Appreciating the Layers
By Kathleen Casbarro ICD-10 changeover represents a multi-level issue for practice owners What makes the ICD-10 changeover so challenging? “You just have to know your onions,” said Carmen, waving a wooden spoon. Ben snatched a mushroom from a prep bowl. It was always fun to visit his wife’s pizzeria, even when he was worrying about his chiropractic practice. “I don’t usually envy you,” he said, “but just for the moment I wish onions were all I had to worry about.” “See,” Carmen continued, spreading onions over the sauce and cheese on a pizza with a practiced hand, “not everyone likes onions sliced and on the pizza, but everyone wants them in the sauce, where they don’t even notice them. Tomatoes, cheese, sausage — that’s the stuff people think is key to a pizza, but the onions are really essential. Without onions carefully chosen, chopped, and simmered in the sauce, you won’t have the flavor.” “Down-home philosophy based on pizza,” Ben laughed. “Just what I need today.” “I know this whole changeover in the insurance reporting is bothering you a lot.” “True. Payments from insurance companies are a very large part of the profit at the clinic. If I don’t make the changeover correctly, I could lose out in a very big way.” “So the codes are like onions,” said Carmen. “It’s not something everybody knows about and notices, but it’s very important. When someone says you know your onions, it means you’re really knowledgeable and experienced, not just on the surface.” “I’m not sure they’re really talking about pizza.” “Come with me on this,” Carmen laughed, pushing the pizza into the big oven. “The codes are changing, and you would like that to be a small thing, something your office staff can take care of, but it’s really important, the way onions are important. Just because your clients don’t notice it doesn’t mean it’s a small thing. It’s worth an investment of time and money if that’s what it takes.” “I think it will take time and money,” Ben admitted. “The ICD-9 set has 14,567 codes, while new ICD-10 has 69,832 codes.” Carmen turned away from her workstation to stare at her husband. “Did you make those numbers up?” “No,” said Ben, “I have them stored right here on my phone.” He showed her the note. “I’m not sure why I’m saving these numbers, but I guess they seem to explain the reason this is such a big deal. It’s not just about changing a few numbers. Things for which we’ve been using just one code will now need to be divided up into a lot of different codes depending on lots of new criteria, including which side of the body is involved and how the patient got the injury — there’s a special code for turtle bites, and I am not making that up.” Carmen cupped Ben’s face with her hands, leaving his cheeks dusted with flour. “You’re a great chiropractor and you can do this. I’m just saying, accept that it’s a big deal. It’s complicated, it’s urgent, and it requires an investment.” She suddenly sniffed the air, whirled, and pulled the pizza out of the oven. “See,” Ben said, “you caught that just at the right moment — because you know your onions when it comes to pizza.” He hoped his knowledge of chiropractic would be enough to bring his practice through the reporting changes successfully. Sometimes it seemed as though the business side of the practice was overwhelming. What makes the ICD-10 changeover so challenging? Go to our ICD-10 page to see everything we have on ICD-10 diagnosis codes.
