Would you like to be featured in an upcoming issue of BackBone or highlight a member of your team? The Corporate Communications Team is looking for WC, DC and franchisees to profile. Simply complete a questionnaire by following the links below:
Franchisee Profile Questionnaire
DC Profile Questionnaire
WC Profile Questionnaire
Email the Team
Do you have a question, suggestion or content idea? Would you like to share a best practice or resource that you think would benefit the system?
Email the Corporate Communications Team at communications@thejoint.com
TOOLS + RESOURCES
FOR WC s
New Intake Forms on Dokshop
Paper intake forms have been updated to reflect the changes made to the digital versions utilized in the new Digital Intake process. The new forms are now available on Dokshop
The previous version of the paper forms may be used until December 31, 2024. After that date, all paper intake forms should be the updated version to match the digital version.
Questions? Contact Dr. Kevin Lees, Director of Chiropractic Operations, at dr.lees@thejoint.com
Accounting Dates
October 17 Royalty Draw (October 1-15)
October 17 Inter-clinic Fee Draw/Payment (October 1-15)
November 4 Royalty Draw (October 16-31)
November 4 Inter-clinic Fee Draw/Payment (October 16-31)
November 5-6
Software Fees – Tech Fee
November 12 Minimum Royalties – October 2024
Questions? accounting.services@thejoint.com.
FEATURED STORIES
Welcome Sanjiv Razdan, President and CEO of The Joint Chiropractic
PAGE 6
IVB Program Participation Increases 36 Percent Since August
PAGE 23
FOR FRANCHISEES
Performance Max Campaigns Reach Targeted Audience Across All Google Properties
PAGE 22
25th Anniversary Celebrations Continue Throughout October
PAGE 10
Asheville, NC Clinic Teams Begin Hurricane Helene Recovery
PAGE 18
FOR FRANCHISEES, DC s AND WC s
NEW! Collegiate Champions Merchandise Collection
PAGE 19
FOR WC s
New Curriculum Now Available: Chiropractic 101
PAGE 20
IN EVERY ISSUE
September Clinic Openings
PAGE 18
PAGE 2 Tools + Resources
The Joint in the News: PR Update
PAGE 24
Meet & Greet: Franchisee Profile
PAGE 21
September Leaderboards
PAGE 27
Annual Back Friday Promotion Begins November 18
PAGE 16
PAGE 18 GO Elite + Honorable Mention
PAGE 2 Accounting Dates
Chiropractic Connections: Event Recaps
PAGE 25
Meet & Greet: D.C. Profile
PAGE 26
FROM THE CORNER OFFICE
President and CEO, Sanjiv Razdan
Dear Franchisees and The Joint Community,
I am excited to introduce myself to you as your new President and CEO, and to become part of this extraordinary company. The Joint Chiropractic has a remarkable reputation, and it’s clear that the passion, dedication and talent of each of you are helping to drive its success.
I also want to acknowledge Peter for leading the brand through some very significant growth and milestone events. I know many of you were on that journey with him. You’ve come a long way and I am grateful for the inheritance of progress thus far.
In my short time here, I realize that there are several stories behind our patients, DCs, and our internal team members that led us all to chiropractic. I want to share my story with you too. A couple years ago, I was prioritizing my health and working with a personal trainer. While lifting weights, I pulled my back out. Like many, I went to see my primary physician, but nothing fixed the pain. I then decided to go to a chiropractor, and within several weeks, I was healed, with no drug interventions. I was so happy it worked and instantly developed a personal respect for the chiropractic profession.
As I step into this role, I want to underscore my approach to the business at hand. In keeping with our mission, we will double down on elevating patient care, strengthen clinic economics, drive innovation across all aspects of our business and invest in nurturing culture and people capability. DCs are critical to providing effective and affordable chiropractic care and we have to do more to create a “why would you want to work anywhere else” environment.
I’m eager to hear from stakeholders from across our franchise community. Over the next 100 days, I will not only listen and learn but also undergo an intense business immersion. My intent is to spend time in various market regions and clinics across our franchise and corporate system. I’ll also be engaging with patients, franchisees, RDs, DCs, WCs, the Corporate Field Team and the CSC Team, as well as investors and the Board.
I am committed to better understand your work, challenges and goals. Our collective knowledge and efforts will help shape the path forward, and I’m confident that by proceeding together, we’ll achieve incredible results.
