Case Study #7: Evolving with Changing Times

The client: Lisa Stein has been practicing as a chiropractor for 18 years in California. She has attended a wide variety of management seminars over the course of her career and has a successful practice.

The issue: Lisa originally contacted me several years ago when she was experiencing classic career burnout. At that time we focused on restoring her at a personal level so she could continue practicing. Revitalized and re-engaged, she was able to work effectively until she experienced a business crisis not of her own making: the PPO whose patients made up 50% of her practice was merging with another company and reimbursement was about to be slashed to a level that would make it impossible to continue being a provider. If Lisa was going to maintain her practice without this patient population, she would have to get creative about building her cash-pay practice.

The process: We began creating strategies for Lisa to grow her practice. It was two steps forward, one step back at first — not an uncommon scenario in coaching. Many cash-only practices are also high volume and Lisa wasn’t up for what she called “acting like a robot.” She was determined to practice in a style that engaged both her mind and her heart. Just as we were finding a balance that would work for Lisa, the insurance company came through with a “reprieve”. So many doctors had been unwilling to sign on at their new low rates that they had to back-peddle, at least temporarily. This allowed us to shift the focus of our work and spend time getting to the core of what Lisa really wanted for her practice so that she would never again be at the mercy of insurance company whims. Lisa used this business wake-up call as an opportunity to redefine her needs and wants, and she has begun to take significant action steps toward a more predictable way to practice in the future.

The outcome: Lisa accepted that healthcare is changing — and will continue to change — and she’s growing with the times. “This is highly personalized, deep work,” says Lisa when asked about the coaching process. “It’s getting down to the core issues and working through them — sometimes wrestling through them — to get to what matters and get to what works,” she says.

In many ways Lisa is the ideal coaching client. She’s works hard and reaps significant benefits from her efforts. “Shelley takes into consideration a more complex, global, holistic view and she’s always cutting-edge, pushing the envelope, and way ahead of everybody else in terms how we view health and humans, and how to be most effective where the patient and doctor intersect,” says Lisa. Now feeling more grounded and inspired, Lisa has a resilient practice that will thrive regardless of how the insurance industry and contract situations play out.