author of Reclaim the Joy of Practice – An Advanced Guide for Advancing Doctors

3:00 – end of event.

Members of the Bad to the Bone Chiropractic Motorcycle Riders group will be traveling as a group from Milwaukee.  Contact Ed Petty for details –Ed@pmaworks.com.

For food planning reasons you must RSVP. Contact Dr Tom Potisk –tpotisk@aol.com. Further details will be forthcoming following your registration.

Always Room For One More

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This is a great motto to instill in your front desk.

It can help counteract any feelings that the book is too full or that there isn’t enough time to process another new patient or patient visit.

The “we are packed” mentality, or “too busy”, or “tomorrow would be better” are concepts that can subtly slip into the mind of well meaning staff and doctors.

Other considerations include: “too much paperwork to do”, “have to get home for my kid’s soccer game”, “we are already behind”, etc.

Even if these ideas are based upon valid situations, they can gradually train the mind to think in terms of exclusion. The front desk can go from a “Green Light” to “Yellow Light”, or “Slow Down.”  Caution!

This is more common than you may think. It affects the quantity of your visits and the quality of your service. Patients can tell if you are eager to see them, or not.

You want your front desk to be a green light, sending out the message that everyone should come in and that no one is excluded.

So, use the motto: “There is always room for one more.”

Speaking of, even though our seminar is just a few days away, there is always room for one more.

If you are not registered yet, we still have room for you. Give us a call or send an email… we can still get you in.

Hope to see you here!
Ed, Dave, Phyllis and the PM&A Team

Medicare, Chiropractic, and Computer Generated Notes

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Is Your Office Looking Into Computer-Generated SOAP Notes? Read This FIRST before you invest your cash!

Thinking that your documentation could use an upgrade? You are probably right, but before you invest in a software generated note system, know that Medicare frowns on most such programs and they could actually hurt you in an audit.

As we have been saying for years, there is no good shortcut out there for doing documentation. You have to follow Medicare’s guidelines and just because your software generates a half page typed SOAP, you may still be missing the mark.

According to ChiroCode Institutes recent alert:

Medicare carrier Noridian Administrative Services recently updated and reprinted a notice on Chiropractic Software-Generated Documentation. Apparently, the piece was generated because Noridian has seen an increase in the use of software-generated documentation for chiropractic services.  Here are a few key areas where software can begin to go wrong (according to Noridian):

– In general, most computerized documentation fails to provide individualized information necessary for reimbursement.

– Software-generated documentation is commonly identical to the letter, comma and space for different patients, with only minor word changes; therefore, it does not reflect medical necessity.  Services supported by repetitive entries lacking encounter specific information will be denied.

– Software-generated documentation often repeats the same phrases and sentences by simply rearranging the words to make it appear as if new information is being disseminated, but when compared to prior days notes, reflects the same or similar concepts.

You can read the whole article here: https://www.noridianmedicare.com/provider/updates/docs/chiropractic_software.pdf%3f. The article contains some humorous (at least to me) examples of  how the software, while randomizing text, generates almost identical SOAPs for different patients on different days.

Getting a Medicare CERT audit? Don’t send in your records without calling us first. See our website for more information on our exclusive Medicare Pre-Audit Documentation Review. LINK

Celebrate Your Successes

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We are off to another Boston Seminar….

Preparing for these seminars takes work. But it is rewarding in so many ways, one of which is that we get to review how you all have been doing and what has been working.

Like you, I am sure, we can get so caught up in the day to day that we don’t often take the time to step back and look at our handiwork.

I know this happens to most doctors and staff. So busy with patients and office work that it becomes too easy to overlook the tremendous successes you help bring about through chiropractic care.

Chiropractic produces unappreciated miracles by the thousands daily.  Some big ones, but many small ones that add up to big ones.

In our own way, I think all of us who are part of the PM&A Team feel we help produce a few of these miracles too.

Getting ready for these seminars gives us a chance to reflect on the great work you are doing. And there is no question: you all are doing amazing.   Some offices are being “remodeled” with new staff or systems and some are trying to keep up with their growth.  But in each case, we see hard working professionals who love their patients and work under stress with a smile to give the best care possible.