I would like to highlight the Chandler, Ariz. team from The Joint Chiropractic – Chandler - Ahwatukee, on their friendly greeting this past Friday. I stopped by unannounced which did not phase Dr. Cady Logan, D.C, Dr. Megan Ping, D.C. and Wellness Coordinator Donni Baker. I appreciate this gracious team for spending time with, and embracing, me!
Thank you all for welcoming me so warmly. I am ready to work alongside you and look forward to what we will accomplish together. Let’s make this next chapter our best yet!
Together we serve,
Sanjiv Razdan
“In keeping with our mission, we will double down on elevating patient care, strengthen clinic economics, drive innovation across all aspects of our business and invest in nurturing culture and people capability.”
Pictured (L-R): Dr. Cady Logan, D.C., Wellness Coordinator Donni Baker, Dr. Megan Ping, D.C. and Sanjiv Razdan at The Joint Chiropractic - Chandler-Ahwatukee (AZ).
Meet SANJIV RAZDAN
The Joint Corp.’s New President and CEO
HIS PATH TO CHIROPRACTIC, FRANCHISING AND THE JOINT
Sanjiv Razdan admits he was uncertain, and even slightly skeptical, about chiropractic. Then, he injured his back while lifting weights at the gym and his primary care physician instructed him to use medication to manage the pain. When he couldn’t find relief, he turned to a chiropractor and completely recovered within a matter of weeks, becoming a true convert in the process.
Sanjiv was appointed president and CEO of The Joint Corp. on October 14 and is ready to call on his personal experience and respect for the profession to serve patients.
“I believe in putting the consumers – the patients – at the heart of everything we do. We are all here to serve them,” he says.
Sanjiv is eagerly jumping into his new role and acknowledges the groundwork that was laid before his arrival has resulted in a brand with immense potential, a solid business model and significant differentiation as compared to any other competitors.
“As I did my due diligence about the brand, I was pleasantly surprised by the scale of the business and how The Joint is significantly larger than any other competitor. Plus, the core of the business model was compelling,” Sanjiv says. “The number of franchisees that we have and, therefore, people willing to invest their own money is impressive. It is a great vote of confidence that people are willing to put their investment behind the brand.”
In his first 100 days, Sanjiv will completely immerse himself in the business with visits to market regions and clinics across the system that will help inform and establish both immediate priorities and a longerterm roadmap.
“I always find that some of the answers are out there with the front line,” he says. “What can we do differently, what can make us go further faster, what is getting in the way and learning what is at the heart of the business.”
Growing Up and Getting His Start
Sanjiv grew up in Mumbai, India where his mother was a schoolteacher, and his father was an architect in the military. His father’s position required their family to transfer every three years, resulting in Sanjiv attending six different schools before completing high school.
“Now it’s about coming together to imagine, test and validate some levers that we can pull to really create the next decade of growth for The Joint.”
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in physics and computer science from St. Xavier’s college, but quickly pivoted once he realized how the science of “how things work” all turned to math! Instead, he completed a postgraduate program in Hotel Administration with ITC Hotels and began working for Sheraton.
An opportunity with a new casual dining concept called Pizza Hut, however, is what would send him on a lifelong career path.
The Franchising Journey
Pizza Hut was making its introduction into India, so Sanjiv saw the chance to be part of the movement from the beginning and took a job as a restaurant manager. He steadily advanced, eventually relocating to Dallas in 2002 as global operations director. In 2005, Yum! Brands offered him a leadership position with Pizza Hut UK and Ireland, which was grossing over $1 billion in sales.
Sanjiv’s efforts to refresh the brand in the UK and Ireland led to his appointment as president of Pizza Hut India, so he and his family returned to New Delhi in 2011. Sanjiv led additional restaurant growth in the country and was also responsible for starting home delivery throughout India.
By then, however, he had invested 20 years into Yum! Brands and his family was eager to return to the United States. He began exploring U.S.-based opportunities which led him to Kansas City, KS and Applebee’s.
“Returning to the U.S. and the heartland of America was a very fortunate experience,” said Sanjiv.
As Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for Applebee’s, Sanjiv led the turnaround of the brand portfolio in the U.S. which included over 1,800 restaurants in all 50 states and had experienced declining traffic for multiple years. Working with the franchisees and the corporate team, Sanjiv was instrumental in transforming sales, improving franchisee profitability and guest metrics by simplifying and streamlining operations and rebuilding basic retail disciplines from the ground up.
