The American Chiropractor (TAC) interviews Dr. Mark Sanna, CEO of Breakthrough Coaching, about his company’s efforts to “give back” to the chiropractic profession.
TAC: Tell us a little bit about the history of your company.
Sanna: Breakthrough Coaching’s mission is to leave a legacy in the creation of a generation of chiropractic philanthropists whose vision is to see chiropractic receive widespread public acceptance with a central and unique role in modern healthcare. I am a Fellow of the International College of Chiropractic (FICC), and have served as a Subject Matter Expert for over 19 Boards of Chiropractic Examiners as well as for the Federation of Chiropractic Licensing Boards. I have worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Internal Revenue Service to assist these agencies in fraud investigations. Our company is based upon the “mastermind” principle. Each of our Personal Coaches was first a client of the company! This provides them with the credibility of actually having performed the procedures they teach our clients in their own practices. We have innovated the “Complete Practice System©”. Just like your nervous system is the master system for your body, The Complete Practice System© by Breakthrough Coaching is the master system for your practice.
TAC: How are you giving back to the chiropractic profession?
Sanna: My personal mission—and the mission of each coach and employee on the Breakthrough Coaching Team—is to leave behind a legacy that includes creating a generation of philanthropic chiropractors. We are committed to leadership by example. Therefore, five years ago, we created a “Philanthropic War Chest” to which each coach donates the income they generate from coaching one of their Breakthrough Coaching Members—each month for the entire year—every year. Having this policy in place as a company for over five years has enabled us to establish a sizeable war chest, which has provided us with the funds required to step up to the plate to support the chiropractic profession when the call comes. To date, we have donated over $1 million to chiropractic causes, institutions of higher education, local, state and national organizations, and to individual chiropractors who find themselves in need.
TAC: Being an insider on the “vendor” side of the profession, what advice do you have for our readers to help them make the best buying decisions?
Sanna: The language of reimbursement today is the language of function. Chiropractors must equip their practices with equipment that enables them to fully participate in the mainstream of healthcare. This equipment makes it possible for chiropractors to become proficient in objectively assessing and documenting the functional outcomes of their care, thereby establishing its medical necessity. The most successful chiropractors today include active care/rehabilitation in their treatment protocol. After hiring a personal Coach, the most beneficial service a chiropractor can add to their practice is to invest in low tech (tubing, bands, gymnic balls), or high tech (weight stack machines) rehabilitative exercise equipment.
To date, we have donated over $1 million to chiropractic causes, institutions of higher education, local, state and national organizations, and to individual chiropractors who find themselves in need.
TAC: What are the company’s plans for the future?
Sanna: My goal is to see chiropractic recognized for its central and unique role in the delivery of healthcare. My vision is to have all chiropractors experience the freedom that results from financial abundance. I know that only by creating a generation of financially affluent chiropractors, who are motivated to support our profession, will chiropractic win the respect that it deserves. It takes significant financial resources to affect public policy on a legislative level. The best lobbyists and legal counsel are extremely expensive. My goal can only be achieved if chiropractors come together in a spirit of unity to protect our profession.
Our chiropractic licenses are not an entitlement, they are a treasure. A treasure that was hard fought for by a generation of chiropractic pioneers, some of whom were jailed for their convictions. Many of us take for granted the ability to freely practice our profession, but we must remember there are still many who wish to deny us this right. We can never stop fighting for the complete recognition of our value to humanity until the battle is won. Our patients deserve nothing less from us.
TAC: Any closing remarks or advice for our readers?
Sanna: Practice with a standard of care based upon empirical evidence and document the functional improvements chiropractic care delivers, and how this impacts the quality of life. Master the arts of coding and compliance to effectively communicate the value of chiropractic to interested third parties. Finally, accept that only through combining our philanthropic efforts can the chiropractic profession reach the level of financial commitment necessary to impact legislative regulation, reimbursement and widespread public acceptance. Join and contribute wholeheartedly to your local and national organizations, and to the only unified marketing campaign endorsed by every chiropractic leader in the nation, “The Campaign for Chiropractic.” Consider for one moment what your non-chiropractic colleagues in healthcare are up to…and you know what? Their membership base and financial resources far outstrip ours, and they are committed in their support of their national associations.
Dr. Mark Sanna is the CEO of Breakthrough Coaching, LLC, a leading resource for personal coaching to chiropractic and multidisciplinary practices throughout the country. He can be reached at Breakthrough Coaching, LLC, by calling 1 800-7 ADVICE.