If you can’t make it to our Boston seminar, try our meet-up in Chicago on Saturday, October 16th. You won’t find more passion, or practical nuts and bolts content for growing your practice. And, as always, all of our stuff is from the field. We don’t cook it up in our offices on the stage. This is your material really.  It’s what is working and we get the chance to simply remind you, often by putting it into a different context.

Chiropractic works.  And it truly is amazing when you can step back and see it. Review your testimonials and collect more of them. The stories are there.

Sound management and effective marketing procedures also work when they are diligently applied.   We have many doctors that, even after years of being in practice, have been recently hitting their Best Evers. (Yea!)

So keep the faith. We are all students in this school of life and Chiropractic. Keep learning and loving and helping — what could be a better calling?

Fall Marketing Ideas

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Fall is in the air….. and it’s time to get that fall marketing calendar filled with activities.  To get the ball rolling, we have put together a few topics and suggestions to make your events fun and effective.

For our PMA members, we have more information about each topic, including ready made posters, handouts, and descriptions. For more information, please go to our PM&A Members site here , log in, and go the section called New Stuff on the top navigation bar.  You will find the article called Fall Marketing Ideas.

September:

  • National Backpack Awareness Day – Sept 19
  • Woman’s Health Week – Last week of September
  • Neuropathy (or Headache,etc. ) Awareness Week  (Pick a week to promote a free screeing exam for a specific condition.)
  • Crazee Dayz (For example, Thirsty Thursdays — offer a different type of drink each Thursday. Have patients make suggestions: organ apple juice in Sept, Egg nog in December, etc.)

October:

  • National Spinal Health Month (now called National Chiropractic Month).  Make a banner and use this as a motivation to have patients bring in their family for a free spinal fitness screening.
  • National Chiropractic Month. Use this as a reason to sponsor: Chiropractic Opportunity Week:  The doctor is having a “COW”
  • Hair Dresser/Beauty Salons/Spas – provide massages, screenings, and lectures.
  • Local Health Fairs at businesses.
  • Kid’s Halloween Party

November:

  • Thanksgiving Turkey Drawing Poster
  • Donation Drives
  • Deer Widows Week
  • Girl’s Night Out

December:

  • Holiday Coupons – Gift Certificates
  • Poinsettia Give Away
  • Saturday with Santa
  • Appreciation to External Referral Sources

Chiropractors – If You Get a Medicare Audit, Do You Know What to Do Next?

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Are You Prepared?

If You Get a Medicare Audit,
Do You Know What to Do Next?

If you haven’t already heard, CMS Medicare has launched a massive audit project aimed at chiropractic offices around the country. Executive Order #13520 “Reducing Improper Payments and Eliminating Waste in Federal Programs” has unleashed a random attack of chiropractors aimed at recovering an estimated $174,100,000 in over payments.

Medicare has hired two companies to start auditing chiropractors. There is no way to know if you will get a request for an audit, but I can tell you this from being on the road: very, very few clinics will pass a Medicare audit based on the documentation that I have seen.

That’s not to say you aren’t providing proper, necessary care. Far from that. The Medicare documentation requirements for the physician’s signature alone are three pages long.

So What Should You Do?

PM&A is prepared to help you. We have had 25 years of experience with Medicare audits and appeals. If you get a request for an audit, DON’T freak out. Do this instead:

  • Do not ignore it! You have 30 days to respond.
  • Do not let your staff photocopy and send the records out blindly!
  • Call our office immediately and request our special MPDR Program: MEDICARE PRE-AUDIT DOCUMENTATION REVIEW

We will come to your office & go through any requested records with a fine-tooth comb to assist you in ensuring that you have complete documentation for all services rendered, that each date of service is properly documented, that all PART forms are complete, and that active care modifiers have been properly used.

We will go over each entry in the chart with the treating doctor to ensure that every requirement of Medicare documentation is met for the service you rendered. If addendums need to be made, we’ll ensure that the addendums meet or exceed Medicare requirements.

We will also draft a follow up and Medicare Compliance Plan for your office for any areas that need to be corrected so that you can avoid potentially devastating pre-payment future audits or fraud charges.

We have successful fought AND WON on numerous Medicare audits. No other chiropractic management company can say that. A bad Medicare audit can cost well over $100,000 and thousands of staff hours – and more importantly, hurts your patients and their right to chiropractic coverage.