Then, a market disruptor caught Sanjiv’s attention. Sweetgreen was an innovative, mission driven, farm-to-bowl fast-casual concept that the co-founders envisioned as the
“Netflix of food.” Sanjiv arrived at Sweetgreen in 2018 as chief operating officer and helped grow the business from 55 units to 110 locations. While at Sweetgreen, Sanjiv led several disciplines, including field operations, IT, automation and operations services.
In 2021, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf offered Sanjiv the opportunity to lead the U.S. and India markets as president. Similar to The Joint, the brand was part company-owned and part franchiseowned locations with a comparable number of franchisees, including many smaller multiunit operators. He transformed the business completely by developing strong franchise relationships, repairing unit level margins and reshaping the company’s culture.
As with Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Sanjiv sees opportunity to strengthen and elevate The Joint’s clinic economics and seek out sources of sustainable revenue growth. His prior experience coupled with a strong brand foundation makes him confident that The Joint is poised for a prosperous future.
“I am very grateful for the work that Peter [Holt] has done in leading this brand over the last eight years. It has come a really long way, and those things don’t happen by accident,” Sanjiv says. “Businesses go through phases of growth. Now it’s about coming together to imagine, test and validate some levers that we can pull to really create the next decade of growth for The Joint.”
Away From the Office
Sanjiv and his wife Nisha met through Yum! Brands and have been married for 27 years. Together, they have two daughters, Meha (26) and Diya (24). Diya is currently pursuing her law degree at Pepperdine. Meha works in advertising as a copywriter and has a cat, Billie, that the family loves to visit. In his spare time, Sanjiv enjoys travel, live music, eating out and spending time with friends and family.
Sanjiv and his wife Nisha have been married for 27 years.
Sanjiv and his daughters Meha (pictured on the left) and Diya.
The Joint showcases 25
Celebrations are fully underway for The Joint’s 25th Anniversary and there is plenty of activity taking place across the system in honor of this important milestone.
Years of Care
Through Brand Storytelling and Local Activations
“Remix Your Health” Promotion Increasing YearOver-Year Existing Patient Wellness Plan Sales
The “Remix Your Health” promotion began on October 7 and over one-third of the system is participating by offering existing patients the first month of their Wellness Plan for just $49 – the same pricing as The Joint’s founding year of 1999. The sale concludes on November 4.
Midway through the promotion, participating clinics are seeing great results and an increase in Existing Patient Wellness Plan sales over the same time period last year.
These totals are higher than what we have seen in the last two similar promotions. Back to Wellness in August brought in 69% year-over-year in Existing Patients while the Summer Sale in 2023 brought in 68% year-over-year.
For further context on the promotion’s performance, the table below shows year-over-year counts for Existing Patient Wellness Plans for the first six days of October in 2023 and 2024.
As indicated in the table, the totals are flat. However, once the promotion began on October 7, we see 71.8% year-overyear for Existing Patient Wellness Plans. This means that the incremental sales that participating clinics are experiencing can easily be attributed to the promotion and not any natural increase in plan purchases.
National Instagram Giveaway Awards Deserving Patients
On October 1, The Joint kicked off a giveaway event on its national Instagram account, @thejointchiro . Designed to highlight showcase how The Joint has committed to health and wellness for 25 years, followers were asked to share how we have helped them on their wellness journey for the chance to win an exclusive “Remix Your Health” prize package.
Through the first two weeks of the giveaway, there have been 100 total entries by patients sharing their personal stories of how The Joint has improved their quality of life. In addition, The Joint’s national social media account has gained 138 new followers.
The giveaway ends on October 31.
“Being able to afford to get an adjustment on a weekly basis has helped me tremendously. I never would have thought I would be relieved of sciatic nerve pain without some sort of medical treatment that I didn’t want.” - @rhondajrandall
Telling Our Story of “25 Years of Care”
The Joint has served our communities through routine and affordable chiropractic care for 25 years and this anniversary is the opportunity to celebrate where we’ve been by sharing our brand story.
