Reclaim The Joy Of Practice - An Advanced Guide For Advancing Doctors.
Doctors face more responsibilities than ever before. The demands of licensing boards, insurance companies, patients and even new technologies easily draws doctors away from their role as loving, caring healers. This book leads doctors on a journey of joy, capturing all the benefits that can and should come with being a doctor. Your patients will appreciate the improved you.
2 May 2012, by tpotisk
A Chiropractor in the Amazon? Yep, this was another of my many adventures. These voluntary chiropractic mission trips are several highlights of my career. Here is my story.
“Obrigado” (thank you), they all say in Portuguese as they shake my hand after their adjustment. “Genada” (you’re welcome), I reply. Some of the hundreds of patients I treated this week have traveled quite far to see the “Americano Quiropraktor” (American Chiropractor). I was the only chiropractor in all of northern Brazil; specifically the state of Amazonas, an area larger than the state of Alaska. That reality really struck me when I started asking some of these patients how far they traveled. I was surprised when some told me through my translator, Marilia, that they came 3 hours by boat; stunned when some said they traveled 8 hours; and then I was in disbelief when two told me they came 3 days, sleeping in hammocks as their ferry boat chugged up the miles wide Amazon River! I had to ask them again, 2 or 3 times “You really specifically traveled 3 days by boat to get a chiropractic adjustment?” To them, this travel is common.
Life here revolves around the Amazon River; not the longest, but definitely the largest in terms of width and volume of water. They say it carries 100 times more water than any other river. The city …
Categories: Christian doctors, Mission trip to Amazon
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6 April 2012, by tpotisk
Pink slime is all over the news lately! And it reminds me of something going on in the chiropractic profession.
In case you have not heard, pink slime is technically called lean finely textured beef and it’s produced under the watchful eye of USDA inspectors and according to strict federal rules. It’s an additive mixed in to ground beef done for economic reasons, creating more ground beef for less money by utilizing the scraps and trimmings that would normally be discarded.
Smart business!
Don’t worry, I’m not advocating you eat more meat with or even without pink slime, but there are some interesting lessons here about additives.
So how does this relate to chiropractic business? Well, there are some who believe chiropractic care should be delivered pure and with no additives – these people are called straights. And then there are those who believe there are helpful additives that can enhance chiropractic care – these people are called mixers.
The straights argue that chiropractic works so well that any additives will diminish its effectiveness and confuse the public about what chiropractic really is.
After 30 years in the chiropractic profession, operating a large multi-DC family practice, I’ve come to the following conclusions on this matter:
1) Some patients do well with nothing more than a chiropractic adjustment. There is a time and place for straight chiropractic.
2) Some patients don’t get what they …
Categories: business management, practice management
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2 April 2012, by tpotisk
Chiropractors need to be compassionate. Dr Patch Adams has some great advice.
This video says it all!
Practice on!
Dr Tom Potisk
PS Be sure and get my free practicing boosting reports on the right sidebar of this website.
PPS Have you seen my other blogs – About Dr Tom Potisk and Holistic Health and Healing?
Categories: Chiropractors and Compassion, Dr Patch Adams
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21 February 2012, by tpotisk
America’s most successful chiropractor. Woweee! I feel honored but also uncomfortable.
Today I was given that title for the 4th time by 4 different credible chiropractic media sources. Up until today I was planning on letting it all kind of slide under the table. My friend and popular chiropractic speaker Phyllis Frase calls me a “Quiet giant.”
But my uncomfortableness is eased by the thought that this honorable title is an opportunity to help more DCs. And that is really my aim, to help chiropractors attain and enjoy at least some of the success I have. I hope at least some will surpass me.
So, between that and the incessant urging by several of my friends to speak out and share my observations and experiences, I’ve stepped out into the limelight for a bit. I hope you’ll benefit from my wisdom.
Below are a few interviews that can give you some insight about why they are calling me the top dog. Pay close attention to the common threads in these, notice the simplicity, and ask yourself what changes you can implement in your chiropractic marketing, chiropractic practice management, chiropractic patient education, and personal growth as a doctor.
Much of what you’ll hear is what I teach as a motivational chiropractic speaker, and what I write about in my book Reclaim the Joy of Practice: An Advanced Guide …
Categories: America's Most Successful Chiropractor
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19 January 2012, by tpotisk
Chiropractic economics is changing. Once was a time when a DC could open up shop practically anywhere, give decent service at reasonable rates and cruise along, prospering with that alone. But no, chiropractic is not going to disappear, and many chiropractors will continue to thrive.
Sure, it may have been easier to be operate a chiropractic practice years ago, but consider that it used to also be easier to operate a grocery store, restaurant, medical office etc back then too. The opportunity for prosperity is not gone it’s just different. Chiropractic is a business and change is essential for survival, just as with any business. Changes usually include how the benefits are communicated, payment options, addressing the needs of consumers, marketing, management and accessibility. The underlying principle that health comes from within, is interfered with by subluxation, and corrected by adjustment can and should remain the same.
