Tag Archives: chiro

Monthly Goal Setting for the Chiropractic Team

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Chiropractic Team Goal Setting

At the beginning of each month you want to see that your team sets new TEAM GOALS.  You can also set individual goals privately at a different time, but TEAM goals are most immediate and important.

Each goal setting session always begins with a REVIEW of the past month. This gives the opportunity for the group (or individual in individual goal setting) to explain how they did and how they did it. And it gives you the opportunity to listen and then give some feedback. The feedback could be praise, or otherwise.

After the review, set the goals.   Group goals should be simple, usually just Office Visits and New Patients, though Collections can also be included. IMPORTANT: Let the group set the goals. You should negotiate the goals, but it has to be theirs.  Once these goals are set, ask the group (or individual) how they/we plan to achieve these goals? Get at least 3 action steps.

The last goal should include a “greater purpose” goal or two. This could be a party at your house next Thursday night, Betty, the Front Desk Coordinator will give a book report on one of the books in the Lending Library at next month’s Team Goal Setting meeting, and a check to see who is going to volunteer for working at the food bank next Saturday evening.

Why? You should also spend some time discussing why you have these goals. This takes you back to your MISSION.  Numbers for numbers sake is a soulless and goalless pursuit.

 In sum:

  1. Review last month’s numbers. Were they up or down from the prior month?  Ask.
  2. Then, ask why? Get the team to figure it out. Let it be a brainstorming session if possible.
  3. Let them tell you and you listen and question as needed.
  4. Acknowledge. Praise or show disapproval, as appropriate.
  5. Then ask for action steps to achieve goals.
  6. Then, get a few “greater purpose” goals.
  7. Then, continue with the rest of the staff meeting, such as announcing upcoming events, miscellaneous, etc. Include some discussion about WHY these goals are important.
  8. Do the same for individual team member’s right after the Team Goal Setting, or soon after.

 For more information on how this procedure is done, refer to the webinar called the Fast Flow CEO.

The Chiropractor Versus the Chiropractic CEO

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There is a constant struggle in your office.

It is a battle between you as the doctor and you as the CEO.

As the CEO, you want to grow your business. You want it to be profitable, smooth running, and systematized.  You want it to be efficient and providing excellent service.

As the doctor, you want to focus on each patient and their unique treatment program. You really could care less about administrative concerns as these are usually just distractions to your patient care.

Who wins this war between the doctor and the executive manager?

Unfortunately, in most cases, no one.  Usually, the doctor’s duties blend in with the executive duties and the services get watered down and the growth of the office never reaches its full potential.

Without a doubt, the biggest dilemma in practice management is just this:

How can you be the best doctor you can be
and also run your office?
If you had the time (and perhaps the training, but that too just takes more time!) you could take your business to the next level.  But there just isn’t the time. You are too busy as it is.

This was the theme of Gerber’s book, the E-Myth, wasn’t it?

You know you should “systematize” your office procedures, but that still takes time. And maybe this systematizing stuff hasn’t worked all that well for you.

It comes down to roles: how can you be a compassionate and dedicated doctor while at the same time being the CEO of a growing small business?

This Thursday, October 18, 12:30 pm Central to 1:20, we will show you how –

Learn how you can, in 5 hours or less each month:

*  Drive your business to the next level
*  Improve communication with team members
*  Help each staff member be more goal oriented
*  Help create a stronger team that is more goal oriented
*  Have more fun in practice
*  Achieve more of your clinic goals

As the doctor, you are taught patient management procedures. You need them and patients benefit from them.

But as a business owner, you also need practice management procedures. Done properly done, your business will benefit.

We will show you how to do it in just over 1 hour per week, on average.

You won’t find this anywhere else. (Hype alert.) This is a culmination of our Marketing Manager System (2001), 3 Goals Management System (2008), and three other management systems which we have incorporated into our consulting over the last 25 years.

Because we feel this process is so important for your practice, we are waiving the fee for this webinar.

That’s right, this is one is FREE. It should be three times the usual price but we want to get it out to you now and fast. We want to help you get a head start on 2013.

But you have to register, so go HERE to do so.

Best regards,
Ed

PS This webinar is for doctor owners only and the office manager or administrative/office coordinator.

 

A Few May Promotions for Your Chiropractic Practice

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Mother’s Day is coming up soon (Sunday, May 8th).

This brings up the whole topic of women’s health care.

There are many types of health related events concerning women that you can participate in during this month (or any month, really) that are not only good causes, but can act to spotlight your services.

These include:

  • talks outside of the office
  • workshops in house
  • movie screenings
  • special awareness, or “Appreciation Weeks” for free health screenings
  • sponsor radio programs, interviews
  • letters to the editor
  • gifts (flowers the Friday before Mother’s Day)
  • and tape video “health tips” and post to YouTube.
  • donation drives

The list can go on and on. Some offices have had talks about pregnancy and pre and post natal care, sometimes with a midwife or nurse. One office does very well simply sending out a mailer each year to all local homeowners sponsoring a Women’s Health Care Week, offering free exam, x-ray, and massages.

Special promotions can work but they work much better if they are connected to a legitimate cause. There even is a name for this, and you guessed it, it is called “Cause Marketing.” For it to be effective, however, it has to be sincerely supported by the entire practice team. Doing a special event to support women just to get new patients will appear phony to others and can have negative effects.

One movie that has been shown is the Business of Being Born, a movie about harmful health practices connected to births in America. From its web site:

Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency?

Another example of a movie suitable for screening will be: One More Girl. This is a movie documentary how the pharmaceutical company, Merck, knowling continuted to advertise their drug Gardasil (a drug promoted to help HPV infections) to girls after Merck knew it was dangerous.

From the movie’s web site:

Merck’s marketing techniques earned Gardasil a “pharmaceutical brand of the year” award from Pharmaceutical Executive for its ‘savvy disease education,’ and creating ‘a market out of thin air.”

Even though most HPV infections clear on their own, invasive cervical cancer deaths affect 2.7 women per 100,000, and the American Cancer Society lists cervical cancer as the 12th ranking cancer in the United States, parents lined up to get their daughters protected and doctors were ready with needles in hand.

Consumers are not aware of the trail of deception behind over 21,133 adverse reactions and 94 deaths in previously healthy, athletic, competitive and scholastic adolescent girls.

(Thanks to Dr. Ebner for referring us to this movie!)

The movie producers are seeking donations to produce this film. Perhaps your office could help raise funds!

Another idea would be to have a special week just for mothers and daughters: free health screenings, tea, a spa day with manicure and massage for mothers and daughters, etc.

Our member’s site has a few posters and other ideas available to you as active clients.

Here is a poem by Tina Fey for her daughter. (mild profanity)

Best Wishes for a Merry Month of May!

Ed

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!)

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?

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.

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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

Getting Away – Rule No. 9

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Sometimes you got to get away.

It could be for an hour, fifteen minutes, a week, or more.  To be fully engaged in your chiropractic practice, studies have confirmed, you also have to fully disengage every now and then.

One of my favorite books on this is by Dr. Jim Loehr and Dr. Jack Groppel, The Power of Full Engagement.  Disengaging from work, and engaging in other activities, adds more power and insight when you return to it.

More than 80 years ago, this subject was discussed by B.J. Palmer, known as the Developer of Chiropractic, with insight and character. His advice is completely supported by modern research and is worth reading and applying today.

Rule No. 9 ( PDF version to download.)

(720 words; about a 4 minute read)