The Brand Marketing Team is sharing testimonials from current patients and doctors across The Joint’s national social media platforms to boost awareness of our accomplishments over the past 25 years. In addition, these first-hand experiences reinforce brand connection, drive engagement and reinforce our commitment to offering personalized care.
Meet Dr. Anish Chandra, D.C. and learn more about his passion for chiropractic and The Joint.
Clinics Host Local Anniversary Events on October 25
The Joint’s official anniversary date was October 25 and clinics across the system celebrated with their patients by hosting a local in-clinic event. In addition to showing our appreciation to patients for supporting us through 25 years, these events also served as ideal opportunities to attract new patients and re-engage lapsed patients.
Show Your Spirit with 25th Anniversary Merchandise
Exclusive “Remix Your Health” special edition merchandise is still available to purchase on Dokshop!
The collection can be purchased for clinic teams to wear in order to generate excitement and awareness for The Joint’s 25th anniversary and include a t-shirt (priced under $10), a backpack, a reusable water bottle (priced at less than $3) and a sticker sheet (available for under $2).
View and purchase items on Dokshop
All clinics, including franchised and corporate-managed locations
Sale Start Date: Monday, November 18
Sale End Date: Saturday, November 30 at close of business
The Back Friday Sale has steadily gained momentum – and increased sales – in the last few years. In 2023, the promotion saw gains in nearly all sales categories and brought in over $8.5 million in sales which was a 31 percent increase over 2022’s performance.
The Offer
• Primary (will be advertised): Buy 10 Adjustments, Get 2 Free
• Secondary (in-clinic only): Buy 6 Adjustments, Get 1 Free
• Secondary (in-clinic only): Buy 20 Adjustments, Get 4 Free
Target Audience
• Current patients who are not currently on a Wellness or Flex Plan
• Current patients who have at least one visit in the last two years
Packages All Year
Marketing Strategy + Tactics
• Custom, targeted emails distributed to patients through Iterable
• SMS messages distributed to patients by OTT
• Targeted social media advertising
Additional Resources
Support materials, including the Promotion Guide and elearning, will be communicated to the system via The Alignment the week of November 4.
Best Practices
Begin calling patients now to announce the Back Friday promotion is coming, then follow up once the sale begins and when its coming to an end.
Print out the promotion script so it can be readily available for calls and when speaking to patients in the clinic.
Print out the savings breakout for your Zone for easy reference to tell a patient how much they can save.
“We host a onehour call each week with all WCs in our entire group and use the call to review all FAQ sheets, talk tips and tricks, discuss pros and cons of previous promotions and role play different scenarios the WCs will see in the clinic.”
- Tori Baucum, franchisee
TJC Clinics Begin Recovery Efforts After Hurricanes Helene and
Milton
After Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton made landfall within days of each other, thousands are beginning the long recovery process, including some of The Joint’s clinics that were located in impacted areas.
South Florida Franchisees and Clinic Teams Resume Operations
All of our colleagues and their families in South Florida were safe and accounted for after Hurricane Milton devastated the area. There were 13 clinics closed for several days due to power outages while three others experienced some flooding due to damaged roofs.
As of October 15, all clinics have resumed operations.
Support Chad Eads’ Organization in Hurricane Helene Recovery
Residents of Asheville, NC are beginning the long rebuilding process after the destruction left behind by Hurricane Helene.
Franchisee and Regional Developer Chad Eads operates three clinics in Asheville (South Asheville, North Asheville and West Asheville). Recently, Chad and his teams were voted Best Chiropractor in the annual Best of Asheville contest which highlights the best business, companies and services as voted on by the local community.
The clinics re-opened on October 9 after a two-week closure. Chad’s family, his employees and their families are all safe, but are navigate the aftermath of this disaster. Some have lost their homes, and all are trying to rebuild and recover.
Chad has established a GoFundMe page to support his clinic team members, doctors and their families. If you would like to donate to support our friends and colleagues during this difficult time, please follow the link above. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
CONGRATULATIONS to these September Clinic openings
JONATHAN CEASER (Lynchburg, VA)
DRS. HEATHER AND DAVID SEFRIED, D.C. (Raleigh, NC)
BILLY PERKINS, DR. DREW PERKINS, D.C. & DR. MIKE SHAW, D.C. (New Braunfels, TX)
TOTAL CLINICS OPEN: 965 FRANCHISED UNITS: 840
GO Elite: A New Level of Best in Class for Grand Openings
Introducing the newest class of inductees into the GO Elite family:
Cori Cammarano
The Joint Chiropractic – Zephyrhills (FL)
• $43,402 in sales and 496 New Patients in the first 60 days
Dr. Scott Wofford, D.C., Dr. Ryan Bailey, D.C., Dr. Nick & Tori Baucum, D.C. and David Longley
The Joint Chiropractic – Victoria (TX)
• $48,698 in sales and 756 New Patients in the first 60 days
HONORABLE MENTION
Dr. Paul Kaiser, D.C.