====================

Medicare Audit Emergency Response Number:     920.459.8500


The MPDR is available to chiropractors in WI, MN, IL, IN, & ND only. This is an emergency response program and slots will be limited to PM&A clients first, then first come. Do NOT send records without calling us first.

The MPDR program covers up to two full days (20 hours) in your office, plus limited follow up. The cost is $4,800 prepaid. PM&A management clients can receive a 20% discount if they are active and current members.

Call for terms and conditions for this service. 920.459.8500

Health Care Reform Poster

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TRUE HEALTHCARE REFORM

Patients regular utilization of
chiropractors as primary care physicians reduces the need for:

Hospitalization by 60.2%
Hospital days by 59%
Pharmaceutical usage by 85%
Outpatient surgeries and procedures by 62%
Overall global health care cost by 50%

This according to a clinical and cost utilization study conducted by an independent physician association done over a 7 year
period and that included doctors of all licenses. J.M.P.T. Vol30, Issue 4, pages 263-269, by Dr. Richard Sarnat, M.D.

For a printable copy of this statement click here: True Healthcare Reform Poster

Facebook Marketing Tips

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Facebook  is one of the fastest growing social networking medias on the internet.  It’s free and it’s fun.

If you dont’ have a Facebook page for your clinic it’s time to get one.  If you do have one, that is great!  Find us and friend us at  Petty, Michel & Associates Facebook Page.

Whether your a veteran or a novice to facebooking you can now use the helpful tips, compiled by Dana, to help spread the word about chiropractic and bring more people to your office.

Read Dana’s Tips at: Facebook Marketing Tips

Internet Marketing That Works

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A web site is nice, but can it really generate new patients for you?

The answer is yes! And over the years, depending on the doctor’s internet marketing efforts, we have seen more new patients calling the office because of something they read on the Internet.

You probably have a web site. It could be a templated one you subscribe to or your own customized site.

But having a site is the easy part – it’s what you do with it that counts.  It is not like a phone book ad that you redesign every 12 months and then get conned into buying a larger ad by the phone book rep.

We have been studying internet marketing for many years now. It is a science and an art unto itself, with new approaches and technologies evolving monthly.  But there is also an awful lot of hype. Every company has a different pitch about how their web site is better. There are new gurus being born every week. Then, at a family barbeque, your 14 year old geeky nephew says he can throw up a web site for you over his lunch as part of a school project.  So, what do you do?

Because of all these things, your web site may just sit there.  Maybe it catches something now and then like a fishing lure, but more likely, it is mostly ignored and has floated to the river’s edge doing nothing.

We have a solution to this.

We will be sending more info about this soon. But the short version is that someone in your office should be able to work on your Internet marketing every week. Like any marketing, it only works if it is done.

We will be introducing the Chiropractic Internet Marketing Assistant Checklist and Support Program soon. Believe me – the Basic Level will be so easy even a Caveman, or Cavewoman, can do it.  (No offense intended!)

The internet is becoming more of a marketing medium for your office – and can be effectively used for generating new patients and keeping the ones you have.

The bottom line? 1-3 new patients for a few hours spent each month working on Internet marketing. Not a bad return.

Make sure you listen to our guest on this Tuesdays’ live teleclass this Tuesday, June 29th, at 12:30 Central time.

Dr. Jamie Phillips, having just given a presentation to the California Chiropractic Association, will be talking about practical steps you and your staff can immediately implement to get more new patients from the Internet.

We have known Dr. Jamie for many years and are impressed with her knowledge, savvy, service, and results. She loves marketing and chiropractic, and is effectively applying these passions to the internet.
More info on Dr. Jamie. LINK
As usual, there is no charge to our clients. The access number and phone number will be posted on your Members site and we will also send you a special reminder email.  If you are not an active client, you can register here: LINK.

Looking forward to many more new patients .. and returning active patients.

5 New Marketing Projects

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We have been working on some new marketing projects and are now ready to tell you about them.

They are hot, effective, and don’t cost an arm and a leg. You can do them and if you do, you will see more new patients.

They are not totally a secret, so I am going to tell you what they are. But first, I want you to know why we are doing so.

