Integrity in Growth
Colony Chiropractic
Every business, regardless of the product or service it provides, has its customized yardstick for measuring growth. Most employ a “How Many” or “How Much” calculator – how many widgets did we sell from local inventory? How many new orders did we place? How much profit did we record in each quarter?
Dr. Kelly Smith, DC, has practiced chiropractic care for 29 years. She graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa. She considers herself “an aggressive, old-school chiropractor,” which is far more than just an interesting fact.
“I had some obstacles when I first began practicing,” she said. “I was a petite woman working in a field that was male-dominated and not widely accepted.” In other words, she wanted to create a “take me seriously” image.
“I cut my hair,” Dr. Smith continued. “I got rid of my contacts and bought to glasses. Recently, someone looked at early photos of me and compared them to how I look now. They said I’m aging in reverse!”
Colony Chiropractic opened in 1995 with every element of its protocol, from the smallest detail, based on serving patients quickly, efficiently, and compassionately. As an example, Dr. Smith and her staff realize most people do not call for a chiropractic appointment until the physical pain is intense.
“Our goal is to get that pain under control as quickly as possible,” she said. “We work to schedule a new patient’s first visit the same day he/she calls. We do the consultation, exam, and x-rays all in that initial session.”
Dr. Smith will not move forward without x-rays. “I want to be focused and specific in treatment,” she explained, “and the x-rays provide a blueprint. I’m a visual learner and I think that applies to a lot of people. I can show the patient an x-ray, and they can see why they’re hurting. I can explain it to them because it’s visible. I can’t, however, explain the invisible.” Which brings us to an important unit of Colony Chiropractic’s growth measurement.
The practice hit its maximum growth level at the end of 2021. How did they know?
“I could see we had to make a choice,” said Dr. Smith. “We could either hire a third chiropractor or we could turn people away. I just couldn’t wrap my head around that second option. Of course, we could continue accepting new patients without a third doctor but that meant waiting for the first visit and subsequent treatment, leaving the patient in pain. That wasn’t acceptable either.”
The final decision was to remodel portions of the building to accommodate a third practitioner, which also meant expanding from four to six massage therapists so patients wouldn’t wait for that part of the treatment to begin. No one was turned away.
“I think there were a lot of very poor ergonomics used during COVID and working from home,” Dr. Smith said. “That was one growth contributor. Plus, chiropractic care is much more accepted now.
“Quite honestly, I can treat a patient for the rest of his/her life for less than the cost of back surgery. In addition to being cost effective, I think many people seek a more natural method of care. All those factors contributed to our growth.”
In addition to Dr. Smith, there is Dr. Danielle Eastman who is Webster certified. The designation means she’s gone through extra training in order to treat pregnant women. She receives numerous OB/GYN referrals. Dr. Jennifer Soto is the third chiropractor. She joined the clinic in March 2022 and excels in manual extremity adjustments. She’s been able to help so many patients since coming onboard.
Since Colony Chiropractic is a rotational practice, approximately 90-percent of the patients will see all three doctors during their in-depth treatment.
There’s one other important element within the walls of Colony Chiropractic….everyone is an animal lover, which means the practice provides strong, continuing, consistent fund raising, and financial support for the Colony Animal Shelter.
Colony Chiropractic
4709 SH 121
The Colony, TX 75056
972/625-4800