In fact I’ll go further and state that right now there exists more opportunity for Doctors of Chiropractic than ever before. For many, chiropractic salaries are breaking records. Consider the days gone by when DCs were jailed and accused of practicing without license, or when the AMA was orchestrating their covert plan to eliminate the profession, or when insurances like Medicare did not cover any chiropractic services, …
Categories: Uncategorized, economics, practice management, salary/income, success
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6 January 2012, by tpotisk
Should a Christian Doctor share his or her faith with patients?
This issue is often a conflict for professionals like doctors because on one hand, The Great Commission reads “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:19, 20.
On the other hand we read from St. Francis of Assisi, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words.”
So, what should we do?
Below is an example of a sports professional sharing his faith:
Tebowing
When Tim Tebow revived the failing fortunes of the team in the fall of 2011 he was revered in Denver as something like the second coming of John Elway. After he replaced Kyle Orton, the amazing Broncos won seven of their next nine games. Three of those wins were in overtime, leading some to wonder if Tebow’s very openly expressed Christianity was bringing miraculous divine intervention. Tebow’s quarterback ratings were never very good, however—he ranks only 24th on the list with a rating of only 77, and he is averaging only 128 passing yards a game. Somehow the Broncomaniacs on the Front Range thought that Tebow had been slighted by being passed over for the Pro Bowl, but that unlikely scenario was not helped by the Broncos’ losing the last …
Categories: Christian doctors
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26 December 2011, by tpotisk
This chiropractic short term mission trip I took to Poland was one of the highlights of my career.
DAY 1: I arrive in Warsaw after a 10 hour flight from Chicago. The weather is a cool 32 degrees F with gray skies and is a fitting tribute to my preconceived image of Poland from watching black and white movies and documentaries about WW2 that show Nazis shivering in concrete bunkers guarding concentration camps. I soon enter reality when we are stuck in a traffic jam in thriving Warsaw and I see sharply dressed people talking on cell phones. I am with Dr. Jerry Zelm, a chiropractor from Oconomowoc, WI and Dr. Tom Feldman from Stoughton, WI. They both have been on these types of trips several times and that helps me feel safe. We are members of the Christian Chiropractors Association and are on a short term mission. Our purpose is to provide chiropractic care in this country of 40 million people, which has only two chiropractors, and to help spread the word about Jesus Christ. We are being guided by locals affiliated with Christian Youth Ministry. Their purpose is to promote evangelical churches in Poland.
Although 95% of the Polish people claim to be Catholic, most do not follow biblical principles and cling to traditions that many times hamper their relationship with Jesus. Our guides plan on using us to draw people to these …
Categories: Mission trip to Poland.
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23 December 2011, by tpotisk
Listen to Dr Tom Potisk interviewed on The Last Chiropractor radio show.
Categories: Dr Potisk audio interview
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5 December 2011, by tpotisk
Asking for referrals in a chiropractic practice?
Hogwash!
Let me get this straight. If I am your patient, sometime during the course of my care you are going to ask me or even pressure me to tell others about you and your office?
Hah! No wonder you have to resort to asking for referrals. You are irritating, offending and quite likely driving patients away from your practice. Don’t do it!
Let me tell you that I built one of the top chiropractic family practices in the world, with dozens of referrals monthly, and I never asked for a referral during all of those 25 years. Yep, I never asked for even one, didn’t need to.
I did not have to ask for referrals and neither do you if you do these 3 things:
1) Be trustable. In our current era, more than ever, the public is seeking professionals they can trust. There has never been a better opportunity to build a monumental practice than right now, and the foundation of that is your integrity. If you are misbehaving in any way, perhaps billing inappropriately, hiding money, prescribing unnecessary services, or involved in an illicit relationship, you are not fooling anybody. Your patients and staff can subconsciously sense it. Your misdeeds will catch up with you if they aren’t already. Manage yourself before you attempt practice management.
2) Deliver exceptional service. The goal …
Categories: marketing/advertising, referrals
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1 December 2011, by tpotisk
For the benefit of the Chiropractic Profession, please share this link with your DC friends by either tweeting it, posting it on Facebook, or emailing it.
Thank you sincerely!
If you have not become familiar with The Joe Paterno Effect on chiropractic practices yet, it’s important that you learn about it.
Here are the 3 critical actions that are likely the most important practice management and chiropractic marketing steps you’ll ever make:
1) Clean up your act. If you are misbehaving in any manner, you must stop immediately. This includes inappropriate relationships, doctoring of your records, hiding money, creative accounting to avoid taxes, inappropriate billing, providing services outside the scope of your license, and anything else that may be of significant risk to you. And do what you can to right the wrongs you’ve already done. It may even be necessary to confess to the appropriate authorities before the situation gets any worse. If your misdeeds are serious ones, then consider consulting an attorney first.
2) Be a beacon of trust. Start building credibility through sincere participation in your community’s wellbeing, and then keep it up. This may include charity work, membership and activity in civic organizations, leadership, sponsoring a local sports team, donations or personal assistance to non-profits, and even relenting with a refund when someone is unhappy with your service. The fact is that people are watching you, and your actions will determine whether they are praising you …
Categories: Uncategorized
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