Collaborative Clinics

Claudia Voyles, TX LAc

Remedy Center for Healing Arts, Inc.

www.remedyhealing.com

Collaborative Clinic Models

• Co-located Independent Practitioners • Collective of Independent Practitioners• Single Owner/Partnership that hires

practitioners. Income to the “clinic”/spa, not directly to practitioners. Upside for practitioner: Looks more like a job…less headaches..often marketing/management is taken care of..may get salary/benefits. Downside: Less pay per treatment/hour. Less independence clinically.

Collaborative Clinic: Pros

Community

Collaboration: Clinical, Marketing, Space,

Pooled Resources.

Other Modalities: Continuum of Care,Improved Quality of Care, Mutual Referrals

Other Acupuncturists: On-site Coverage, Clinical Resources, Shared Pharmacy, Library, etc.

Potential Rental, Retail or Other Income Stream

Collaborative Clinic: CONS• Community…• Management Tasks,Time Consuming• Personalities, Loss of Control, Distractions• Risk Increase: Dependency on Others, e.g.,

shared identity, financial commitment

Remedy Center for Healing Arts

S-corporation, Single owner. Claudia has DBA & incorporated business.

Multiple practitioners of multiple disciplines function as collective.

Only legal relationship is sublease.

Use common brand (but each practices under their own name).

Remedy Waiting Room

LMT Treatment Room

Chinese Patent Packaging!!!

Steps to Creating a Collab-clinic

• Unless you are loaded ($$$), begin by identifying partners.

• Finding a space: REALTOR. Identify what you want…target community, number of practice rooms, bathrooms, waiting and office space, herb pharmacy, other storage, wheelchair access, community visibility, parking, accessiblity/bus stops.

• Renovating/Furnishing. Be mindful of your budget. You can negotiate with landlord. Be creative. Can be staged.

Marketing a Collaborative Clinic or Group Practice

This is Texas,

GET A BRAND:

Collaborative Marketing

• Pooling your resources for marketing…money, contacts, time, skills, etc.

• Brand consistency. Signage. Matching brochures and business cards. Advertising.

• Every individual’s marketing efforts serves the whole team.

• Events: Open Houses, Community Fairs, on and off-site. Demonstration opportunities at relevant events and organizations.

Remedy Practitioners at GRAND OPENING on Burnet

Fall Community Fair Remedy

Subleasing

• Have an attorney review your primary lease and/or your sublease form

• You want the lease to be clear and specific• Pricing: per room/package, consider all costs,

utilities, phone, internet, cleaning, paper products, etc. Generally not a per square footage price.

• Charge more for sub-subletting…2 people use more resources

• Listen to your gut

Employees

• Yay! Yikes!• Be very clear if shared employee about

tasks/time. It is difficult to have multiple employers.

• Consider a payroll company. • Consider a policy/procedure manual. OSHA,

HIPPA, etc.

Getting Started in Practice

• Nothing prepares you for how hard it can be. Surprisingly vulnerable time.

• Practices tend to grow slowly…like NATURE. Keep/Get a part-time job.

• Get your name in as many mouths as possible.• Self-Care. Get regular treatment yourself.• Set up supervision or clinical support. • Have fun.

Create a Community-StyleAcupuncture Clinic

• Remedy Community Clinic: Weekly. Walk-in (No appointment necessary). Sliding-scale. ACCESS. Weds 3:30- 5:30.

• Group acupuncture, acute naturopathic medicine, Korean Hand Therapy.

• Group Qi Rocks!• Compared to Working Class Acupuncture Model:

“hybrid”, only 1x/wk, not our full-time practice, not defined by class, no appts, no lounge chairs, using multi-purpose room. Can be done in any room with chairs. Easy to implement.

Get Involved

• Collaborate in some way • Join local and/or national organizations. • Volunteer. • Be part of the big picture of health care not just

your own practice. • Be open to serendipity and the opportunities that

come your way. Exciting time for the medicine and for potential alliances and applications.