Leading the profession in chiropractic employment, recruiting permanent associate doctors, and providing temporary coverage doctors
1-800-TEMP-DOC 

WHAT DOES IT REALLY COST TO CLOSE
YOUR PRACTICE FOR A DAY?
by Secure Relief Inc. founder, Dr. Les Goldschlager.

Many doctors need time away from their practices for business, educational or recreational purposes. A coverage service is the worry-free way.

As doctors of chiropractic we are granted the opportunity to give from our heart on a daily basis. We know that our attitude is a crucial ingredient in providing the best healing environment for our patients. Many of us employ various techniques to maintain a positive aura around us.

Exercise is a known mood elevator. Many doctors use prayer and/or meditation. Of course in these modern times are there any of us who have not used motivational audiotapes while travelling to work? Possibly the most inspiring thing we can do is take a powerful, dynamic seminar that brings us back to our chiropractic roots (mission). Many of us would very much like to do this on even a semi-regular basis.

However, many of the programs cut into our office hours or our already limited free time. What if the course you desire is out of state? You may need that extra day of travel time. Some doctors put off needed education rather than close their office. Other doctors close their office rather than postpone needed education. Let's take a good, hard look at the cost of closing an office, for even one day.

We'll need some typical practice statistics. Let's modestly assume an office with the following statistics:

100 office visits per week
$40.00 per visit office visit average
24 PVA (patient visit average)
18 new patients per month (18 x 24 = 432 total office visits per month)

So on the Friday that we need to be away from the office we would normally see 25 office visits (one quarter of our week). At $40.00 a visit we've foregone 25 x $40 or $1000 of income. Is that all we've really lost?

What about Mrs. Jones who came into your office on that previous Monday bent over in pain? You had recommended daily care this week. But she won't be getting her care Friday, or over the weekend. In her mind daily treatment now means "daily if the doctor doesn't close." If she hasn't yet bonded with her doctor emotionally, or hasn't gotten some relief - or then again has gotten excellent relief - she may just drop out of treatment!

What's the economic cost of that, doctor? Well, that's something we refer to as her "case fee" which is simply the average number of dollars an average patient spends in your office. This is calculated by multiplying the PVA (in this case 24) by the OVA (in this case $40). Then multiply 40 x 24 = $960. So with Mrs. Jones dropping out we've lost another $960. Is that the end of it? What about the new patient, whom we haven't met yet, who called our office the Friday we closed and then of course sought relief elsewhere?

You're right - that's another case fee - another $960. So far we've lost $2920! And that doesn't even count the referrals that might have come from these patients! Certainly this solution isn't pleasant. Are we caught between a rock and a hard place?

A critical question becomes: how can we make the time necessary for this badly needed inspiration/motivation/education without disrupting our patients, our practice and our income?

One conventional solution to this problem has been to hire an associate doctor. This does solve some of the above dilemnas. However, in a health care climate that demands us to be a "lean machine" this choice may not be economically viable.

If going the associate doctor route is not justified by a stable and enduring more-than-one-doctor-can-handle-volume, the best option is chiropractic office coverage by a qualified doctor when it can be obtained. However, you may be concerned that 1. your patients will not show up to see a doctor standing-in for you, and 2. they will be unhappy with your replacement. A "coverage service" can take the worry out of these issues and the entire process by screening for doctors with demonstrated coverage experience who are well-matched to your practice. You can obtain reliable, convenient and quality chiropractic coverage when you have to be away from your practice. If we properly respond to the challenges before us, we can resolve our difficulties so our obstacles become opportunities.