The Joint Chiropractic – McDonough (GA)
• $26,480 in sales and 351 New Patients in the first 60 days
Represents clinics achieving GO Elite or honorable mention status as of October 5.
“The most important thing with pre-opening marketing is to do everything! We used OTT, Kip Rapp, hired someone for guerilla marketing, put up window wraps, ordered lawn signs – you name it, we did it! Different things work in different markets, and you won’t know the magic ticket until the dust settles. And that’s too late to go back and fix it.”
- Cori Cammarano on finding GO Elite success for the Zephyrhills clinic
Chad Eads and his three clinics were voted Best Chiropractor for 2024 by the Asheville community.
COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONS
Merchandise Collection
Get game day ready with athletic-inspired, stadium-approved apparel and accessories including t-shirts, sweatshirts and joggers in deep teal and black. The collection also includes branded hats, water bottles and clear tote bags which are ideal giveaways for tabling events or raffles.
Revisit Resources in The Learning Center
The Learning Center ‘Resources’ folder is filled with valuable documents and guides to enhance training and support daily tasks. Some existing resources you may have forgotten include:
WC and DC Onboarding Checklists
The WC and DC Onboarding Checklists are not new, but are valuable resources worth noting. They are available both in TLC and Franconnect for all owners, ops managers, and field leaders. These resources provide a customizable tool designed to ensure smooth and efficient onboarding for key roles like Wellness Coordinators and Doctors of Chiropractic. This customizable checklist allows owners to tailor the onboarding process to their clinic’s unique needs, ensuring that every task is completed and no detail is overlooked. By implementing systems and routines, like utilizing an onboarding checklist, it’s easier to provide consistent, effective onboarding experiences for each new team member, setting them—and your clinic—up for long-term success.
The New Patient Experience (for DCs) Post-Completion Resource
This resource was highly requested. It was created to be used by DCs after completion of The New Patient Experience (for DCs) curriculum. This resource contains a brief summary of each module in The New Patient Experience (for DCs) curriculum and the scenario transcripts for the examples shown in the elearning modules. Owners may also find it helpful as a tool as It contains critical thinking questions for self-reflection and/or coaching purposes.
The Learning Center Administrator Manual
This resource is available to all certified The Learning Center Admins and serves as a manual for all tasks and functions an admin is responsible to complete in the system. Use this manual as a quick reference for stepby-step instructions on how to execute tasks such as:
• Enrolling and un-enrolling learners into courses and curricula
• Managing user lists and maintaining learner profile information
• Reading transcripts and reporting
• When and how to get help
Chiropractic 101: More Than Elearning
The Chiropractic 101 curriculum offers more than the elearning courses designed for WCs and non-doctors to build upon their knowledge of chiropractic. Each course in the curriculum also provides learners with a downloadable resource of useful information from the course and tools to apply learning to their role. These resources are in the course and made accessible in the ‘Resources’ folder after completion of the curriculum.
Resources available in Chiropractic 101 include:
• Interview a Doctor
This activity helps to foster rapport between the WC and DC while building the WCs knowledge about the DC in the clinic in order to better communicate about chiropractic with patients.
• Anatomy & Adjustments Terminology
This infographic contains information on the spine, nervous system, subluxation, and adjustment techniques for quick reference when discussing chiropractic care with others.
• Create an Elevator Speech
This activity prepares learners for speaking to chiropractic care through an ‘Elevator Speech’, or quick introduction to chiropractic care that summarizes key talking points with one simple acronym: B-A-C-K.
• Chiropractic 101 FAQs
This guide includes over 20 frequently asked questions about chiropractic care, offering suggested scripts for WCs and non-doctors, in addition to guidance on when to refer a patient’s treatment-specific questions to the DC.
