Greedy. Elitist. Might be great for California, but could never work in my community. Unethical. Those in the model love it, but there's a lot of criticism in certain circles about "cash physical therapy." In this episode we explore the ethics behind cash-based and insurance-based physical therapy and address the most common criticisms. We live and work in a highly imperfect medical system. All of us - regardless of our model - have to somehow deal with those imperfects to try and provide the be...
Sep 10, 2020•39 min•Ep. 47
Would you send a family member or close friend to your clinic? Over the years, we've had several pelvic PTs and physicians send their family members to us - even if they'd never referred us another patient! So.....gut check time. If you work for someone else - are you confident enough in your skills and in the environment where you work you'd recommend someone you care about come in for treatment? If you run your own program or clinic, are you providing the type of care you would expect for your...
Sep 07, 2020•48 min•Ep. 46
What you wear to work shouldn't matter. But it does. You'll be judged by your patient before you even open your mouth. We all want to be comfortable and express our own style. And we should be able to do that! But we also need to understand how our choices affect how our patients view us and whether it helps or hurts our ability to get them better. Trust me, I never thought I'd be playing the fashion police! But here are thoughts on dress codes (ugh!) and the different options we have in how we ...
Sep 03, 2020•38 min•Ep. 45
Do your patient's ever make life choices you disagree with? All. The. Time. Does that mean we can't help them get better? Absolutely not. We are not the arbiter of our patient's life choices. We've had avid bicyclists with pudendal nerve irritation who are adamant they won't stop riding. New mothers who want to get back to running before they are truly ready. Women with painful intercourse who feel they can't stop having intercourse with their partner. So what do you do if your patient is making...
Aug 31, 2020•37 min•Ep. 43
There seems to be a lot of anxiety around data security, privacy and HIPAA - it's one of the questions we get asked a lot! You can spend hours or days getting sucked into online forums, articles and opinions. But what do you actually need to worry about? In this episode we go through data security, whether you even are covered by HIIPA (you may not be!) and what we really need to do in order to protect patient privacy. Business Resources Sign Up Here for exclusive access to business resources an...
Aug 27, 2020•12 min•Ep. 42
Have you ever explained away a patient not getting better because they were 'non-compliant' with their home program? We've all been there - it's tempting, but I want us to get the negative, judgmental term of 'non-compliant' completely out of our vocabulary. If your patient isn't doing what you're asking, it's on US to take responsibility and get them better. They may not understand the importance of what you're asking. They may not understand how to do what you're asking. They may feel overwhel...
Aug 24, 2020•38 min•Ep. 41
How do you find balance? Between work - whether you own your own place or are employed by someone else - and home life. How to maintain a social life, exercise and take time for everything we know we need. Sometimes it feels impossible. And that's ok! "Work-Life Balance" is an unachievable ideal. It's something we can strive for, but not a place we can stay. And sometimes even that idea makes us miserable. In this episode we dive into that idea of balance; how there are different seasons to life...
Aug 20, 2020•26 min•Ep. 40
Ever have a patient who wasn't in for the 'right reasons?' (Yes, a Bachelor reference, y'all!). Maybe a patient who cared more about the appearance of their stomach than about the function of their core or pelvic floor with a diastasis? Or someone just wants to get off their medications? Or to be able to get back to riding a bike? Or wants to have pain-free anal sex? Those might not be our reasons, but we have to meet patients where they are. There's a ton of different reasons a patient might fi...
Aug 17, 2020•27 min•Ep. 39
What predicts the success of a pelvic PT business? There's a TON of different factors that go into success. In a recent survey, we looked at the answers provided by more than 130 business owners to see the patterns. We saw the same struggles - challenges marketing, bringing patients in the door, feeling overwhelmed or knowing where to start. But we also saw two factors that were indicative of success. One that is in your control, and one that isn't! As promised, Sign Up Here for exclusive access...
Aug 13, 2020•38 min•Ep. 38
Ever found yourself worried about your patient's time? How much time they are spending each week, how far they are driving? What about how they spend their time at home doing their home program? This is another hang-up that can get in the way of providing the best possible care to our patients. In this episode we dive into some of the common ways we try and act as the guardian of our patient's time.....often to their detriment. Pelvic PT Essentials If you're interested in learning more about the...
