An Industry Leader Puts His Company’s Focus on Giving Back to the Chiropractic Community.
It’s Monday morning and the sun has yet to reveal itself when the office lights at Integrated Practice Solutions (IPS), maker of practice management software ChiroTouch, flicker on.
As Robert Moberg stands in his office, looking over his desk, he contemplates the day that lies before him. Soon the staff will arrive and the hallways, cubes, and offices will spring to life. But, for now, there is a quiet moment. And, before reviewing the company financials, sales reports and the like as most Presidents would do first thing on a Monday morning, he, instead, consults a rather unique folder: One that is filled with ideas, concepts, and plans—not restructuring or streamlining operations—but for giving back to the chiropractic community. It has, in fact, become his hallmark.
Robert has launched many endeavors in the spirit of giving back, from providing the industry with information-based webinars, to donating funds to state chiropractic associations, to helping chiropractors avoid the traps of digital documentation—regardless of the software system they’re using.
“Prior to taking on the job of running Integrated Practice Solutions, I had a meeting with the owners,” said Robert. “I had to make it clear how important it was to me, personally, that we, as a company, focus as much on giving back to the community we serve as we do in creating the premier software platform in the industry. And they whole-heartedly agreed.”
And with that agreement in hand, Robert wasted no time in finding unique, yet critical ways to enrich the chiropractic community. He found his first opportunity to give back through informational webinars.
Recent webinar topics include Market with Corporate Spinal Screenings and Explode with New Patients, Building Value in Your Practice and Equity in Your Business, 7 Secrets to Becoming a New Patient Magnet, and Hi-Tech Stimulus Act Updates.
The webinar programs and the attendees have benefited from speakers such as Dr. Patrick Gentempo, Dr. Bob Hoffman, Dr. Eric Plasker, Dr. Ron Oberstein, Dr. Mark Ott, Dr. Brad Glowaki, Stanley Greenberg, and many more. This cross section of most influential and recognized coaches and speakers has made for a very robust and popular series of webinars.
“Thousands of chiropractors across the country have attended our webinars,” says Robert. “We were thrilled to see such a response. And, as is evidenced by the titles of the webinars, we aren’t promoting ChiroTouch—we’re promoting the spirit of chiropractic through giving back. These webinars are informative, helpful, and even critical—such as with the Hi-Tech Stimulus Act Updates—and we invite all chiropractors to attend, regardless of their affiliation with other software providers.”
Another community endeavor that Robert championed came about due to the dire economic circumstances facing the country. As credit was drying up and banks were falling into default, many chiropractors were unable to incorporate EHR into their practices, as they lacked the necessary funds.
“Incorporating chiropractic total management software maximizes the efficiencies in the practice environment,” stated Robert. “For doctors of chiropractic who couldn’t access capital to invest in such a system, which would, in turn, increase their profitability, it was a double hit that forced them to remain inefficient while not being able to significantly grow their practices. We wanted to help them out of that situation.”
In this regard, Robert spearheaded the launch of IPS Financial, which is now working with practices across the country to make the move to the ChiroTouch EHR system financially realistic.
“It’s imperative that practices large and small, new and old have the opportunity to benefit from incorporating chiropractic software into their processes,” added Robert. “As the doctor’s situations were virtually unchanged, the financial market restructuring resulted in plummeting credit scores and scarce lending from traditional lending institutions.
“Our bridge to help them get there gives chiropractors more time to see more patients—resulting in increased referrals, improved efficiencies, and a direct, measurable impact on practice profitability. And, yes, it’s a ‘win-win’ situation for both IPS Financial and the chiropractic community—but why should those events be mutually exclusive?”
As Robert set about a focused effort on working with the chiropractic community, instead of merely selling its wares, the culture of the company began to shift. It was a shift he welcomed. His only direction in this regard was simple but important— any idea that the staff presented to help grow the company had to incorporate a way to give back to the community as well. And with that, the ideas started pouring in.
One of the ideas that came to the forefront was a way for ChiroTouch to help chiropractic state associations—and the members themselves—through what is now being called the STAR (State Association Referral) program. This program provides a vehicle for which ChiroTouch pays the state association a donation for every association member that participates in a demo of the ChiroTouch software. And, if those members sign up, ChiroTouch pays all or a portion of their association membership dues. Another “win-win?” The Washington State Chiropractic Association thinks so.
“This year, we have honored ChiroTouch, a corporate partner whose performance truly does mirror its mission statement,” says Dr. Diane Sherwood-Palmer, President of the WSCA. “If you go on their website, you’ll see that their mission is rooted in the belief that they make a difference in the lives of their clients, their patients, and their staff. That’s why, this year, we join others who have said, “I LOVE CHIROTOUCH,” and are pleased to have recognized them as our Corporate Members of the Year.”
Dr. Peter Meinhofer, who’s been working with Robert since he came onboard as President, spearheads yet another venue that equips doctors of chiropractic to better run their practices. Dr. Meinhofer conducts the IPS TechWrite seminar series, Documentation Standards in the Digital Era, which was launched in November of 2009 in Oregon to great reviews. Dr. Meinhofer is a noted expert in best practices in digital documentation, and has worked with the leading EHR software companies to develop the four-hour seminar.
“Gaining a better understanding of digital documentation has a positive effect on practices across the board,” said Dr. Meinhofer. “Accurate digital documentation results in better patient care, timely billing, error-free audits, and vastly improved office efficiencies. We’ve been working on the presentation for the past six months, and the response from the chiropractic community has been substantial.”
“This is a highly useful presentation for the profession,” commented seminar attendee Dr. Minga Guerrero. “The speaker covered important topics, and included topics on how to avoid board actions and legal problems through improved digital documentation. I couldn’t add a thing to this excellent presentation.”
“I think, as a company, we have a responsibility to give back to the community that has given us so very much ,” Robert stated emphatically. “It’s a position that has enabled us to not only grow as a company, but to grow as people as well.”
He looked up from his desk and glanced outside the window. The halls were once again quiet, and the dark had returned. He could see a few stragglers finishing up some paperwork, and one wrapping up a support call with a practice. It had been a long day, to be sure. But a satisfying one. Two more initiatives had been put on the table to give back to the community, and he felt a sense of pride knowing that his focus on what he calls the “4-P Plan” had taken hold: Profession – Practices – Providers – Patients. It’s a plan that doesn’t just say a lot. It says it all.
Anthony Bacon is a freelance writer who specializes in business software and mobile technology solutions. He can be reached at [email protected].