Expert: Dr. Timothy K. Durnin - 5/20/2007

Question
QUESTION: How do start expanding you practices.  At what level do you pull away from treat the patients that"just want to see you" and decide to open other offices.  Is there a certain criteria the you have as far as a certain mile radius to open in?  Do you partner with associate DC's or PT's in the next office?  I'm in NJ and have a nice size DC/PT/MD practice (350/wk).  Plus decompression.  When do you feel expansion is right?

ANSWER: Franchising is an option available with the right counsel, I am medical director for Life Extension Laser. I network with attorneys and LELC to leverage my % in any given pracice in exchange for my referral base and advertising. Multidisciplinary clinics partner up with me to double their practice base in exchange for ownership agreements that very from practice to practice. Doing this also gives my clinics leverage with bogus PPO's like ACN and attorneys since I have a say what I will settle for. If they don't like it, chances are I have an interest in any alternative facilities, this paints them in a corner so I don't have to compromise with unfair re-embursment practices. Think of it as a union, get together with your competion and join a co-op with standardized reimbursment and treatment protocols. This prevents the insurance industry and lawyers from taking advantage of you. The process evolved over several years, I didn't join any practice building seminar, I thought of it on my own and started networking. If I run an ad on t.v., radio, the Tribune ect, I will end up with thousands of dead leads if I don't have infrastructure in all demographics. This spurred me on to exchange those leads for ownership leverage with other facilities. It's complicated but necessary in the present environment we are forced to practice in. Also, I have over 40 clinics, I am growing by the week, the newly aquired interest in the clinic benefits and so do I, it's a win-win situation.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Nice way to leverage yourself.  What exactly is life extenson laser?  Is it for pain?  CTS?

Answer
It is proven and shown effective for PVD and pain, we are currently doing RCT's for smoking cessation and weight loss.

It is Class III laser technology, the next big thing in health care. We also use class IV lasers for dermatological problems, big money in that.

td