Location:

Northwest Massage Academy Classroom

EUROPEAN BUILDING

6108 Mt. Tacoma Drive SW, Lakewood 98499

Instructor: Dr. Jack Weaver

Open to all Health Care Providers, call 1-800-929-9441 to register.

We send out a weekly e-newsletter to LMPs in south king, pierce, and kitsap counties. It includes local continuing education workshops, equipment buy and sell, practice opportunities and more. E-mail us at jackwweaver@msn.com to be included in our weekly e-mailing at no charge.

Northwest Massage Academy in Lakewood is sponsoring five six-hour continuing education programs to meet the needs of therapists looking for CE hours to relicense.   This two day program is designed to get you together with your colleagues and discuss any topics you are interested in as long as it pertains to the practice of massage.  We can divide up into groups and discuss practice building, ethics, massage techniques, advertising, business aspects, energy techniques, or anything else that interests you.  The whole idea is to have fun, share ideas and thoughts with friends and maybe learn a little something while earning CE credits.  The cost is only $69 for each six-hour program.  Where and when are listed below. 

 You can save your place by calling 800-929-9441.

Time: TBA

Date: TBA

Place:  Northwest Massage Academy classroom – (European Building) 6108 Mt. Tacoma Dr. SW, Lakewood, 98499

Cost: $69 for each program

Call 800-929-9441 to register

Ethical Practice Building Thru Patient Education - Six Hours of CE

Goal: at the end of the workshop, the therapists will have the tools to effectively educate their patients in the value of massage to the degree that they will be able to make better choices concerning their utilization of massage resulting in increased compliance, retention and referrals

OUTLINE

Educating your patients/clients is a key in practice building and getting the best results possible.

Patients need a reason to continue on your care program

Pre-conceived ideas and expectations

Priorities

Physical

Occupational

Social

Proper education leads to better compliance

Understanding the value of your skills leads to referrals

THE FIRST VISIT (getting to know you, and building rapport)

What brought your patient to your office

Complaints and concerns

Reasons for choosing your office

Patient’s goals

Objective findings

Physical

Emotional

Psychological

Energetic

Mental

Subjective findings

Physical symptoms

Limitations

Emotional

Psychological

Energetic

Mental

First Treatment

Address areas of concern

Explain connection to other areas of concern

Keep patient in the loop as treatment progresses

Recommendations

Your best guess for a short term treatment plan to be revised at a future date

Explain your expectations and guidelines for progress

Acknowledge financial considerations

Schedule next appointment

Call to check up on patient that evening or next day

LATER VISITS

Educate on each visit

Listen to patient

Get deeper into past events

Record important information

Explain progress gained

Discuss future progress

Educate out of the case to stimulate referrals

Other cases (general information – no names)

Seminar information

Articles in publications

Experiences from colleagues

Progress evaluations

Physical improvement

Mental and emotional improvement

Energetic improvement

Greater sense of well being

Treatment plan

Frequency

Improvement goals

SPECIAL CASES

Motor Vehicular Injuries

On the job injuries

Other traumas

Children

SELF LIMITING FACTORS FOR PRACTITIONER AND PATIENT

Self Worth

Comfort Zones

Personality Conflicts

Time Considerations

Exploring Quantum Physics as a Healing Tool – Six CE Hours

Goal: at the end of the workshop, the therapists will understand the theories around the effect of observation on that which is observed to the degree that they will be able to consciously utilize this understanding as a healing tool in their practices

OUTLINE

Applicable research in quantum physics

Understanding how to utilize the research in the practice environment

Creating techniques based on this understanding

Practicing these techniques for objective and subjective changes

Evaluating Soft Tissue Imbalance thru Structural Analysis and Plane Films

(this section is a part of the Personal Injury workshop listed below)

Goal: at the end of the session, the therapists will be able to determine their patient’s structural imbalance and the soft tissue involvement of that imbalance

Identifying normal and abnormal structure

Gross postural analysis

Viewing x-rays to isolate problem areas

Isolating causes associated with abnormal structure

Palpation

Muscle Testing

Leg checks

Determine the appropriate treatment regimen to correct the problem areas

Handling Personal Injury Cases thru

Proper Case Management – Working with

Attending Physicians and Attorneys

Goal: at the end of the session the therapists will be able to effectively evaluate and treat person injury cases, including working with attending physicians and attorneys

OUTLINE
Aspects of the Personal Injury Practice

Documentation and Record Keeping

Protecting and collecting your fees

Working with attending physicians and attorneys

Managing your patient and the case itself

Long-term care aspects

Advertising and Practice Building

Specific treatment needs

Handling multiple injury cases

Visualizing soft tissue injury on x-ray

Documentation and Record Keeping
Intake Forms

Generic Intake Case History

*form in note packet

Asking open ended questions

Focusing on how trauma has affected life style

Looking for conditions that will effect healing

Trauma Form

*form in note packet

Recreating the accident

Prior traumas – related and unrelated

Insurance Information

Order of responsibility

Filling out the HFCA form*(form in note packet)

