Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor • July/August 2021 • From the editor

It’s been rather encouraging lately, to hear and read your stories of success within this last year. I’ve seen stories of patient’s lives improving, of doubling incomes, and of changes made for the sake of a better work-life balance. For your new or returning patients, perhaps the need for a visit was due to the challenges of the first half of the pandemic: Maybe it was the working from home (aka bed) that sent an office worker to pay a visit to their chiropractor. Maybe it was the lockdown and stress of homeschooling that sent the tired parent to the ND for a much-needed assessment. It could have been the literal “couch potato” mentality that sent a patient to their multidisciplinary clinic for a whole-body reset.

Whatever the case may be, my hat’s off to all of you. We’ve survived and thrived in a worldwide pandemic, navigating telehealth, sanitation and safety protocols, PPE requirements, extra expenses, and gained a new outlook on life.

One such success story I heard was our cover story author, Dr. Emily Roback, from B.C. Despite the limitations in practicing during the last year, she’s seen the business grow and continues to see many patients through adopting new technology and ways of thinking. She’s no stranger to that. As she says: “Accessibility is not my passion, but rather a necessity of life.” Accessibility boils down to communication, and communication ultimately impacts your business. Please read her story on page 14 to learn more about how accessibility could be what you’re missing from your practice.

Speaking of adapting, Dr. Lombardi’s business talk article (pg. 9) may help doctors put a positive spin on negative reviews. Not only is Google holding more healthcare practitioners accountable, but it also “scares” or “dares” us to do better. We’re also introduced to the idea that empty waiting rooms lead us into what Dr. Lombardi calls “the VIP effect.” Some docs are done with the idea of waiting rooms moving forward. Ultimately, less waiting means happier patients. Five years from now, it may be surprising to find doctors using waiting rooms, but only time will tell.

Time is a finicky thing. Looking at the past, present and future, please help your profession shape what our future stories could look like, by filling out the annual Practice Trends Survey (see the opposite page on how to enter).

JANNEN BELBECK, Editor Use the hashtag #CanadianChiropractor or #CanadianNaturopath (or tag us) for a chance to be featured in a future issue