Naturalpreneurs

Building Your Successful and Scalable Integrative Medical Practice

Dr. Jaquel Patterson

• Editore: Purposely Created Publishing Group
• Anno: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781644841938
• Edizione: 1
• Argomento: Negocios y empresa
• Categoria: Industria farmacéutica, biotecnológica y sanitaria

For a variety of reasons, naturopathic physicians and other healthcare providers may wish to build a practice outside of the traditional healthcare setting. You may feel that a conventional model doesn’t provide an integrative, holistic approach to care, that you are struggling to start up or scale your integrative practice, or even that you simply want to be able to set your own hours. Whatever the reason, setting up your own integrative practice can be rewarding, but also contain unexpected pitfalls. That’s where this book comes in.

In Naturalpreneurs: Building Your Successful and Scalable Integrative Medical Practice, Dr. Jaquel Patterson shares her medical and corporate expertise to help her fellow practitioners start and develop their own successful businesses. With detailed instructions on taxation, business culture, types of service, marketing, staffing, and more, this book is sure to be a blessing.

 

Chapter 1

Types of Practitioners in Integrative Medicine

 

Integrative medicine became popular in the United States as early as the 1800s. While some parts were adopted into conventional medicine, such as herbs which later became translated into pharmaceutical products, other practices never became mainstream. Because of this, there is a lack of clarity regarding professional designations and training for integrative medicine, especially with the continued growth in this field. As a licensed naturopathic physician, it is important to understand skill level, training, and application as it pertains to being an integrative medicine practitioner.

To start off, here are some definitions plus some basic information regarding practitioner types and education for integrative medicine:

Naturopathic doctors/physicians (NDs) have completed a four-year graduate level naturopathic medical program and are educated in all of the basic medical sciences, but also have studied holistic and non-toxic approaches to disease prevention and wellness. Naturopathic doctors complete over 1,500 basic science and clinical hours and over 2,000 hours in both allopathic therapeutics and preceptorships. NDs that are licensed need to pass two board licensing exams and complete jurisprudence in the state they practice in. Currently, there are twenty-two states licensed for naturopathic medicine; the most updated list and information regarding the profession can be found on www.naturopathic.org.

Chinese medicine (TCM) or acupuncture practitioners have completed a master’s degree from an accredited program. In order to be become a licensed acupuncturist, you must complete an exam and certification.

A functional medicine practitioner is a broader term. There are multiple applications of being a functional medicine practitioner; most healthcare practitioners can participate in certification programs both online and in-person to become credentialed by a formal association. A healthcare practitioner must have completed a specific educational level and/or have a healthcare license. Most common practitioners with a functional medicine certification include MDs, DOs, NDs, nurse practitioners, DCs, and nutritionists. Naturopathic doctors’ core training and curriculum includes functional medicine amongst many other modalities; therefore, they may not seek a functional medicine certification type since it largely exists within the core of their academic and clinical training.

Chiropractic doctors have completed a four-year graduate level program from an accredited council on chiropractic education. The licensing process in all states requires completion of a doctor of chiropractic degree program and passing of the national board certification, including a patient encounter.

Nutritionists may vary in their level of training and their competence. There are various certification types for nutrition, including a certified nutrition specialist and a certified clinical nutritionist, amongst others. Dieticians, in contrast, complete a four-year study with over nine hundred supervised clinical hours, and are primarily based in hospital settings.

 

Chapter 2

Setting the Right Intention: Mindset

Intention Setting and Affirmations

Setting intentions and having a determined mindset is, in my experience, the initial starting point in beginning a successful integrative practice, and in building a successful business in general. It’s your intention that builds your brand and ultimately is the guiding force behind the culture of your business. It influences your setup process, the mission of the organization, the staff you hire, and, ultimately, where you see your future growth and development. Is your mindset for your business positively directed and proactive, or is it largely reactive and fear-based? If it’s the latter, it is much harder to navigate the rollercoaster of having a business. Personally, I have a very different view of failure; I do not see things as failures, but rather as lessons and opportunities to get to where I want faster. I’m unphased by it; I’m tenacious and, though I may not have the answers to everything, I find a way to get those answers and I know when to ask. If this is not your starting base, it is important to make that shift before embarking on such a large journey. If you do not have that type of mindset when going into running a business, it will be difficult for you to weather the storms when they appear. Mindset is key in a business and in life—so if you don’t have it, get it quickly by the end of this book!

