Surviving the Shutdown
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
Dr. Richard E. Busch
III, DC
"Our focus is the patient and helping them avoid infection and also live pain free lives."
You know being in practice for right at 25 years I have seen a lot of things come and go and no one has ever seen anything like this affecting our practices or business for that matter. Our focus is the patient and helping them avoid infection and also live pain free lives. In the past we have always thought of chiropractic as a profession to help people live a healthier life and this time is no exception. In fact, I feel it is vital for patients to have access to chiropractic offices and in an instance like this it is important to realize we are essential in the lives of our patients. We can play a key role in keeping patients out of emergency rooms and help them recover from disc related and other serious medical conditions without putting their safety in jeopardy, or at least lessoning the likelihood of infection and God forbid death. There are a lot of things we can do to help make things function better around the office in this difficult time, continue to serve our patients and help continue to benefit the profession that has served so many. Here are just a few.
We always have practiced good hygiene and cleanliness in my office but the COV-19 virus has forced us to do an even better job than normal. So, things like washing your hands can not be overrated. Also using hand sanitizer can be important as well. These are not things anyone reading might underestimate. But, did you ever think the type of cleaner you use on tables between visits can play a role as well. We have used different types over the years but most recently were forced to switch to a new type of cleaner because of the scarcity of the commonly used dis infectants that might not even be rated to kill COV-19. In my office we are using a product by Harvard Chemical called SANI CLEAN Disinfectant and Detergent. It is a 2-part process where we spray the table let it sit for 2 minutes and then wipe clean to dry the table. This product has been recommended to kill the virus and we use labels for tables that have been disinfected so there is no confusion. This has seemed to work well and I would recommend it. Odiously as always, we do make an extra effort to clean hands and or use sanitizer between visits as well.
As I was writing this, I also realized something that we might underestimate when working with patients and that is simply that they are as concerned about cleanliness and good hygiene too. We have had the hand sanitizers available in each office so the patients can also sanitize their hands when they come in for treatment and when they leave the office we have it available at the front desk. It is just another step that helps the confidence in the treatment we give our patients.
One of the more interesting ideas we have involved social distancing that has been more or less mandated in many parts of the country. In an effort to do that we thought it would be a good idea to keep people out of the waiting room if possible while waiting for their appointment. To do this we used a site that has been doing it for a long time with restaurants. The site is called https:// waitlist.me/. The idea is to keep people away from each other to keep them from infecting others at the same time taking into account the benefits for those patients to see their chiropractor to help stimulate their immune system to help avoid problems with the virus. I think it is also very important to work with those patients on a nutritional basis also to build their immune system and avoid any future infection. So, we have the patient check in at the front door by scanning a QR Code or at the front desk then the patient can wait for their visit in the comfort of their car. At their appointment time we can contact the patient with a text message that lets them move directly into the room for treatment. Again, we are just removing obstacles to the patient being able to receive their regular care and hopefully avoiding disruption of business.
Some other things that might be considered here is the number of staff members in the office at one time. We need to have enough staff to be able to keep the office in working order but at the same time with altered hours and altered staff levels it allows us to continue to treat the patients and keep the office sanitary and safe for the patients as well.
With all of this being said we also need to look at the other serious things that need to be dealt with in respect to things like mortgages and mortgage payments. It is important to contact the mortgage holder for the office and or your home to discuss with them the possibility to either delay the payment to the holder or forgiving the payment until later in the term of the loan. The situation can be different with all of the lenders but most are offering options so you need to contact them to discuss the options. Along those same lines, the Federal Government has made some emergency funding available through the SBA (Small Business Administration) that should help with some of the other obstacles we might be up against.
The bottom line, we are all in new territory and as easy as it is to be paralyzed with fear it is more important to be proactive in looking for solutions. Remember you are not alone in this the whole world is being affected and the only way out of this is through it... WE WILL SURVIVE!
Fort Wayne Chiropractor, Dr. Richard E Busch III, a native of the Fort Wayne area, attended Indiana University for undergraduate studies before completing his Doctorate of Chiropractic degree from Parker College of Chiropractic, Dallas, TX. Dr. Busch has completed numerous advanced training seminars and received certifications in chiropractic technique, pain management, documentation, adjunctive therapy, risk management, nutritional management, personal injury and developed and participated in many health-focused television and radio programs for public education of alternative and conservative healthcare. Dr. Busch is also a nationally recognized author of "*Surgery not Included: Freedom from Chronic Neck and Back Pain." He can be reached [email protected] or (260) 471-4090 or 1-888-471-4090.