Billing frequency and what to include

Billing more than one insurance company

Chart Notes

Daily Notes*(form in note packet)

Monitoring improvement subjectively&objectively

Progress Reports

What to include*(form in note packet)

Requests for copies

Laws regarding dissemination of patient information

*WA RCW,s in note packet

Charges for copies*(info sheet in note packet)

Narrative Requests

Format
Fees

Documentation of non-related care

Modifying charges

Protecting and Collecting Your Fees

Understanding the insurance companies

What is their motivation

Putting them in the picture

Keeping them in the loop

Billing tips

Who to bill

Patient

Patient’s care insurance

Patient’s health insurance

Driver’s car insurance

Car insurance of other vehicle

Billing more than one source

Initial billing

After initial payment is made

Charging the patient for care

Pros and Cons

Leins

Forms

Where to file

Where to send copies

Updating

Enforcing

When to reduce your fees

Insurance request

Attorney request

Patient request

Working with Attending Physicians and Attorneys

Understanding their motives

Attorneys

Physicians

Keeping them in the loop

When to send information

When to discuss case issues

Financial management of the case

Providing adequate care

Avoiding excessive charges

Working with the attorney to keep cost down

When to trust an attorney

Degrees of trust based on experience and personal relationship

How to help attorneys get what they want

Building long term professional relationships

Working together for a win-win-win outcome

Managing Your Patient and the Case Itself

Making recommendations and setting the schedule early in the care

The critical first few appointments

Making long-term care recommendations

Keeping the proper focus when making recommendations

Treating non-related issues

How to chart

How to bill

Staying ethical

Avoiding temptations

Missed appointments

When and how to charge

Educating the patient

Educating the patient to the value of your care

Reasonable fees

Setting your fees

How to charge for different services

Long-term Care Aspects

When to close the case

Pre-injury status vs. maximum improvement

Making long-term recommendations

Focusing on the needs of the patient

Payment for ongoing care

Fees for ongoing care

Downside of ongoing care

Future problems avoided

Advertising and Practice Building

Maximizing each case

Stimulating referrals and long-term care

Educating your patient

Aspects of patient education

Promoting your care

Attorneys

Keep you fees reasonable

Promote and support the attorney

Physicians

Support their decisions and ideas

Five Keys to Building Your Ideal Practice

Specific Treatment Needs

Adjusting patient activities to promote healing

Utilizing PIP for compensation

Keeping principals in the loop

Identifying related healing factors

Daily activities

Smoking

Eating habits

Aggravations

Supplements

Handing Multiple Injury Cases

Charting

Billing

Visualizing Soft Tissue Injury on X-ray

Biomechanics of injury

Visualizing normal and abnormal on films

Visualizing the effects of trauma on films

Using film information in your treatment program

It might help those of you who are still in the practice building mode to explore some inexpensive ways to get the word out about you and your services.  I think that some of the most effective practice building tools are also the most inexpensive.  One of my favorites is going door to door in the neighborhoods close to you practice and introduce yourself.  Hand out your card and a  brochure if you have one and take your appointment book with you.  There are few things that make this very effective and I will be glad to share them with you if you would like to call me on my cell phone at 800-929-9441.

Another tried and true way to get your name out to  prospective clients is thru speaking engagements.  There are a number of organizations in your working area that meet on a regular basis and include a guest speaker at their meetings.  One of the best topics for therapists to address to most groups is stress and how massage can alleviate the symptom and the cause of many stressors.  Most of us feel that we are under some degree of stress and massage is one of the most effective and natural ways of handling this concern.  Outline a lecture that is flexible enough to run from five minutes to one hour, depending on the needs of the group.  Send out letters of introduction to the groups, letting them know you are available, and that you are willing to step in at the last minute should they have the need.  Remember that your massage skills can help alleviate stress more than any other single health care modality.  Take plenty of business cards and brochures with you and keep your appointment book handy.  Many of us have a fear of public speaking.  Confronting that fear can open up avenues of practice building not available to you before.

Most advertising campaigns are designed to let people in your area who you are and what you have to offer.  This can also be done by joining groups and organizations that you feel an affinity with.  I don’t believe that it is a good idea to join a group only for the purpose of marketing, but contributing to your community is not only a good idea in itself, but gives you an opportunity to meet others who may decide to become clients.

Another effective way of expanding your client base is thru gift certificates.  Many of us area at a loss as to what to give the off relative or friend for his or her birthday, Christmas gift, employee appreciation day, etc.  A display in your treating or reception room will usually be enough to interest your patients.  An attractive certificate can be easily created with one of your computer programs.  Invest in some good paper or card stock and matching envelopes.  If you want to go a step further you can attach a small bow and put it in a small gift bag with tissue paper.  Making up a colorful ad for each holiday and displaying it in your waiting room or treatment room will remind your patients of the next holiday and the need for a gift.  You might also want to display a certificate.  The more attractive, the better.

Always keep in mind the value of the service you provide.  Your compensation is more likely based on your client’s ability to pay rather than on the value of what you have to offer.

Dr. Jack Weaver, director Northwest  Massage Academy