Self-Care

Self-care has been a central core factor in my life while simultaneously being an area which I struggle with. In school, we learn “doctor, heal thyself”; are you always seeking to embody this in your work? Do you want to have a successful seven-figure business, but work sixteen hours a day for decades? How do you define self-care?

It is equally important to write out not only your business goals, but also your personal goals and your ideal dream of how you want your practice to run. You need to invest time in considering what both your personal and business goals are, and how they will intersect and simultaneously be fulfilled as you grow your practice. For some, it may mean seeing four patients a day, or working only two days a week, and for others, it means having more vacation time. Decide on that, and when building your vision, make this part of fulfilling that dream. This is what keeps you focused on the end goal you have in mind, since it is coupled with your ultimate personal and business benefit. Isn’t that why we are going into being an entrepreneur and integrative medicine practitioner? We try to teach others how to incorporate self-care to improve their health passionately and to serve and disrupt the healthcare system as we currently see it. You need to fill your well in order to help others fill theirs, so please make sure that at least once a week, your personal goal is reviewed along with your professional goal. I personally do this by looking at my calendar over the course of several months and intentionally blocking a few days for self-care; for me, it is about time with nature, spas, massages, and energy healing. When you block your schedule to do this, it provides a sense of freedom and reward for the many hours you commit to your business.

Strategic Thinking

So, now that we’ve reviewed mindset and affirmations, the next step is to strategically consider what type of business you are looking to create. Is it a practice with a general fee for service, is it concierge- or telemedicine-based, do you want staff, do you want to grow an empire like I dream of, or do you want to be able to work and see patients on your computer while you travel abroad or stay in the recesses of your home? Part of the process of strategic thinking is to initially think big. I think big by jotting down my big ideas on a notepad; from there, assess, assess, assess, and think long-term. Consider if this strategy allows you to meet your business, financial, and personal goals. It is important to build time to reflect; sadly, in our society, being able to make time for reflection is difficult. We are told to act now. I am an act-now personality, but when you are making a big strategic decision, it is important to build in reflection time in a quiet place every week to let your thoughts become clearer. You can do this by blocking your schedule for one hour a week to commit a dedicated amount of time toward your strategic goals.

Mission and Vision Statement

As you build your business, it is important to develop a mission and vision statement from the beginning. This same principle applies if you are looking to acquire a practice; does the mission and vision statement resonate with you? If it does not, this is not a practice to purchase; it needs to resonate with you in some way or you will have more difficulty building a profitable business. A solid mission statement will inspire your business in the present and the future. Generally, a mission statement should be very brief, no longer than a paragraph, and demonstrate the purpose of the company. It should succinctly describe what your business offers, why, the competencies, and the purpose. You should also create a value statement, which shows how the company values the clients they serve and the community at large. Value statements should reflect core priorities, e.g. quality, integrity, customer service, etc. It helps to provide greater definition to the mission statement by outlining clear goals and priorities of focus for your practice. The mission and vision statement also help to direct you when your business scales to ensure you are meeting the philosophy of what you intended to create. Mission and vision statements can also adjust and grow, just like you do as a person. You should consider your business a living, breathing entity that will naturally have its milestones of growth as well as obstacles to cure. Your mission and vision statement should be reviewed every three years to ensure they reflect the current operations of your business.

Creating Your Culture

In my eyes, culture is absolutely everything! The culture you convey should be built upon the vision of how you feel healthcare should be provided, without any limitations or preconceived notions. What culture are your patients coming into,...