Last month, I described how you should have a plan to expand your practice with associates, regardless of the current size of your practice because as a solo practitioner, you are limiting its size. I also noted that failure to develop associates for your brand of chiropractic will impact the following:
Moving Forward With the New Person
Assuming that you have already followed the steps I described last month, you have recruited, screened and made an offer for your top candidate. Upon acceptance, you've submit your associate employment agreement for approval, along with the effective date of employment.
The Associate Agreement
You should have an employment agreement that has been approved by your legal counsel to ensure compliance with both federal and state laws, as they can differ. The basic agreement outlines the terms and conditions of employment, which form the legal basis for employment. Along with the employment agreement, you affix addendum, which includes the job description, compensation, incentive plan and trade-secrets agreement.
It is not recommended that you include a not-to-compete clause in the agreement, but instead, that you have an addendum agreement regarding trade secrets. In most jurisdictions, the courts will not enforce a restrictive covenant preventing someone from practicing their occupation. However, a trade-secrets agreement will provide enhanced protection for your practice in the event of unfair competitive practices by your associate.
The Training Period
You should have a structured and formal training protocol for your office that begins on the associate's first day and continues for six months. During the initial six months, the associate is an intern and does not have permanent employee status.
During this period, you are evaluating performance daily; if you are unable to correct any deficiency after three corrective counseling sessions, you must terminate. Do not invest months and months unless you have a high degree of confidence that you've made the right decision for you, your team and your patients. The only acceptable performance during the internship is 100 percent. The time to hold any new employee accountable to your standards of excellence is in the beginning. Of all the elements for having a successful experience with an associate, training is the most vital.
In many cases, too many corners are cut to speed up the process and let the associate function as a qualified doctor. Yes, you are eager to reap the rewards of having an associate, but this is one area in which you need to dial back your enthusiasm and make the investment needed to have a competent and qualified caregiver before you look the other way. It can take weeks to ensure they meet your standards of excellence and have passed the training modules you've provided. Do not rush to turn the associate into an overnight success; the process should take three to six months.
Your New Associate
Once an associate has completed their internship, they have earned full-time, permanent employment status and now are part of the health care team. They are entitled to all of their promised compensation, incentives and benefits that were reduced or not available during their internship. Treat them with respect, of course, and as a "partner," but avoid becoming friends. Keep the relationship cordial, professional and business-like. Your practice is not a social club.
A Word of Caution
In closing, there are two type of associates: technician and entrepreneurial. You must have clarity on which one you desire for your vision. Hiring the wrong type for a position will only end up in failure and frustration. A technician associate focuses is patient care. They want to treat; they do not want to be a rain-maker, worry about practice operations or the myriad of tasks needed to manage a practice. The majority of candidates will be technicians.
On the other hand, the entrepreneurial associate is a sponge. They want to learn everything there is about the practice. They will work extra to learn how to bill, how to lead, how to get new patients, how to keep patients; in fact, they enjoy the operation of the practice more than they do the actual patient care component of practice. They are rain-makers, but if you don't have a career growth path for them, they will resign and open their own practice once they figure out how you do it.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
