An interview with Melanie Bleem, OM/CA Bleem Family Chiropractic
Chiropractic Assistant Magazine
When newly minted doctors of chiropractic cross that platform to get their degree, many of them don't yet realize that along with being healers, they will be required to be businesspeople as well. Since there are no business degrees specific to chiropractic, most of them patch their practices together as best they can.
So it's no surprise that many chiropractic assistants feel like they're learning as they go too. Melanie Bleem, who works with her husband, Dr. Ren Bleem, at Bleem Family Chiropractic in Havana, Illinois, got a jump start on learning to work with patient finances and scheduling by working for several medical doctors and even a veterinary practice before teaming up with her spouse.
How did you learn your responsibilities as a CA?
My husband, Ren, was hired by a chiropractor who also had a CA position open, and they asked me to join the practice too. I was trained by their staff, which was a beautiful thing because when that contract ended and we moved to our current community and opened our own practice, I already knew the job—and who takes care of the family business betterthan family? When I trained almost 20 years ago, there was no written policy and procedure; it was a lot of "follow me and do as I do." I look back at that time believing more training would have been a whole lot more useful. It's only now, in my 40s, that I'm choosing to go out and get trained to perfect this job. We hired KMC University, and that has been a huge change in the past year. I'm also going backto medical coding school, which will help us move forward with ICD-10. I think many chiropractic physicians are seeing that they have to do more than just hire that girl from church or the bank because she smiles nicely, but instead pick people by design for their practice. And if they're not, they're really doing themselves a disservice.
What are some of your responsibilities in the clinic?
Patient interaction, financial consults, all aspects of insurance, and running the business in general, especially OIG and HIPAA compliance. We worked a whole year on beefing up our privacy and security manuals and our procedure manuals, and it's been exciting to finally be doing that. ChiroCode is great if you're a self-starter, but I don't
Our faith, our family, and our belief is that people are more important than things. ”
know how people do it without help —it's a big task. The way KMC University breaks it down, it's really foolproof. And once it's going, it's manageable, but just getting started is overwhelming. We wanted to do it right. When you know more, you do more. These days, we stay very close to ICS, we stay close to KMC University, and we joined the American Chiropractic Association. In this day and age, you can't do this alone and expect to stay compliant.
What kind of preparation did you have for your position?
Before I worked in chiropractic, I worked for my brotherin-law, who was a veterinarian, and also in several doctor's offices, so I had years of experience in working with patients.
What do you love most about your job?
Taking care of our community alongside my husband is priceless. We live in a very small town, and our patients become part of our extended family. It's not just the social part of our job—it's watching people come in here bent over or in a wheelchair and walking out of here. We get to see miracles every single day.
What are the things that motivate you in your life?
Our faith, our family, and our belief is that people are more important than things. Time is of the essence. There's nothing else that matters but right now, what's in front of you, and loving those people who are in your path.
Who would you consider influenced you the most?
My husband and my dad. They are such hard workers. Perseverance and tenacity inspire me.
Any final thoughts?
If we could educate these precious doctors who come out of school on how to actually run a practice, that would make such a difference. We could save young doctors from getting into their 40s and not having even thought about what will happen come retirement. Not everyone has a business gene.
You may contact Melanie Bleem at 309-5434341 or at [email protected].
I think many chiropractic physicians are seeing that they have to do more than just hire that girl from church or the bank because she smiles nicely but instead pick people by design for their practice. ”
What do you work with on a typical day in the office?
To give you a clear idea of what an amazing chiropractic assistant uses on the job, would you please share with us some specific products and equipment that you use to help the practice's goal.
TABLES:
Our Lloyd High-Low stand-up table, which has been a huge asset in our aging community. We also use a Chattanooga decompression/traction table.
DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT:
We use X-rays, of course, but Dr. Bleem is a straight shooter, old-school chiropractor, and we don't use a lot of bells and whistles, mostly palpation.
REHABILITATION EQUIPMENT:
We don't have rehab equipment; we focus on home exercises. We believe in patient responsibility. It's what works best for us in a busy farming community.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS:
We use Standard Process, DesBio, NOW Foods. We also have TheraBands, pillows, Biofreeze, and Foot Levelers products.
COMPUTERSOFTWARE:
We use E-Z Bis. We've been with them since we opened. They're family, too!
X-RAY EQUIPMENT:
We use an AmeriComp Generator with a TXR tube, so we can convert to digital later. We were told to wait on digital until the price comes down.
OTHER COMPANIES I LOVE:
We could not practice without KMC University. Our KMC University coach and I talk every two weeks, and we e-mail every week. They've inspired me to want to educate myself about my job, and they make me look smart. They're like your partner in this. I don't feel lost in my job anymore, and I've gained my confidence back in my job. I also believe that if you are not using your state association and the ACA, you really need to do that. I'd love to see more think tanks of doctors getting together, instead of being lone wolves.
