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Success in Opening New Clinic-

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Success in Opening New Clinic- - June 15, 2008 4:33:24 PM   
ONstudentPT555

 

Posts: 224
Joined: July 25, 2006
Status: offline 		Hello,

I am planning on opening a new clinic in Ontario. THe population is 7000 and up to 8000 with sorrounding community. There are no PT clinics in town. The closest PT clinic is about a 20-25 min drive out of town. There are 4 family physicians in town and 2 chiropractors. Does this sound like a decent area? I am planning on having it open 3 days a week at first and then may open another clinic in another small town. For experienced clinic owners how does this plan sound ?

Thanks

< Message edited by ONstudentPT555 -- June 15, 2008 11:02:55 PM >
Post #: 1
RE: Opening New Clinic- some advice please - June 15, 2008 6:36:11 PM   
proud

 

Posts: 873
Joined: March 22, 2006
Status: offline 		The only worry I "might" have is for such a small community...you may have the Physicians and Chiro's playing some golf etc together if you know what I mean....

However...with the recent lawsuit....I imagine any respectable Physician is going to err on the side of patient safety and advice against chiropractic manipulation in the C-spine.

Show the phycians the literature supporting PT treatment. Onve you see a few and they get better( without the safety issue)....you will fine.

(in reply to ONstudentPT555)
Post #: 2
RE: Opening New Clinic- some advice please - June 15, 2008 7:19:54 PM   
ONstudentPT555

 

Posts: 224
Joined: July 25, 2006
Status: offline 		Yes if the chiros and physicians are some how in some kind of business relationship that could be an issue. I am hoping the chiros are sublux based chiros that would make it easier for me to come in and offer some real rehab. Also Chiros may not even need the physcians support in a town with no competition so it might be that these docs and chiros dont have any sort of referral relationship. Out of the 4 docs I would hope at least a couple are not shady and would realize the difference between physio and chiro. I will have to see I guess. I am gonna try to set up some kind of meeting with the docs and see what they think. I thought 7000-8000 population is pretty decent for one sole physio on a 3 day basis. Does anyone know what kind of population is sustainable on average for one physio?

(in reply to proud)
Post #: 3
RE: Opening New Clinic- some advice please - June 15, 2008 8:02:19 PM   
proud

 

Posts: 873
Joined: March 22, 2006
Status: offline 		5000. And you will need 4-5 referring physicians because althouh direct access legislation exists....many insurance companies live in the dark ages and still require a consult.

I would look into those Chiro's. Find out how they practice.

Then I would send a VERY professional letter to the Physicians indicating who you are that that you intend on establishing a practice in the area. Provide them with a pre-paid postage package to respond to these questions:

1. Do you percieve a need for evidence based Physiotherapy services for you clients? Yes____ No_____

2. How many patients do you think may require Physiotherapy services on a weekly basis? __________________/week

Thank them for their time and indicate that you intend on discussing your services with them in the near future and that you will contact their office to set up a office time.

Professional. Showing up and just saying "here I am....what do you think"...may not look so good.

Just my thoughts.

(in reply to ONstudentPT555)
Post #: 4
RE: Opening New Clinic- some advice please - June 15, 2008 9:25:04 PM   
ONstudentPT555

 

Posts: 224
Joined: July 25, 2006
Status: offline 		It looks like at least one of the clinics is advertising that they provide physiotherapy even though there is no physiotherapist working there. It will have to come down to what kind of relationship these chiros have with those 4 local physicians.

(in reply to proud)
Post #: 5
RE: Opening New Clinic- some advice please - June 15, 2008 10:56:48 PM   
ONstudentPT555

 

Posts: 224
Joined: July 25, 2006
Status: offline 		Any other PT clinic owners out there who can give me some input?

(in reply to ONstudentPT555)
Post #: 6
RE: Opening New Clinic- some advice please - June 16, 2008 12:22:52 AM   
OAK

 

Posts: 183
Joined: September 1, 2003
Status: offline 		It's good to have the Physicians on your side, but don't rely on them as your major referal source.  Once they start referring to you how else will you grow your business?  You can't just phone them up and ask for more patients.  Also, if a Physician leaves town and you rely on them too much you're in big trouble.

