What a nice way to help bring reading into the lives of your patients.  Consider a lending library, I did for about 30 years and we had to do it by hand with a rolodex file with return dates and names of the book and lender. 

How easy today with computer programs to keep track of the books, and what a wonderful way to introduce many new books on Health, Motivation, Leadership, Mind Body, Business and a host of other topics that you may elect. 

One note of caution, read the book first before you put it in your lending library just to be certain that the book is consistent with your views and that you can converse easily with your patient who asks about it. 

Charles Tremendous Jones said:  “You’re the same person today that you were yesterday except for two things—the people you meet and the books you read.”  Open up a new world for some of your patients and they will be eternally grateful for your influence and leadership.

Many individuals were not only frightened, but scared out of the stock market near the end of 2008. You may recall the market diving and the Bush administration implementing policies including TARP which - while it had its detractors - many believe the program saved our economic system from additional consequences.

Clearly some benefited who should not have, while others - including Lehman Brothers - went "belly up" or were devastated. 

Over the past four years, market values have gradually increased although turmoil and uncertainty within the financial  system continues worldwide. There have been periods of high volatility as markets react to politicians posturing and maneuvering, before addressing  debt ceilings and the financial stability of some member countries within the EU.

During these periods, it's particularly interesting to watch and read as the savvy mega rich (including Warren Buffett) often increase their positions in equities as the market declines and as the average investor sells.

While most people naturally become apprehensive during turbulent periods, others see opportunity in companies whose stock prices have declined in spite of good management and adopt an outlook for long-term growth.  

As you ponder your future, even if retirement is many years off, this is a great time to look at your current portfolio and investments, discarding those that may not now meet your goals or expectations and replace them with ones that have a better potential for the future.

Periodically reviewing and rebalancing your investment portfolio is important - including holding or increasing positions in good companies and selling those that are no longer positioned for success. 

Happy days!

As we get ready for the new year, be prepared for quite a few patients who will have new insurance cards and possibly new plans.

For years now, I have used a form that I made up which the front desk uses when there is a new patient or new insurance card.  When they call to verify coverage, they ask a few more questions while they have an actual HUMAN on the other line.

Here are the specifics:

• Chiropractic manipulative therapy codes covered
• Evaluation and management codes covered
• Limited visits in a calander year and if so how many
• Is a treatment plan required and, if so, after the first visit or how many
• X-rays and MRI coverage and if they need to be done at the hospital or in our facility and is a pre-authorization needed
• Therapies covered in terms of Ultra-sound/EMS etc...
• Deductable and how much
• Verify that we are considered a specialists in terms of co-pays and in or out of network

With these questions asnwered, there will be no surprises to the patient and they will understand their financial responsibilities prior to treatment. A lot of times, these cards will look the same and have similiar plans but I like to verify anyway.

Happy Holidays to ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

The ongoing interview we had with Dr. Z opened up a series of situations that new doctors often experience but never fully expect ... even though all of the educational institutions expose their students to them in one form or another.

For instance, NCMIC returns yearly to every campus with our Starting into Practice seminars that give students tools and ideas they will need for future marketing. For example, we speak about the necessity of getting to know your community.

Here, Dr Z explains in his own words how he plans to increase his exposure to his community now that he's had several months to "get acquainted" with his town. These are all principles taught in the Starting into Practice workshop.

"I now realize that exposure within the community is vital. I know it will be necessary for me to become involved with a local community organization that I will enjoy so that people will get to know the real me. I plan to frequent more business establishments, such as restaurants and retail stores to make myself more visible. While visiting, I want to make an effort to get to know the owners and employees. If I encounter individuals who have not yet visited the office, I will offer a tour to familiarize and educate them in chiropractic. I hope to approach this situation from the aspect of, "I've seen your place of business, why don't you come and visit mine."

Dr Z is catching on to the point of needing to be "seen" in his community and understands that it's not just about being seen; it's about creating trust. People refer people to doctors they trust.

Do you have any ideas that others might be able to use concerning "getting acquainted" with your community?

I wonder if there was a need for a doctor of chiropractic, would your name be the one that comes to the top of the mind of the residents in your community?

Everyone knows that the hospital emergency room is open 24/7.  The care may, at times, be impersonal and sometimes the wait is long, but the ER is always open and that is a comfort when the need arises. 

Being available just makes good business sense and increasingly the availability of doctors during “off hours” is progressively becoming more prevalent. If you want your current patients and potential patients to have some comfort during those times when the office is not normally open but your patients have an emergency, be certain to communicate that message to them. 

Be certain your staff is on board with this policy so there are no conflicting messages when patients ask about your availability policy.  You will be surprised how little it is abused but how meaningful it is just knowing you will be there if needed.

By this point in the conversation, it was clear Dr. Z had some awakenings upon actually beginning to practice, so I asked him what advice he would give to a graduating class.  What would he tell them to be aware of before starting to practice?

First he would want to tell the new graduates to have a full understanding of their basic needs for starting a practice.  Dr. Z felt that if he had not become an associate and started up a practice on his own instead, he would have overlooked small details, while focusing on getting patients in the door.

"Once the patients were there, I would have recognized the fact that I lacked specific items necessary for proper treatment and case management.  I'm sure that would have caused me to lose patients."

Next, Dr. Z stressed the need for a basic understanding of business operations.  "I have seen in my short time here that I would not have been successful if I had attempted to start my own practice."  Dr. Z said he would encourage anyone who is planning on starting up on their own to take advantage of as many business resources as time would allow.  Resources like www.startingintopractice.com and www.score.org are great free resources to help with the business side of practice.

Finally, make sure you have the adjustive skills to properly treat the wide variety of patients who will walk through the door.  Along with that, Dr. Z said networking within the healthcare community is important so proper referals can be made if a patient has a problem outside the scope of chiropractic. Networking both before graduation and after landing in your community is important to develop those referal contacts. 

"At the end of the day, it's about the patient.  By having a strong connection with the healthcare community, I can make sure my patients get the appropriate care they need."