Creating a Family Practice by: Joel E. Margolies, D.C. Purpose: Maintaining Integrity and Health of the Family Power of the Adjustment __Increase Health Potential _____Decrease Aberrant Neurological Behavior Evaluate .. Eliminate .. Manage the Subluxation Complex Cradle to Grave __Extend your knowledge and skill beyond your immediate patient ___Offer your services to their extended family Chiropractic Today for a Better World Tomorrow Consider the variety of patients you adjust each day From infant to those in their twilight years Questions From Patients: Truck driver thinks that: chiropractic helps with pain relief only Ä Why do you take care of children who have no back pain? Ä Why take care of a young mother with no accident history? __We know more about the wonders of LIFE __Our role is Maintaining Health and Wellness __We are obligated to share it with others Answer: Ä Young mother wishes to maintain health and stability within her home Ä Young father has to be assured of his ability to maintain a livelihood Ä Young son and daughter will better sustain the rigors of youth with a proper nerve supply by maintaining structural and spinal integrity Ä Child within the womb has a far better chance of jump starting life Is There No Better Purpose Statement For Chiropractic Chiropractic Today for a Better World Tomorrow ï Is Your Office User Friendly? „Think Differently¾ Macintosh Marketing Slogan No Comments .. No Definitions Unique person on display Macintosh computers = a user friendly operating system Want a Family Practice? .. You and they must also think differently __Awareness .. Review Your Educational Material: Questions: _ Do you actively provide a handout concerning family care? _ When did you and your staff read and discuss them? _ Do you have wall posters with an emphasis on children and family? _ Is there a reception area set aside for coloring books and safe toys? _ Do you have Chiropractic coloring books with fun learning tools? _ Is there a dedicated wall of Polaroid pictures of each child you adjust? _ Is your CA amiable with children .. are you? Be Sure Your Office Is Family User Friendly __Action Steps: Begin by Gathering Data Ä „Our Patient Speaks¾ loose leaf testimonial books (have a release signed) _ Parent express how it has affected their children and family unit Ä Take a Polaroid picture of the family .. parent(s) and children _ Instant credibility .. picture along with story _ Create a special wall poster of children and family pictures Ä Copy of child¼s polaroid next to chiropractic table or wall chart _ Shown to friends extending chiropractic well beyond your office Ä Place Family and Child care booklets in reception area __Educate Towards Understanding: __Patients will begin questioning you about their family __The probably no idea of the benefits of family care __Never realized your office was user friendly __Use a digital camera an place these pictures on your office webpage __Create educational and theme oriented handouts twice a month Titles such as: „The Healthy Family¾ „Who will benefit the most with chiropractic care¾ „When should chiropractic care begin?¾ „Children and Chiropractic¾ „Chiropractic today for a better world Tomorrow¾ __Set aside a Children¼s Evaluation Day each month __Create a yearly Family Appreciation Day __Seasonal holiday programs emphasize and encourage family care __Survey your patients for interest in workshops concerning the family __Accommodate the young parents with lunch workshops __Provide alternatives to behavioral medical misconceptions .. ADD __For recent documentation on various issues: check my webpage under Sickness and Disease: http://www.mindspring.com/~chirosmart ___Look Through a Child¼s Eye: __Review the office as if you were a young child __How is your adjusting room .. scary for a youngster? __Does it permeate with medical gadgets and scary devices? __Do you have a light force technic to get them started? What I Do With The Activator: __ Often I have my young patients assist with the adjustment __ They may press the pedal that lowers and raises the table __ Have them hold the Activator and give it to me with each adjustment __ I may „zap¾ them occasionally with the noise setting only __ Using my hands I attempt to be very gentle not force the adjustment __ „Let¼s see if we can find some popcorn¾ for an osseous adjustment Parents have more anxiety: Parent often tell their child to relax or say „it won¼t hurt¾ Children have no reason to fear unless provoked or concerned Clue the parent on to what you will do and how they should act Some pediatric dentists have a large STOP sign displayed between their treatment and reception areas. No parents allowed beyond this point Lifecycle of the Family: Ä Typical life cycle of a family offers many opportunities for chiropractic Ä Get the message of chiropractic to your patients as soon as possible Ä Share with your patients the structural stress and aging process Ä Review the normal life cycle from birth to death __The birth process .. weight distortion of the head and neck __Formation of the secondary spinal curves __Infant and toddler growth with the typical bumps and falls __Structural perils of youth and sports irritation to structure __Teen age peer pressure and poor adaptation of familial history __Injuries due to work, sports, overworked muscles __Poor nutritional habits and psychological stress __Multiple traumatic auto collisions __Over medicated for chronic ailments .. arthritis __Aging non gracefully aging .. anxiety of aging Subluxations .. Structural interference with neurological stress Ä We have a huge role in assisting these transitional periods Ä Adaptation is key to survival Ä Subtle changes are often all that is necessary. Ä Focus your discussions on these transitional lifecycle periods Ä Create on going workshops concerning them Pediatric Chiropractic is not an option Jumpstart a healthy life from the start Teenage Chiropractic is not an option Teenage chiropractic to avoid the pitfalls of permanent spinal imbalance Adult Chiropractic is not an option Adult chiropractic care to help adapt to every nuance of physical, emotional, chemical and neurological stress Geriatric Chiropractic is not an option Golden age care allows a person to live with dignity .. mobile and agile I am sure you wish no less for your parents This is all dependent on introducing chiropractic care as early as possible and making it available to every patient and their entire family. Consultation and Report of Findings: __Plant seeds of family wellness during the consultation and report __Case history should question family relationship to their health __Discuss tendency to inherit structural weakness and postural patterns __Explore the lifecycle from birth to golden years __Focus on structural irritation from infant to teenager .. prevention __Request they consider bringing their family in for an evaluation __Create affordable family fees? Express your concern from the heart and the words will pour out with love External Marketing For A Family Practice: Know your marketing target __Boost your morning practice with young mothers and their children Where do we find them? __The energetic amongst them may be packing the gyms and health spas __Mother¼s Morning Out programs __Home caring for the children as they await the rest of the day Contact local venues .. church and spas are the beginning __Determine if they have special programs for parents and children __Send educational material about your specialized workshops __Join in with local health fair and postural screenings __Explain the conservative benefits of a scoliosis screenings __Meet the local school PTA or school board __Create 30-45 minute Family Health and Wellness workshops Start with Mother¼s Morning Out and Daycare Centers Parents may be willing to stay if they knew in advance __Prepare educational handouts for parents leaving and picking up kids __Create bagel classes one or two mornings a month Workshops within your office for parents and senior citizens __Invite other professionals to participate in your workshops Expanding patient interest and creating healthy alliances __Offer programs in the local library and to local school classrooms __Sponsor a Family Community Health Awareness Day __Create an art competition concerning Health Comes From Within __Meet with the students explaining the chiropractic role in health Students take home material about chiropractic and evaluation offer Your Purpose: __There is a reason you chose chiropractic as your career __There is no higher goal than to share this with others __Share this purpose with your patients and they in ____ turn will share it with their family and friends. Create the atmosphere and they will come Immediate Action Steps: __Focus and Review what material you have __Is there an existing referral program in the office __Is there a dedicated staff person reviewing weekly referrals __Do you have specific handouts or booklets for family/children __Are the referral cards available for staff and doctor __Does your CA have her own office card with comp exams __Family and Child of Month posters __Contact pregnancy groups to discuss spinal health during and after __Assist teenage patients with their science projects __Participate with church Aging Gracefully classes Final Thought: Do no less to your patients family as you would for yours 2