“Like any sustainable business, the success of a chiropractic office is measured by its growth. Whether practitioners evaluate that growth based on revenue, patient volume, retention, or a combination of factors, it is vital to maintain objectivity,” said Dr. Karlos Boghosian, founder of SoVita Chiropractic Center.
As a practicing chiropractor and industry leader, Dr. Boghosian imagined a system that addresses areas where chiropractic practices fall short in its success.
“With a systems-based outlook, we can identify the root cause of stunted growth and debug the underlying issues for optimal performance while positioning our chiropractic practice for longevity in a competitive industry. More importantly, we can institute a level of efficiency and infrastructure that ultimately will pave the way for greater freedom and flexibility,” he said.
From this desire and acute business acumen, Dr. Boghosian launched the SoVita Chiropractic Center franchise system catering to an incredible professional pool of practitioners looking to realize their dream of helping people naturally, without using drugs or surgery.
“Having created a very successful, high volume chiropractic office in Hartford that focuses on personalized, high quality, patient-focused care plans for patients, combined that with a successful business plan, made us realize we had something special, and we wanted others who are passionate of chiropractic services to have the same opportunity and success to serve patients,” he added.
The SoVita Chiropractic Center franchise system is designed explicitly with high quality patient focused care while helping chiropractors and owners expand their business. We aim to provide our patients with the highest quality chiropractic services and increased value. A significant part of the SoVita system is its continuous study, training, experimentation, and innovation that helps raise patient care standards.
SoVita exists at the intersection of structure, operations, and patient care
“In chiropractic, we tell our patients that structure determines function. The same concept applies to your practice. Forming a proper foundation will set the stage for long-term growth. A chiropractor’s standing and expertise will play a formative role in a practice’s reputation. However, quality care and efficiency should inform its legacy,” said Dr. Boghosian.
The long-term benefits of a systems-based operation mirror those of proper structure because that operation sets the stage for growth over time. Additionally, it allows chiropractors to take a step back from day-to-day operations. With systems and infrastructure in place, chiropractors can develop a self-sustaining practice whose reputation hinges on performance excellence.
Addressing the Cause, Not the Symptom
As with practicing any type of health or clinical care, running a business requires the mindset of solving the root cause of a problem, not its symptoms. For example, if a patient walks into his doctor’s office with a pebble in his shoe and excruciating foot pain, a pain reliever will not solve the problem – removing the pebble does. By prescribing medication for foot pain, the doctor addressed the symptom rather than the root cause. Had they removed the pebble in the patient’s shoe, they would have fully resolved the patient’s issue.
Such an oversight is common among chiropractors as they evaluate their practice as a business. They may devote time, money, and energy to refining a single area of their practice — marketing strategies, hiring practices, or new patient acquisition — yet they see no signs of growth or profitability. Zeroing in on one aspect of a chiropractic practice without conducting a root cause analysis is equivalent to taking a drug to mask a symptom. Chiropractors must objectively consider the genesis of operational deficiencies or slowed growth as they analyze their practice. Then, they can diagnose and debug their practice most efficiently.
“The SoVita model helped create a diagnostic template that can be tailored to an individual’s practice. The template must be comprehensive and focused, covering all the critical bases of the business and only those bases without requiring any waste of time or resources on less important matters. It also should lend itself to easy communication and action,” said Dr. Boghosian.
Proper infrastructure consists of specialized departments featuring individuals with specific skills and know-how. Business development has the communication skills and know-how to engage a potential patient and yield a particular product — the moment when someone who had no prior interest in chiropractic care decides to visit the clinic for a consultation. Business owners can accomplish this through public relations, social media, and digital marketing, as well as through various community outreach efforts, including lectures, fundraisers, sponsorships, and corporate health education programs.
All departments help shape a patient’s experience. When practice owners understand the most effective means of yielding their “products,” the collective impact of a clinic is far more significant. Furthermore, categorizing by department gives chiropractors a clear starting point to assess their practices. Rather than taking on the task of overhauling all processes, they can use key performance indicators to measure the quality of each department’s specific products objectively, identify the source of underperformance, and take appropriate action.
Dr. Boghosian shared SoVita’s secret sauce because he believes it is rooted in the core functions of proper business operations and strategies that have been successfully tested.
“Chiropractic clinic owners are more than just doctors; they are business owners, too. Effective practice management requires an executive mindset,” he said.
From the SoVita franchise playbook, Dr. Boghosian suggests the following actions for establishing and maintaining a successful practice – all attributes of the franchise system he built.
- Know-how to develop departments within the organization
- Understand the significance of assigning a specific product to each department
- Objectively assess the quality of those products using specific key performance indicators
- Leverage data to create systems-based solutions
“This approach that we’ve harnessed in SoVita Chiropractic Centers can pave the way for systemic change within our industry, leading to more successful practices helping more people achieve happier, healthier lives,” concluded Dr. Boghosian.
About SoVita
SoVita Chiropractic Center – a mission driven organization that strives to be America’s most patient centered chiropractic institution presents qualified chiropractic owners with a franchised model for systems-based practice management. Chiropractors receive the support and guidance they need to identify the root cause of underperformance and debug that area with streamlined operations and infrastructure.