We’ve often been asked why we do what we do: Why do we consult and coach chiropractors. Why not dentists or MDs, or why consult at all? Why this line of work? Particularly since we are not chiropractors.

Well, first of all, we have consulted dentists, MDs, podiatrists, even attorneys and are not averse to doing so. We have done well with them, in fact.

Not being chiropractors gives us a distinct advantage. We are not biased to a particular technique, or so in love with our own procedures and with what worked with our patients that we can’t help another doctor work out what is uniquely best for her or him.

But the thing is, we really share the philosophy and mission of chiropractic – and the Attitude as well.

Chiropractors help people get well without the use of drugs. They promote a healthy lifestyle. Now, it should be no news to you reading this that this has always gone against Big Money.  The Big Money is in disease care.

We truly feel that chiropractors are the Health Rangers and Health Champions in a world dominated by gold digging corporations that manipulate public opinion to eat badly – and buy more and more drugs.

Chiropractic, by its very nature, opposes this and has for over a 100 years.

But reviling disease care peddlers can only provide you with a short term self righteous ego boost.  The real solution is not to loudly ridicule drug companies and the MD monopolies, or their bed partner, the health insurer. (But it may make you feel better, so go ahead! In fact, give ’em hell.)

The real solution is to tell your story.

Communicate loudly and continuously the benefits of chiropractic as the FIRST solution people should seek for their HEALTH.

We have seen and know the benefits of chiropractic and the chiropractic lifestyle and have seen the alternatives: sick, brainwashed people fed drugs and receiving “procedures” at great expense to our economy.

So that’s why we do this. It is a personal thing.

Now, to help you tell your story this summer, we have a number of super cool – and effective – programs which we will be presenting over the next few weeks.

1.    Internet Marketing. Having a web site is no longer enough. It is what you DO with it that counts. We have put together action steps that a chiropractic assistant can follow to help get you more new patients from the Internet.  (Special teleclass program with Dr. Jamie Phillips on Tuesday, June 29th. More info soon.)

2.    Community Services. Since the 1980’s, screenings have always been around. We have organized our successful experiences with screenings, and other external events, to show you how to greatly increase your new patients from these events.  This is a fun program.

3.    Energizing Your Marketing and Your Practice. Without giving away the whole program, we have new slant on an old approach to practice marketing that has proven to generate more new patients just with your current programs. The best part: it doesn’t cost a dime!

4.    Innate Marketing Secrets: How To Generate More New Patients Invisibly. This is based on study we have been doing for a while now. It is almost spooky in how it works.  But it does.  Stay tuned.

5.    Practice Management. We will show you a powerful management tool – that the whole staff can use – that increases production and improves performance.  And it is nothing new. You have it already, but for the most part, most offices just don’t use it.

It’s summer time and we want to help you get more people healthier.

Watch for more information on these programs soon.

Last Seminar/Next Seminar

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We just finished our 10 classes in 1 day seminar in Minneapolis – our “10 in 1.”  From what I heard and saw, everyone had a great time. I know we did. And for my money, I think we had some of the best professionals in the country giving presentations – as well as attending!

Dave Michel at 3Goals Seminar in Minneapolis
Dave Michel at 3Goals Seminar in Minneapolis

In addition to great presentations by Phyllis Frase on chiropractic philosophy and procedures for staff, Dave Michel on insurance, and myself on marketing and practice building, we had two guest doctors.

Dr Tom Potisk at 3-goals Seminar in Minneapolis
Dr Tom Potisk at 3-goals Seminar in Minneapolis

One was Dr. Tom Potisk who went over how he maintained a joyful practice for 25 years in a multi-doctor setting with 2 associate doctors.

Dr. Shane Walker at 3-goals Seminar in Minneapolis
Dr. Shane Walker at 3-goals Seminar in Minneapolis

Then, as a special guest, we were pleased to have Dr. Shane Walker who is the president of the Federation of Straight Chiropractors. He lit the room up with passion, statistics, and purpose and reminded everyone about the power of chiropractic, as well as it’s importance in society today.

So, just a reminder:

Our Milwaukee seminar is coming up soon.

Dave, Phyllis, and myself all have new material covering C.A. training, insurance and reimbursement procedures, and marketing and practice building.  Our presentations are all based upon the work we do each week in offices across the country – and what we see working, and not working.