6 Steps to Performing Ultimate Teacher Appreciation Days, and Helping More Teachers in Your Community!
Chris Burfield Is A Top Notch Chiropractic Marketer Who Has Helped Hundreds Of Chiropractors Get More New Patients Through Teacher Appreciation Days! “We made over $20,000 doing just a few teacher appreciation programs. It’s the easiest thing we’ve ever done.” – Dr. Jeremy “I am taking the next two weeks off because my schedule is already SOOOO FULL…” – Dr. Tim Many chiropractors have approached their local schools and tried to set up special events for the teachers, few have succeeded. Until now! Mr. Chris Burfield has the answer. Burfield says there are 6 major steps to performing the Ultimate Teacher Appreciation Day. Here they are in order: Step #1: Gather the necessary materials. First you will need food (since you are going to cater the teachers lunch), and a massage chair (a fold up chair will work just fine). You will also need stress surveys, a clip board, pens, your appointment book, business cards, a map with directions to your office, new patient intake forms, and patient education handouts. Also, you might want to bring information about what they should expect on their first visit. This helps to prepare them, as well as, cut down on missed appointments (some people have anxiety about visiting chiropractic offices). Step #2: Arrive 30-45 minutes early. This allows you to get the schedule of who will be getting trigger point therapy that day. (You will drop the schedule off in advance so that teachers can schedule their trigger point therapy, in 10 min increments.) You will need to arrive early so that you can set up your area. Step #3: Meet and greet. Always, always, always greet each teacher with a smile and a firm hand shake. Don’t forget to make good eye contact. Confidence is always a factor. Never let them see you sweat. Just be laid-back, cool, and professional. Have the teachers fill out a stress survey, and then go over it with them. Ask them questions like, “How long have you had these symptoms?”, “How often do you have them?”, “What does it feel like?”, and “Are you doing anything about it?” Once they tell you all about it, follow up with something like this, “Hmmm. Ok. Well I am really curious to see what I find here.” This will let the person know you are looking for something associated with their health problems. Step #4: Perform the trigger point therapy. Make sure you apply enough pressure to make them feel the tenderness in their body. Remember, this is not a massage. This is trigger point therapy. There is a difference. One of your purposes, is to make them aware of the health problems they have, and offer an opportunity to visit your office. So when you find those major tender points ask them, “Mary, do you feel that?” “Is that sore or tender?” When she says, “Yes.” respond by saying something like this, “Mary, that’s not normal. You shouldn’t have those painful knots. You shouldn’t be feeling anything but pressure.” At this point you might bring up her stress survey and say something like, “Something is causing your headaches, and I think I may have found the problem. I need to do a further examination to know for sure.” Step #5: Make your offer. Try saying something like this, “Here’s the deal. We are working with your school, and because of that we are able to offer you a free exam in our office. Everything has been taken care of in advance, so it won’t cost you a dime to have your problem evaluated. Our office wants to do something special and nice for teachers. Is there any reason why you wouldn’t want to take advantage of this today?” Step #6: Schedule the appointment. Use this layout for scheduling so that you cut down on confusion, “What time works best for you? Mornings or afternoons?” “What day works best for you? Monday or Tuesday?” If the person replies, “Monday afternoons.” You can say something like, “I have a 4 o’clock or a 5 o’clock. Which one works best for you?” Give them a new patient packet that has all of your information and their new patient intake forms and move on to the next one. If you enjoyed the above information and want to hear more about how to set up and perform successful Teacher Appreciation Days in your area then click on the link below and get instant access to the entire Genesis Chiropractic Software Webinar with Chris Burfield.
4 Steps to Starting Your Own Radio Show and Creating a Consistent Stream of New Patients!
If you are looking for a method of marketing that will consistently bring you streams of qualified new patients, then radio might be the solution to your problems! For the last decade, radio has been that answer for Dr. Allen Minor. Dr. Allen Miner is a very successful chiropractor in Albuquerque NM. He has built not only 1, but 4 successful chiropractic clinics by harnessing the power of RADIO! He has generated thousands of patients, and millions of dollars, through the years, with his very successful radio show “An Ounce of Prevention”. According to Dr. Miner there are 4 critical steps to starting your own radio show. Below is a brief description of each step: 1) The first step, of course, is for you to find your future radio home. What station do you want to have your show on? This is completely up to you and will be different from chiropractor to chiropractor. You want to find a station that you resonate with. Spend some time listening to all the radio stations in your area, both AM and FM. Ask your patients which station they listen to, and if they ever listen to radio shows. Once you find a few radio stations you are interested in, move on to step #2. 2) The second step is to make a phone call to the radio station, or stations, on your list. Ask them if they have room in their schedule for a 30 minute to 1 hour radio show. If they do, schedule a time with them to come in and talk about price and times that are available for your show. 3) Step 3, negotiate the cost of your show. Prices can range greatly from radio station to radio station, but smaller stations usually have lower rates. Not only are the rates lower, but smaller radio stations usually have a more loyal following, so just remember that when you are looking. Also, remember, price is always negotiable. An average show may cost you around $1,000 an hour, that’s not bad. As Dr. Allen states, “We have about 30 people call our office after every show.” 4) The forth and final step after you have achieved all the above, is to create the format for your show. You definitely have the last say about what happens on your show, but you will need a producer to ensure everything flows smoothly. Most radio stations can provide you with a producer, and you can negotiate that into the price. For more detailed information on how to start your own radio show, including what days and times are the best, what topics are the most popular, how to close your show so that you maximize new patient appointments in your office, and much much more – click the link below and listen to our one-on-one interview with Dr. Allen Miner himself!
