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Issue 2 - January 2003 Success Profile: Trekking into the future For Dr. Nate Coffin, life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. Or, at the very least, a 5K run. And while he may never ride in the Tour de France, practice-wise he’s a tour de force. Professionally speaking, he would like to reflect that thought, peddling his advantages like champion riders pedaling their Avantis. His eyes are focused further down the road. He’s not concerned with split times or mileposts, or even when he finishes; he’s in it for the long haul. And he’s been in it for the long haul since the seventh grade. What he needed, he found out recently, was a better pair of running shoes, so to speak. It was way back as a junior high school student that the bulb above Coffin’s head was first lit. Queried by a teacher as to what he might like to do when he grew up, he said he wanted to be a chiropractor. A chiropractic patient himself, Coffin had what he described as a passion for fitness and wellness. He was already a devout participant in physical fitness and religiously watched what he ate. It seemed a natural fit. “It just kind of fell out of my mouth,” Coffin says of his early pronouncement of his lifetime plan. “The goal from that day forward was crystal clear.” He stuck with the goal and has ever since. He is now in his fifteenth year of practice, tenth at the helm of Active Life Chiropractic, a $215,000-per-year one-man band in Redlands, CA (east of Los Angeles). That figure was his projected gross billing for 2002, as of mid-December. It represents a $90,000 – or 70-percent – growth over 2001, his previous best year. The reason: Those spiffy new running shoes, in the form of implementation of new technology. Coffin said the boost in revenue is a direct result of incorporating technology – three different types of scanning systems – into his practice. – “Integrating these systems has allowed me to offer services lacking in my community, and thus the presentation markets itself,” he says. The systems he uses are the Insight Subluxation Station from the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance (CLA), the FasScan system from Foot Levelers and Biotonix Posture Rehab. Since what he terms the “technology integration,” his practice sees as many as 50 percent more patients per week over the last three years. He has succeeded by keeping it simple, maintaining low overhead, running primarily a cash business and practicing what he preaches. He refers to patient education as “Job No. 1” and capitalizes on a dense population (more than 350,000 people within a 10-minute drive of his office). He credits his success to being a mostly (80 percent or more) cash practice, which leads to gross collection rates of nearly 100 percent. The high cash percentage is a product of pre-pay programs, accepting only insurance that “we know we can be adequately reimbursed from,” and no liens or worker’s compensation claims. In other words, Coffin couldn’t keep it much simpler. His practice takes up a miniscule 800 square feet of office space and he employs one part-time helper. Other than that it’s just him and the patients, who number between 150 and 170 per week. He practices what he preaches “I think that’s huge,” he said. “It’s like that old story with cardiac patients. A guy is running on the treadmill taking a stress test and the guy giving the test is 340 pounds himself. Or the guy telling his patient to quit smoking when he himself smokes. What good is telling them something if I contradict myself? I think people respect whatever information I’m going to give them because of my lifestyle. It gives me more credibility.” Included in his lifestyle is a love for competitive running. Coffin takes a daily run at 4:30 in the morning. He trains for 5-kilometer races and has advanced competitor status as a runner. His top time of 17:45 (that’s a very impressive 5-minute, 40-second mile average, sports fans) would make him a top performer among high school cross country runners. “It’s just like brushing my teeth,” Coffin says of his morning run. “It’s always been a part of me.” He also bikes, sails and surfs and enjoys gardening, reading and eating out. The latter isn’t always easy, as he follows a strict nutritional regimen as well. This makes cooking for him a challenge for wife Kim, though he says he isn’t “that gung-ho that I don’t eat regular food. I’m not that hard-core or uptight.” Health and wellness are things his parents instilled in him as a youngster. They encouraged him to supplement his diet with vitamins, to exercise regularly and to avoid bad foods. They also took him to a chiropractor at a very young age. All are habits he has kept throughout his life. That includes seeing a chiropractor, which Coffin says he does weekly. He doesn’t hesitate to share that knowledge with patients, nor does he have a problem telling them his doctor’s name. “A lot of times I’ll come back and give the best adjustments,” he says. “I joke about it. I say, ‘I’m fresh off the table. This is going to be a good adjustment.’ Not that it isn’t always.” “We use simple visuals along with the Insight Millennium Subluxation Station to teach people that chiropractic is first and foremost about the nervous system,” he said. “When they see scans of their nervous system, they are better capable of grasping the big idea that they would function better without nerve system tension from subluxations.” Coffin says patients in turn share the scans with friends and relatives, creating a chain reaction of new patients who follow their curiosity. “Re-scanning and re-exams are paramount to creating retention as is having a perfected protocol of procedures and recommendations,” he says. While his goal early on was clear, his vision wasn’t. Starting out, he found the so-called real world to be a lot less inviting than he imagined. “When we’re kids, you don’t know what the real world is all about,” he says. “Then you get there and it’s a little shocking. Now I have a clearer understanding about the chiropractic principles.” Technology: the tool for growth Again, technology has played a part in his new patient growth. He sees between 25 and 35 new patients per month. This compared to ranges in the single digits and low teens prior to his office being teched-out. Technology has also helped pep up Coffin’s ancillary business. A year after learning about the necessity of orthotic support at a seminar, Coffin began using the FasScan system with every new patient as part of his or her initial examination. The ensuing computerized report summarizes the need for orthotic support. As a result, his orthotics business has increased. Coffin estimates that by sometime in early 2003, up to 75 percent of his new patients will commit to orthotic purchases as a result of the technological presentation. “Last month I realized a $1,200 profit just from orthotic sales,” he says. “As a result of more satisfied patient results, compliance and retention have increased.” He believes chiropractic is not far from gaining what he calls “its rightful place in a real healthcare system.” “We must all communicate to the public that we work with the nervous system,” he says. “To do this properly we must have technology to measure nervous system function. Understanding subluxations and their damaging impact on people of all ages is paramount to chiropractic remaining unique and separate from any other profession which claims to be involved in health care. Make the commitment and take chiropractic to the mountaintop.” Life balance is important His family life indeed is as important as his professional life. He and Kim have two children (Patrick, 3 and Sarah, 9 months) and he likes to spend plenty of time with them on the beach or at a park. Not easy to do if he were in his office 45 or 50 hours a week. A 1987 graduate of the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and 2001 graduate of the Total Solution/CLA, Coffin serves on the International Board of Governors for the World Chiropractic Alliance. He sees patients for just 24 hours a week. “The time I’m here makes it easy to be that way,” he says. “I see more people in a shorter amount of time. That creates energy.” That’s a much-needed asset for someone who wants to cover great distances without “bonking.” And rest assured, Coffin isn’t planning on hitting the wall any time soon. In fact, he has just hit his stride and plans on maintaining his runner’s high for the foreseeable future – and beyond. “I have no aspirations of retiring early,” he says. “If I continue doing this the way I am now I could do it until I’m 70 or 75. I love practicing.” Small marketing investment nets big results Dr. Nate Coffin spends about one percent of his annual collections on marketing and advertising. He likes to keep most of his efforts in-house. He says the better part of his 25 to 35 new patients each month is the product of referrals. This does not mean, however, he doesn’t get out and spread the word. He jumps at opportunities to speak in front of people and will “talk to any group or organization which will allow me to speak,” he says. He holds what he calls an “open house talk” for new patients, their friends and families. He also occasionally does screenings using the Insight Millennium Subluxation Station, saying that, “screenings are what built my practice.” He does the bulk of his screenings at a local event known as “Market Night.” Each week, businesses in the Redlands, CA area have what amounts to a business street fair. Several thousand local denizens flock to the streets each Thursday night to see what area merchants have to offer. Coffin screens prospective patients. If even one becomes a patient, he recoups his investment, a mere $30 to participate in each Market Night. The rest of his $1,500 to $2,000 marketing budget goes for quarterly newsletters and in-office promotions. “The best marketing by far is the marketing that puts you in direct contact with people: screenings, wellness talks, talks on children’s issues etc.” he says. Vital Stats Active Life Chiropractic Team players Christina Kotsos, Office manager Office Hours Gross Billing / collections Marketing Strategies/ Budget External Internal Budget New Patients |
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