Issue 16 - December 2004

An extreme office makeover
By John Hickey, DC

When Drs. Eric Valins and Livia Valle of Smithtown, N.Y., wanted to increase the patient volume of their practice, one of the first things they considered changing was their office. When patients entered, they were greeted by an outdated color scheme, poor lighting and narrow hallways laid out in a maze — not an inviting and relaxing facility.

Worse — Valins and Valle found themselves distracted when they gave their reports-of-findings. And sometimes they felt trapped in their own adjusting rooms when patients engaged them in conversations about non-chiropractic issues.

The solution was to remodel. Working with their architect, they set a goal to create a working environment that:

• Made a good first impression on their patients;
• Put the most needed items at their fingertips; and
• Streamlined their daily activities.

Remodeling the 1,200 square foot facility took four weekends and after-hours work. It did not require the practice to shut down.

The remodeling did, however, positively affect the practice. According to the couple, office morale has improved, the conversion ratio is better and average weekly visits have increased from 120 to more than 200 within three months.