Give Your Office a ‘Tonic’

Many chiropractors recommend nutritional products to their patients to help them stay healthy and sustain the energy level necessary for today’s fast-paced lifestyles. Do you ever wonder if there’s a “tonic” to keep your practice energized?

When you recommend a nutritional supplement to a patient, it’s likely that you tell the patient to take the supplement on a daily basis to keep a certain level of the ingredient in the body at all times for best results. Chances are, you offer the same type of advice to a patient who is beginning chiropractic care. One adjustment does not correct the spine any more than one supplement can continue to nourish the body.

Likewise, the secret to keeping your practice energized is to make a conscious effort to spark that energy each and every day. One of the best ways to stay focused is to have a daily reminder of your life’s work. You can do this by remembering the three “Ps”: Purpose, Promise and Perception.

Do you have a purpose statement? If your answer is “no,” then by all means, create one now. Every chiropractor should have a purpose statement. In fact, it’s even better if you have several purpose statements, one for every aspect of your practice. These include: the purpose of chiropractic, the purpose of your patient care, your purpose as a team manager, and the purpose of your business. Along with each purpose should be your promise. Not only do you need a purpose, you also need to have a promise as to how you will carry out your purpose.

Here are some examples:

• Chiropractic Purpose – The purpose of chiropractic care is to improve health by removing nerve interference, thereby allowing the body’s systems to function more effectively and efficiently. Spinal realignment simply helps the body’s ability to heal itself.
• Chiropractic Promise – As a chiropractor, I promise not to take the credit for my patients’ results. I will simply do everything in my power to realign my patients’ spines so their bodies can regain the ability to heal themselves.
• Patient Care Purpose – To improve the health and well-being of my patients, their families and the community through chiropractic adjustments, education, and a continual commitment to excellence of care and service.
• Patient Care Promise – I promise to do everything in my power to help my patients attain a healthy lifestyle. I will do this by giving my patients the most effective care possible, in the least amount of time, and keep the cost for service at a reasonable level. I will respect my patients’ judgement and will assist my patients in their quest for health.
• Chiropractic Team Leader Purpose – To create a positive, confident and caring team of professionals. To empower this team to make a difference through diligence of responsibility, and loving care to our patients.
• Chiropractic Team Leader Promise – I promise to respect, encourage and support my team in growth in their position and commitment to excellence.
• Chiropractic Business Purpose – To create a financially sound, ethical and growth-oriented practice.
• Chiropractic Business Promise – I promise to respect my profession and place value on my care, knowing that I must charge and collect for my services. I will not allow any outside force to destroy my belief in my profession or change the philosophy of my intentions.

Once you develop a purpose and a promise for every aspect of your business, it is important that you read these statements on a daily basis. They also should be read during every team meeting when each aspect of your practice is addressed.

You should be proud enough of your motives and intentions to let your patients know what your purposes and promises are. You can even frame and display these promises and purposes in different areas of your office, including treatment rooms. This is where perception comes in. When new patients or returning patients read your purpose and promise statements, what will their perception be of you and your practice? It’s likely they will have even more respect for you, because you are in a helping profession, you are an ethical business leader, a caring team leader, and you are moral and caring.

If you continually remind yourself of your purposes and promises, you and your staff will begin to feel the effects of this practice “tonic” sooner than you think.