Market your business to the public.  The best way to get referals is through word of mouth.

Remember, your opening your clinic so you can work for yourself.  You don't want to be working for a Physician.


(in reply to ONstudentPT555)
Post #: 7
RE: Opening New Clinic- some advice please - June 16, 2008 1:56:04 AM   
james079

 

Posts: 15
Joined: January 24, 2005
Status: offline 		ON,
Forget the Chiros, and more important than the Doctors is his or her nurse and receptionist.  I began my first practice in a town with dozens of Chiropractors back in the old days of only referrals. Take your referral pads to the receptionists and ask them when you can speak to the Docs, best time is when they finish work morning or night and promise you will be no longer than three minutes. When you get talking and you say I promised to keep you a short time they will keep you longer and talk more than you. You then get your spouse and friends on bikes and deliver a sheet of 8 by 11 with your name etc and very briefly what you intend to do, and deliver to every house and apartment in town, even the chiros !  last week I recieved a similar sheet from a real estate company but the printing was on semitranslucent plastic paper, looked absolutely super. And remember, the more white on a sheet and the less print the more that it is looked at and remembered. Also get a telephone number that is easily remembered. If you go to the telephone store you can look up the computer lists and ask for an available number.  The phone rep will tell you the numbers which are more easily remembered. Of course a web page is something that is a must nowadays. Regarding insurance I never had a patient that was denied payment, the patient phones their Doc and he writes a slip. He doesn't want to lose a patient.  Good luck when you begin your practice, it is a very exciting time to say the least.
Jim McGregor

(in reply to OAK)
Post #: 8
RE: Opening New Clinic- some advice please - June 19, 2008 12:51:59 AM   
ONstudentPT555

 

Posts: 224
Joined: July 25, 2006
Status: offline 		Thanks for all the advice guys! Any other seasoned clinic owners out there who can give me some words of wisdom? I have also been looking at another town..population 30 000 with 1 physio clinic beside the hospital, 4 chiros and 14 family docs. This might be an even better option...

(in reply to james079 )
Post #: 9
RE: Opening New Clinic- some advice please - June 19, 2008 9:01:23 AM   
Sebastian Asselbergs

 

Posts: 1105
Joined: September 29, 1999
From: Barrie, Canada
Status: offline 		ONstudent: Good advice thus far. Are you going to be living in that community? If so, it helps to join a sport club or other social community there - a very slow but solid way to increase your profile and self-referrals.
And you may want to let the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario know of the advertising of "physiotherapy" by a chiro. They CAN advertise "physical therapy", but NOT "physiotherapy". (at least as far as I know.)

_____________________________

Mundi vult decipi

(in reply to ONstudentPT555)
Post #: 10
RE: Opening New Clinic- some advice please - June 19, 2008 2:41:02 PM   
bonez

 

Posts: 173
Joined: August 29, 2007
Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: ONstudentPT555

Yes if the chiros and physicians are some how in some kind of business relationship that could be an issue. I am hoping the chiros are sublux based chiros that would make it easier for me to come in and offer some real rehab. Also Chiros may not even need the physcians support in a town with no competition so it might be that these docs and chiros dont have any sort of referral relationship. Out of the 4 docs I would hope at least a couple are not shady and would realize the difference between physio and chiro. I will have to see I guess. I am gonna try to set up some kind of meeting with the docs and see what they think. I thought 7000-8000 population is pretty decent for one sole physio on a 3 day basis. Does anyone know what kind of population is sustainable on average for one physio?


You are in Canada and it can be different here. As a Chiro on the board you will do far better if the chiro's are evidence based as we colaborate quite well where I practise and there ar cross referrals a plenty.
The sublux based folk that proud is riled by have a patient base that believe that anything that is not their chiro is the antichrist.
I personally suspect that if you work with some of the local sport teams you will get fairly fast name recognition which will be of good use.

(in reply to ONstudentPT555)
Post #: 11
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