Start a “winter-winners” campaign that includes various goal-setting plans for patients

As the winter draws near, and days become shorter, humans are like other animals—they begin to hibernate. Shorter days mean earlier nights, and unlike summertime, when nighttime is just heating up the social life, people begin to stay in the house by 6 pm. Like bears going into their caves, they are cranky, tired, and antisocial. They miss more of their appointments and find excuses not to exercise or stay active.

What a better time than now to get your patients out of their caves and into themselves. What people need this time of year is focus. The holiday season is here, and with the holidays come stress, anxiety, and overindulgence. Unless patients stay on schedule, reduce the preholiday pressure, and keep active, they may find themselves depressed and in more pain. People who are teetering on the brink can have a healthcare train wreck.

Why not make December your office’s Awareness Month? Themes might include Scoliosis, Spinal Health, Fitness, Back Care, Winter-Winners, Healthy-Holidays, or Thanksgiving Therapy. All your office needs to do is to pick a theme to keep people aware and involve them in a positive activity.

Scoliosis Awareness Month
Let’s say December is your office’s Scoliosis Awareness Month. Activities could include decorating your office with posters and facts about scoliosis. You might put up some actual x-rays that show severe and mild cases of scoliosis. (Make sure the names of patients are covered.) Your office could give certificates for free scoliosis checks to all patients with children. These are easy to create on your computer. Your office could contact the local school district about a possible at-school scoliosis screening day. Children who are screened could be given a picture to draw or color for a contest, and the winner would receive a $20 gift certificate to a toy store in your town. Or, for older children, you could hold a writing contest about chiropractic, exercise, or scoliosis. The winner might get a gift certificate to a bookstore. Your office could hold a seminar for the community about scoliosis, or do spinal talks at local gyms or for civic groups. Your office could write an article for the local newspaper. All existing patients should be given special scoliosis checkup appointments. Informational packets can be made up and handed out for patients to share with families, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. CAs can give special cards to give to people, inviting them into your office for a complimentary screening. A recall letter to nonactive patients can encourage them to come in for a free screening. Making it an all-out production brings emphasis and excitement to your special-awareness month.

Spinal Health, Fitness, or Back Care
If your office wants to expand the topic from scoliosis to a broader arena, perhaps you can use Spinal Health, Fitness, or Back Care Awareness. General issues concerning chiropractic care can be highlighted. While your office may still offer certain “screenings” as tools to encourage people to come to your office, be aware of inadvertently violating laws against soliciting or illegal remuneration.

Patients (existing and inactive), community schools, and the neighborhood can all become involved, depending on your plans. You can place pamphlets in local vitamin stores. Your office can give school lectures regarding backpack injuries and the importance of proper posture. You might even wish to involve your local chiropractic community and offer a city or statewide “awareness” month. Have the local mayor or state governor sign a “proclamation” of your special month. Hold a citywide health fair in a local convention center with all the chiropractors in your area each highlighting a different aspect of chiropractic care. Co-op the expense to have street banners made announcing “Spinal Awareness Month” or “Chiropractic Care Month.”

Winter-Winners
Since winter is so hard on patients’ psyches, why not offer them a goal to achieve and help them stay on the winning track? Winter-winners campaigns can include various goal-setting plans: lose weight, improve health through an exercise program, or even stay on an appointment schedule. “Winners” win two ways: They really win by accomplishing their goal, but they also win by getting a free massage, a book or tape, or maybe even a support pillow. Prizes should not include free “adjustments” or chiropractic visits. Some restrictions exist against enticing people for health care. Contests can never be about referring other patients. Although this may seem like a good marketing strategy, generally speaking, these issues violate illegal remuneration laws. Paying for patients, whether in kind or with money, also is actually restricted by Medicare and federal and some state laws. Instead, campaigns should be geared toward helping patients avoid the winter blues and get excited about being a part of positive activities that are mentally, physically, and emotionally rewarding. Your office is a winner, because happy patients do refer—they just aren’t doing it to win a contest.

Healthy Holidays and Thanksgiving Therapy
With the holidays coming up, many are in the giving mood. Your office can help accommodate your patients’ desires to give to others by offering food, clothing, and toy drives. Rally your community by being a leader. Get involved in programs that help the less fortunate. If programs such as food pantries or Toys For-Tots are not available, start one. Or perhaps your office and patients can adopt a needy family for the holidays. Sometimes, offices can see a need directly with a patient of the clinic. Buy a premade Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, and have it sent to the patient’s home anonymously. Turn your office into a “free-meal” site, and serve others during the holidays. What you give out will come back tenfold.

Finally, become aware of what patients need or want. Ask for their input into your awareness-month ideas. Every idea will build on more possibilities. There is no one right way to organize an awareness month. Have a new theme each month, or every quarter. Bring excitement and enthusiasm back into your patients, your staff, and your office. CP

Ces Soyring, CA, is cofounder of the National Academy of Chiropractic Assistants (www.naca-online.com) and a chiropractic consultant. Contact her at naca_csoyring@yahoo.com.