Aug 10, 2020•28 min•Ep. 37
Do you know what phase of business you're in? (Here's a hint: Most pelvic PT owners owners are stuck in Phase 2.) This is critical to know for your practice. Your goals, your role and your outcomes change depending on what Phase you're in. Understanding this both helps you grow faster but also removes some of the anxiety around "am I doing things right?" We dive into the different Phases of business in this episode. We discuss where you need to put your foot on the gas, and which phases you can ...
Aug 06, 2020•34 min•Ep. 36
Have you ever let your own assumptions or hang-ups about money affect your patient care? We aren't the arbiter of our patient's finances! It's our job to provide our honest clinical opinion. That doesn't mean we don't take their limitations into account. Of course we do! But we DON'T let our own assumptions get in the way. Learn how to remove your own biases about money from your conversations with patients and allow them to make informed decisions about their own health. Pelvic PT Essentials If...
Aug 03, 2020•36 min•Ep. 35
Nicole is always asking the next question....."why"? In this episode, we dive into the different reasons for starting your own business. We had sent out a business survey to all our members who are either have or are interested in starting their own practice. We asked why, and got a lot of great answers. Most of them fell squarely into one of six different reasons. When we looked at ourselves, we could see some of those same reasons that we started PelvicSanity four years ago. So get clear on yo...
Jul 30, 2020•37 min•Ep. 34
Think of a patient who wasn't ready to do something. To come to PT, to take a medication, to commit to their own health. Just because they've committed to coming to physical therapy does not mean they're ready to do everything you say or make major life changes. In Part 1 of this series, we talk about how you aren't the arbiter of your patient's WHEN. We don't get to decide when they are ready. And we have to be ok with that. We can still give them our honest, direct clinical advice - but we don...
Jul 27, 2020•33 min•Ep. 33
Are you putting unrealistic expectations on your patient? Your patient should never feel like they're "running out of time!" In this episode, we dive into a case report from a patient who contacted us after being treated for vaginismus at another facility. There's a lot to unpack in her letter, but it's a really interesting - and sometimes heartbreaking - patient perspective. Being able to prognosticate or forecast for your patient is such an important skill! We devote basically an entire module...
Jul 23, 2020•38 min•Ep. 32
Are you getting in the way of your patient's success? Despite our best intentions, we do this ALL THE TIME. We need to understand how our own biases, experiences, and attitudes are impacting our patients. We got really excited about going through this - we're going to be spending the next 6 episodes talking about different ways we get in our own way, and how to break that cycle. We need to give our honest, direct clinical advice to the patient. If they can't follow those recommendations - for an...
Jul 20, 2020•31 min•Ep. 31
METRICS - If you're familiar with the word, you probably hate it! Metrics is an overused, misunderstood buzzword for measurable things about your business. What should you be tracking? What should you care about? Every business generates an INCREDIBLE amount of information. At PelvicSanity, we track close to 100 different metrics each month!! It can be overwhelming to separate the sound from all the noise. In this Business Shorty episode, we break it down for you to give you the three metrics yo...
Jul 16, 2020•11 min•Ep. 29
Now we've busted the top 8 myths of IC (see episodes 25 and 27 for the first two parts of this series), but how do you actually break these to your patients? When do you insert yourself, and when do you allow them to hold false beliefs? In this episode we go through the practical applications of this knowledge and how to use it in your clinical practice. Enjoy! Shout Out! If you're enjoying the podcast, please take a few seconds to take a screenshot and put it up in your Instagram Stories and ta...
Jul 13, 2020•35 min•Ep. 28
Marketing your services is a huge challenge, whether you run your own place or are part of a larger program. You have to let others know about what you do and how you can help. Traditionally in the PT world, that has meant going to physicians and asking for referrals. But is that the best way? In this episode we dive into how marketing works in different settings, from large hospital programs to small, cash-based clinics and everything in between. Find out how to have a great physician marketing...
Jul 09, 2020•29 min•Ep. 27
In Part 1 (if you missed it last week, check it out!) we went over the first 4 myths preventing patients from seeing improvement. In this episode, we give you the tools to debunk these myths for your patients (and even their physicians in some cases!) and provide the highest quality of care. Shout Out! If you're enjoying the podcast, please take a few seconds to take a screenshot and put it up in your Instagram Stories and tag Nicole (@nicolecozeandpt). We'd love to hear from you! Get in Touch I...
