The Chiropractic Advocate I Brandi MacDonald manages a multi-doctor, high-volume clinic in Edmonton.She is the owner of True Concepts,which consults with chi- ropractors all over North America regarding staffi ng. She also is an international speaker for chiroprac- tic assistants. She can be reached at [email protected]. n a chiropractic clinic, the Chiropractic Health Assistant (CHA) is the person who possesses a unique blend of skill sets and personality. The CHA role is a range from assistant to teacher, to patient coach, to advocate. Of all the roles that a CHA can fill, the most stimulating, transforming and inspirational role is that of an advocate. The chiropractic advocate comes in many forms, but one of the most powerful forms is the CHA who either has “advocacy duties” attached to their day-to-day duties or solely fi lls the role of an advocate in your practice. There are unique ways in which one can assign duties, or advance the role of an assistant to an advocate. In this issue, I want to spend some time analyzing how a clinic might support its staff to become more actively involved in advocacy at the front desk. There are unique ways in which one can assign duties, or advance the role of an assistant to an advocate. I want to prelude my statements by suggesting that I am not minimizing the value of assisting and reception in a chiropractic clinic. This keeps your doors open, maintains a more efficient fl ow, and reduced stress for you and your patients. Chiropractic advo- cates do all these things and more! They take every opportunity to advance the health of patients by giving knowledge – they advance the agenda that chiropractic is not an alternative treatment, but a primary health-care choice. They advocate on behalf of pa- tients who believe that they have fallen “victim” to their health. They understand their own belief systems, and shortcomings, in regards to health and can field any objections about chiropractic, or any other healing modality. They do this because they understand the Big Picture and desire to be part of the change. 34 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | SEPTEMBER 2008 www.canadianchiropractor.ca Brandi MacDonald
Chiropractic + Naturopathic Doctor September 2008: Page 34