For our Milwaukee seminar, we are especially pleased to have two exceptional doctors giving presentations on Thursday, May 20th.  Both are highly qualified and successful doctors that set great examples for excellence in their practice, business, and life.

We will be sending info out on them soon, but you can find out more here.

Hope to see you all in Milwaukee.

Chiropractic and Earth Day

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It was 40 years ago when Senator Nelson, from Wisconsin, helped start Earth Day.  (It started in March, 1970 with teach-ins at the University of Calif. Davis and San Francisco. I was there!)   Since then, there has been a battle between natural health, and chemicals and toxins.

Chemicals in Our Environment

  • 1972:  DDT, an organochlorine pesticide, was banned
  • 1976:  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) establishes the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA)

62,000 chemicals were grandfathered in as being safe.  Two chemicals have been banned since 1976.

  1. 1978 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)
  2. 1989 Asbestos

There has been no attempt to ban a toxic chemical since 1989.
The amount of chemicals produced or imported by the United States in one day would fill up 623,000 tanker trucks with a capacity of 8,000 gallons each. (Taken from Dr. Dan Murphy who quotes: The Body Toxic How the Hazardous Chemistry of Everyday Things Threatens Our Health and Well-being. By Nena Baker 2008)

Not counting the chemicals Americans take in from hormones, pesticides, herbicides, and other poisons in our fast food, super-sized nation, we pound prescription drugs in to our bodies.

American Prescription Drug Use

  • The average number of prescriptions [drugs] per person, annually, in 1993 was seven.
  • The average number of prescriptions [drugs] per person, annually, in 2000 was eleven.
  • [The average number of prescriptions drugs per person], annually, in 2004 was twelve.

The total number of annual prescriptions [drugs] in the United States now stands at about 3 billion. The cost per year is about $180 billion, headed to and estimated $414 billion by 2011.  (taken from Dr. Dan Murphy who quotes:How Prescription Drugs Are Altering American Lives, Minds, and Bodies Greg Critser 2005)

This is actually old data and the average number by 2010 is probably much higher. I have seen patients walk in with pages of 20 “’scripts”, and heard of even as many as 50. I am sure you have too.

In Our Drinking Water
A vast array of pharmaceutical including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows.  in the course of a five-month inquiry, the AP discovered that drugs have been detected in the drinking water supplies of 24 major metropolitan areas _ from Southern California to Northern New Jersey, from Detroit to Louisville, Ky.   (USAToday)

Our Babies Swim Now In A Soup Of Chemicals.
287 human-made chemicals – most of them hazardous – in the blood of infants

According to a study released by the Environmental Working Group, a policy research and activist organization, tests measuring the so-called “body burden” of industrial chemicals, conducted on ten random samples of umbilical cord blood, detected 287 chemicals.

The samples, supplied by the American Red Cross, registered 180 chemicals known to cause cancer in adults, 217 that are linked to brain and nervous system damage, and 208 that have been shown to affect fetal or child development in animal tests. For 209 of the contaminants, this was the first time researchers had identified the chemicals in newborn blood.                                (Environmental Working Group)

What Should Be Done?
What do the so called health care leaders say about the poisons we feed to our planet, our people, and eventually our unborned children?  Where are the medical doctors or health insurers or pharmaceutical CEO’s speaking out against this. Or, our elected officials?

No one is talking, or if so, their voices are not heard.

And you know why?  Simple: because for the most part, they are not HEALTH Leaders.

And who are the health leaders?

You are! The chiropractor and the chiropractic professional. A healthy populace needs more than just “providers.” Your community needs leadership. The members of your town are bombarded with ads for drugs, for fast food, for industrial corporate food, for the easy “no effort way” to what they want. Add in natural human laziness, and you will find that your patients are getting sicker.

Health is a word which has been hijacked by the drug and insurance companies. But the chiropractor is the true health leader.

Earth Day gives you an easy avenue to extend your reach as a health leader into your community as well.  Well educated patients and community will seek to have a healthy town and a healthy body without the use of chemicals.

Ed

Sample posters. Link

Come celebrate with us on Earth Day by attending our seminar in Minneapolis.

Printable version of this article to give to patients. Chiropractic and Earth Day-for patients