Jul 06, 2020•45 min•Ep. 26
Coronavirus updates are back! This is a wide-ranging discussion, and we hit some important (and some not-so-important) topics. The title comes from a conversation we had to have with our staff on how to tell patients to properly wear their mask - anyone else dealing with that? We discuss: The future of telehealth in PT How to handle cleaning breaks in the day Trying to have fun at the office during Covid How to tell your patient to wear your mask properly The balance of empathy and authority in ...
Jul 02, 2020•43 min•Ep. 25
Are you perpetuating any of these IC myths with your patients? There's a ton of misinformation out there about interstitial cystitis (that's why we wrote the book!). Despite that, many physicians continue to ignore their own AUA guidelines and fail to recommend pelvic PT and other interventions that can help. As pelvic PTs, we need to know what our patients are hearing and the truth to get the best outcomes for patients. In Part 1, we go through the first 4 myths of IC and provide the truth behi...
Jun 29, 2020•36 min•Ep. 24
Feel like you're putting time, effort and money into your marketing, but you aren't getting the calls that you'd like? You can be doing the best marketing in the world, but if potential patients reach your website and don't call you'll be hearing crickets at your clinic. In this Business Shorty episode (a new feature!), we go through the 3 biggest reasons that pelvic PT website don't convert, and how to fix them to get more conversions! Shout Out! If you're enjoying the podcast, please take a fe...
Jun 25, 2020•13 min•Ep. 23
Wondering what an employer is looking for in a job interview and how to impress and get that offer? Hear about how to have an amazing interview and get the job you want - and for employers, this is how we look for our hires! Make sure that you know yourself before interviewing! Where do you really want to work? What is important to you? We see so many PTs take a job just because it pays a dollar more per hour, when they're going to be miserable at an ortho mill! This episode has all the info you...
Jun 22, 2020•29 min•Ep. 22
A question we often get asked in the Huddle is about how to have a good meeting with a physician. What studies should you bring? How do you explain pelvic PT? How do you ask for referrals? In this episode, we try to turn the traditional method of marketing to physicians upside down. We strongly believe in approaching physicians as equals. We are the musculoskeletal experts and have just as much to bring to a conversation. We don't need to be buying lunches or begging for referrals or bringing re...
Jun 18, 2020•22 min•Ep. 21
Controversy Alert! How do we make the maximum difference for our patients without creating dependency in patients? One of the biggest issues we see in the field is the tendency to discharge patients too early. Their symptoms may be reduced, or their insurance benefits may run out, but the underlying 'why' hasn't been resolved. Eventually - whether it's a week or a month later - something else will happen and their symptoms will return. And then they either need to come back or they don't....find...
Jun 15, 2020•39 min•Ep. 20
In the last episode, we went through an overview of the different types of business structures in pelvic PT - here, we pull back the curtain on why we decided to go cash-based for PelvicSanity. We go through what a 'cash-based' practice truly means, what it looks like in the day-to-day and how we believe it's the best option for our patients. There's no one 'right' answer on how to structure a business, but we hope this gives you an insight into our reasoning. The cash-based model offers some un...
Jun 11, 2020•29 min•Ep. 19
Money is an uncomfortable topic for many of us. In fact, we may even dread the money conversations with our employers or employees, our significant others and family members, and even splitting the check at dinner. But in order to really understand our profession, we need to understand the financial foundation of our system. It affects all of us, whether you're a business owner, a future business owner, or an employee. At heart, this is about how we provide value to patients in return for their ...
Jun 08, 2020•35 min•Ep. 18
In Part 1 of this case report we discussed the telehealth evaluation of a patient presenting with a vaginismus diagnosis. A few weeks later, we had the opportunity to actually work hands-on with her after the Coronavirus restrictions were lifted. Getting to work with her hands-on after doing a remote consultation was eye-opening. It really showed the limitations and challenges of telehealth, and that if we're going to continue incorporating remote visits as a regular part of treatment going forw...
Jun 04, 2020•26 min•Ep. 17
How do we actually do telehealth? We've spent a lot of time talking about converting patients to telehealth, but we've heard a lot less about how to provide as much value as possible for patients remotely. In this two-part series, we examine the interesting case of a patient who had a vaginismus diagnosis and several other symptoms. Her initial consultation was done via telehealth during the Coronavirus shutdown, and then we were able to evaluate her in-person once we re-opened the clinic. In th...
Jun 01, 2020•40 min•Ep. 16
