Your OWN Longevity Revolution

Anybody in patient care for any length of time comes to realize the importance of his or her own health and fitness. What too few recognize is the phenomenal opportunity their own lifestyle habits can do to build and promote heir practices.

This is some thing I learned about 30 years ago, as a student. A member of the athletic injuries club, and a runner myself I had the opportunity to meet and interact with not only clinic patients, but fitness centers, running stores and fellow athletes.

Early on in my career (3 months) I started to treat the Boston University track and field athletes. Even before I had my own office, the college van would bring the team to the office I was working in on Fridays, after seeing routine patients. Man, did I learn a lot, and meet some phenomenal athletes and coaches. I was also having fun doing so.

Very shortly, I began to see the benefit of just letting people know what I loved to do in my off time that related to health and fitness. Before I knew it, I was invited to speak to area clubs and participate or treat or screen at local events.

In a large way, that’s how I built a big, profitable practice, very quickly. It was fun, required less effort than otherwise may have been the case, and magnetically drew cases I liked, and could help. And I kept many of these activities up for years. Of course its less now as I spend so much more time with my colleagues, clients, not to mention toys travel and vacations.

But, here’s the bottom line. I confidently learned (and now teach members) how to gather a group of new patients, just for the asking!

Now, there are so many more options to use this same strategy. Fitness clubs, dance studios, you name it. The possibilities are endless.

However, one of the simplest, easiest and least time consuming ways to do this is with “table talk”. That dedicated time you share every day with your patients can build an enormous practice, with little stress and strain.

So how do we do this?

First of all, patients need to have accepted you as their authority on health. And nowadays hopefully wellness and longevity. For some patients, this may take a while. Others know you from outside the office and these of course are much easier encounters.

This is where I differ with many other consultants, and never advocate force-feeding of patient education and information. That’s stressful, too often unwanted, and a total waste of your valuable time. Not to even mention, despite all our banter in society today about wellness, some patients really could care less. Harsh words, but very true, more so in some circles than others. Plus, it really leaves a bad taste with too many prospective patients, who now have ended up with tainted views of what we (as DCs especially) actually do. In reality, this group of patients never got the whole story anyway.

Instead, if you are health, wellness and longevity oriented, and especially live that lifestyle, patients and their resulting inquiries for themselves and from family and friends are naturally drawn to you. And these are the patients who really want to learn from you.

So, this is where “table-talk” should begin. To initiate this with less forthcoming but health-oriented people, I commonly will use examples from the media, especially sports. Like Johnny Damon’s migraines and chiropractic. And like some local celebrity athletes too. Remember, these patients want to know about what makes us tick, and keeps us energized and fit are the most rewarding and easiest to help in all of healthcare. Your practice is no different.

Doctor, here’s another really important reality check. Those uninterested patients who fail to accept responsibility for themselves, and especially their own wellbeing will attempt to bring you and you staff down to their level to self justify. Somehow, this personality type is always right. Not to mention these very same people are a often a huge burden on our society and our healthcare system. Again, not politically correct to for me to say, but true. And these are the ones you don’t usually have successful long-term relationships with in your own office anyways.

All of this discourse leads to another powerful admonition not to retain patients who are non-compliant.

But what about the majority of your patients who want your help and guidance on health, longevity and fitness?

My best advice is make it easy for them to learn. Engage them in appropriate table talk about their health, fitness and longevity goals and watch their referrals flow.

Offer freely throughout the office in private areas, complimentary, modern well-written educational media. Make sure your professional colleagues would not be embarrassed to read it in your office either! Avoid unsupported claims, but don’t be afraid to show good empiric evidence based treatment options.

But most especially offer them you.

Complete, unadulterated genuine you.

Do periodic workshops both in and outside the practice, as we show you how, only on your own terms. Just don’t invite or attempt to educate those who could care less. You will drive yourself and your team nuts if you do.

But doctor, just be careful what you give away. Any extended discussions, rehab or nutritional consultations should be paid for by the patient. This is he only way to ensure the patient gets lasting value.

And as a result of all of these steps working as a system, you build a phenomenal practice, and get paid like a doctor.