Board of Trustees: Building Trust in Practice
I Trust You – I Trust Me by Peter Kevorkian, D.C. Chair of the Board of Trustees Trust is earned. When people walk into the office of a caregiver, they seek building a relationship based upon trust and honesty. Integrity builds the power and dynamic of this relationship. In the past, patients often blindly trusted their caregivers, doing “whatever the doctor said.” This level of trust did little to foster true health and well-being. I propose that a deep authentic development of trust between caregiver and patient is necessary to facilitate healing within a person’s life. It’s precisely what the culture is seeking. Often when a person consults a doctor, there is a degree of fear. They often wonder to themselves, “Is this condition serious?” or “Do I need to see a ‘real’ doctor?” or “Can this doctor hurt me (or my child)?” or “Can I afford it?” For healing to occur, a patient needs to allay those fears. The doctor of chiropractic and the chiropractic office team needs to support and nurture this relationship. The doctor/patient relationship is a sacred one. Healing is not about curing or treating a condition. It is a journey of honoring the path of physiological change and increased adaptability. Although fear is a powerful motivating factor and may move someone through crisis, it does not contribute to healing, growth and adaptability. Often chiropractors also live in a state of fear. They might ask themselves, “Will
this person follow my recommendation?” or “Will they pay their bill?” or “Might they sue me?” or even “Will I know the right thing to do?” If the caregiver and the patient are both resonating in a state of fear, healing cannot occur. We must develop trusting relationships built upon compassion, transparency and truth. Earning the trust of patients happens one interaction at a time, one visit at a time, and one action at a time. Things interfering with the doctor/patient relationship can often cloud trust. Insurance reimbursements, managed care, regulations and compliance all have the intention to improve the system and provide better health care. But often, these factors actually interfere with relationship of the doctor to the patient and can break down the trust. It is our responsibility, as caregivers, to build trust in our relationships and to facilitate trust in how patients view their bodies. We live in a time where people feel victim to their bodies. They view that the body is a flawed machine that continually needs to be fixed from the outside. People often believe that the body is deficient in many of its chemicals and need to seek the answers to their bodily challenges from the outside. Patients seek pills, powders and potions to treat, fix or cure their ailments. (continued on page 15)
Earning the trust of patients happens one interaction at a time, one visit at a time, and one action at a time. Things interfering with the doctor/patient relationship can often cloud trust.
“PRide Day” Campaign, College Marketing Efforts Recognized Nationally The Sherman PRide Day institutional relations campaign, the college’s recruiting display, and an acceptance packet for prospective students have been recognized in the 2016 National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest. The contest encourages and rewards excellence in communication. Before advancing to the national contest, each of these pieces won top honors in the Media Women of South Carolina contest. The college’s “Sherman PRide Day” campaign was recognized with a second place national prize in its category of communications programs and campaigns. On this day, the college asks alumni and friends to celebrate their affiliation with Sherman by sharing positive information about the college in their offices and on social media. The 2016 Sherman PRide Day is set for October 27 (see back cover). The college’s acceptance packet for prospective students was recognized with an honorable mention award in the nonprofit/educational brochure category. Also receiving honorable mention at the national level was the college’s display designed for career fairs, conferences and trade shows.
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