Welcome New Network Members in July 2013
Seventy new members joined Genesis Chiropractic Software and Billing Network in July! There is strength in numbers due to the shared knowledge – we call it the “Billing Network Effect,” as the chiropractic billing performance of each of the member practices improves in step with the total volume of processed claims. We invite you to join us in welcoming our new team members – see their names and practice websites below. Please welcome the following new Genesis network members: Kyle Peacock, Mark Wolfman, Janelle Wolfman, Kelsi A Peacock of Trinity Chiropractic, Naples, Florida: http://www.maximizedlivingnaples.com/ Lani Luangrath of Greenway Chiropractic, Raleigh, North Carolina: http://www.maximizedlivingdrbarnes.com/ Andrew Fox of Twin City Chiropractic, Salem, North Carolina: http://www.twincityhealth.com/ Chris Schwanke of Keen Family Chiropractic, Austin, Texas: http://www.maximizedlivingdrkeen.com/ Joann Melendez of Planet Chiropractic, Romeoville, Illinois: http://www.maximizedlivingdrmajors.com/ Gary Lee, David Mateos, Stefanie Vasconez of Optimum Spine And Health Clinics, Salt Lake City, Utah: https://plus.google.com/115928190019251948138/about?gl=us&hl=en Dr. Shane Walker, Ryan Mijares, Tatiana Gutierrrez, Roger Casillas, Ryan Garcia of Nueva Vida Centro Quiropractico, Medelin, Columbia – South America Katie Brunson of Hooten Family Chiropractic, Dallas, Texas Mark Pendergrass of Marble City Chiropractic, Knoxville, Tennessee: http://www.marblecitychiropractic.com Dr Zev Mellman, Aymara Gomez, Marnio Toussaint, Hassan Halabi, Andre Pruna of Mellman Family Chiropractic, Pembroke Pines, Florida: Lindsey Hogan of Discover Chiropractic, Denver, Colorado Zabeth Kim of Dr. Matthew Stuart Green D.C., Oakland, California Melissa Welfel of Ozanne Family Chiropractic, Fayetteville, Arizona: Tim Christopherson, Ashley Harper, Cheri Pavlik of New Paradigm, Chattanooga, Tennessee Emily Plasker of Callen Chiropractic, Denver, Colorado: http://www.callenchiropractic.com/ Vicki Fisher of Greenwood Family Chiropractic, Greenwood, Indiana: http://greenwoodfamilychiropractic.com/ Joanne Rafacz of Clermont Chiropractic Life Center, Clermont, Florida: Jill Delong of Cornerstone Chiropractic, Norman, Oklahoma: http://www.maximizedlivingdrdelong.com/ Phil Scheets, Krystle Scott, Colleen Knoedler of Complete Care Chiropractic & Wellness Center, Medford, New Jersey: http://www.mtlaurelchiro.com/ Leah of Greenleaf Chiropractic, Wichita, Kansas: http://www.greenleafchiro.com/ Christine Kearney of The Balanced Spine, Issaquah, Washington: http://www.thebalancedspine.com/ Sharon Whitt of Paris Chiropractic, Rockville, Maryland: http://www.parischiro.com/ Lindsay Roberts of Holland Family Chiropractic Center, Richmond, Virginia: http://www.hollandfamilychiropractic.com/ Michael Underhill, Camellia Vistica, Rosanne Limuaco, Nicole Marie, Nara Rosen, Jeff Batie of 180 Chiropractic, Beaverton, Oregon: http://180chiropractic.org/ Megan Green of Providence Health Center, Charlotte, North Carolina: Lauren Mahon of Jersey Shore Institute Of Health & Wellness, Manasquan, New Jersey: http://www.jerseyshorehealth.com/ Kristine Braica of Central Jersey Spine & Wellness, Freehold, New Jersey: http://www.freeholdchiropractor.com/ Michael Major of Judge Family Chiropractic, St. Charles, Illinois: http://www.maximizedlivingjudgechiro.com/ Jenni Lundy of Patriot Family Chiropractic, Omaha, Nebraska: Dr Nick of Mckernan Chiropractic, Shelby Township, Mississippi: http://www.mckernanchiropractic.com/ Margaret Avey of Symmetry Spine & Wellness Center, Alameda, California: http://www.symmetryhealthcenter.com Rob Rowland of Align Health And Wellness, Brentwood, Tennessee: http://www.myalignhealth.com/ Heidi Hermosillo, Quinn Will of Maynard Family Chiropractic, Tulsa, Oklahoma: Loni Olstad of Focused On You Chiropractic, Round Rock, Texas: http://focusedonyouchiropractic.com/ Sarah Shepherd of Zenaptic Chiropractic, Vancouver, Washington: http://www.zenapticchiropractic.com/ Jonathan Rojjanasrirat of Pacific Spine & Joint Medical Group, Daly City, California: Liz Carla Ellis of Diehl Chiropractic, Hutchinson, Kansas: K. Mcqueen, Christopher Holmes of PSS Injury Wellness, Atlanta, Georgia: http://pssinjurycenter.com/ Suzanne Smith of Cornerstone Chiropractic, Charlotte, North Carolina: http://www.maximizedlivingdrernst.com/ Dr Erin Zovath, Zachary Zovath of Bold City Chiropractic, Jacksonville, Florida: http://www.boldcitychiropractic.com Nicole Roncone of Shuemake Family Chiropractic, Centennial, Colorado: http://www.maximizedlivingdrshuemake.com/ Sarah Hudson, Brandon Trujillo of Ideal Spine Health Center, Eagle, Indiana: http://www.idealspinehealth.com/ Donna Buckley, Jena Burlison of Dr Glen R Burford DC, Collierville, Tennessee: http://www.burfordspinalrehab.com/ Janine Privett of Cascade Family Chiropractic, Colorado Springs, Colorado: Michelle Cavanagh of Milonas Chiropractic, Naperville, Illinois: Monica Gilbert of Maximized Chiropractic, Bismarck, North Dakota: http://www.facebook.com/maxchiro Heather Molina, Christina Velasquez, Kimberly Flores of North Dallas Chiropractic Center, Dallas, Texas: http://ndallaschiropractic.com/ Katelyn French of Living Well Chiropractic, Hendersonville, Tennessee: http://livingwellchiro.net/ Brittney Henegar of Victory Chiropractic And Wellness, Knoxville, Tennessee: http://www.victoryhealthcenter.com/ Joel Fenske of Erik N. Okeson, Lakeville, Minnesota Maria Lipop of Health Sprout, Woodstock, Georgia: http://www.healthsprout.com/ Shannon Duville of Exodus Chiropractic Charlotte, Huntersville, North Carolina: Kayla Campbell of New Life Chiropractic, Lees Summit, Montana: http://maximizedlivingdrcampbell.com/ Joann Gudim of True Health Chiropractic, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: http://www.true-health-chiropractic.com/ Dr. Joseph Pollack, Dr. Ryan Mullen, Dr. Marshall Dispenza, Carmen Jimenez of Proactive Chiropractic, Rockville, Maryland: http://www.prochiromed.com/ Megan Hastings of Ultimate Health Chiropractic, Britton, South Dakota Emily Perez of Dr. Derek D. Ferguson, Whippany, New Jersey Dr Jonathan Stevens of Family Healing Chiropractic, Charlotte, North Carolina: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Family-Healing-Chiropractic/33259082603 Rose Meyer of Carolina Chiropractic Of Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina. See what Dr. Troy Dreiling has to say about the network effect. Hear what Dr. Chris Zaino has to say about the network effect.