Chiropractic 101 Feedback
“Honestly, I was so impressed... I’m going to encourage my entire region to take it.”
Franchisee Profile: Alena Walker
The Joint Chiropractic –Fort Wayne North (IN)
Alena Walker was working in logistics as an account manager but began researching new career options, including franchising, after being passed over for a promotion. She also suffers from terrible tension migraines. When she feels one coming on, she seeks out an adjustment right away to find relief.
“I struggled to find an affordable chiropractor that could get me in during my unpredictable lunch schedule,” says Alena.
She received her first-ever chiropractic adjustment in 2017 from The Joint Chiropractic – Sugar House in Utah. Then, as she began her journey into franchising, she knew her community of Fort Wayne, IN needed easier access to chiropractic care. Alena signed her franchise agreement in 2021, opened her clinic in January 2023 and was named a Rookie Franchisee of the Year finalist.
“Forming relationships with other franchisees has been invaluable,” she says. “I wouldn’t know what to do without some of the great franchise owners I’ve been able to connect with. Everyone has been so helpful and provides guidance or support when needed.”
Alena is an active member of her local chamber of commerce and participates in a monthly CEO roundtable to discuss topics that affect the community and
businesses in Fort Wayne. Her clinic is a proud sponsor of the Fort Wayne TinCaps, a Minor League Baseball team affiliated with the San Diego Padres, and the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, one of the few zoos in the country that operates without taxpayer funding. Since opening in early 2023, Alena and her clinic team have hosted at least one tabling event per month to increase their community presence.
Alena and her husband Josh were married on September 21 in Telluride, CO and have two sons, ages 5 and 2. They love taking their camper on long weekend trips to explore new places. Alena is Vice President of Community and Membership for The Junior League of Fort Wayne and volunteers to help combat food insecurity in their region. She also stays connected with her Delta Delta Delta sorority sisters from across the country through their alumni chapter.
New Performance Max Campaign Reaches Targeted Audience Across All
Performance Max (PMax) is a relatively new Google Ads campaign type that uses advanced machine learning to optimize ad delivery across Google’s entire network, including Search, Display, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Maps. OTT has been partnering with Google since PMax’s beta phase to optimize its capabilities and seamlessly integrate it into campaigns at the national, regional, and Local levels.
Regions are facing rising competition, which is increasing costs and limiting ad space in search results. In less mature regions, local demand is stabilizing. As user behavior changes, digital strategies need to focus on customer behavior rather than specific channels. PMax campaigns drive results throughout the marketing funnel—from increasing brand awareness and consideration (upper funnel) to generating leads and conversions (lower funnel). By identifying highvalue users and delivering tailored messages at the right time, PMax helps The Joint remain competitive across multiple channels with a single, goal-focused campaign. Furthermore, The Joint’s ability to buy media at the regional level gives it a competitive edge over smaller brands.
Google Properties
Clinics Using PMax Experiencing Improved Year-Over-Year New Patient Counts
Currently, there are 18 regions running Pmax campaigns in October and at least four additional regions are set to launch in November.
The initial pilot group of 288 clinics is beginning to see compelling indicators of success, including better year-over-year New Patient percentages versus the rest of the system.
New Patients October
The chart below indicates rolling 30-day averages of New Patients for the last month. The two cohorts (PMax Clinics and Non-PMAX clinics) converged around October 11 and there is a clear delineation showing PMax Clinics surpassing Non-PMax Clinics in New Patient counts.
Interested in Performance Max for Your Clinics or Region?
• Minimum budget is $1,500 per region or $300 per clinic - whichever is greater.
• Management fee is $50 per clinic per month.
• Ads are targeted to a select radius around each participating clinic.
• Ad clicks lead to a regional landing page, so all participating clinics within a region must be listed on the same regional landing page.
• Fees can be billed to a co-op account or to individual clinics, so even regions without formal co-op agreements can participate.
Reach out to your dedicated OTT Representative or Franchise Marketing Manager for more information or to get started. Clinics must opt in by the 25th of each month to launch on the 1st of the following month.
Over 550 Clinics Now Participating in Initial Visit Booking
As of October 1, 552 clinics have activated Carbon Bookings and enrolled to participate in the Initial Visit Booking (IVB) Pilot Program and offer new patients the opportunity to pre-schedule their Initial Visit for a specific day and time. This marks a 36 percent increase in participating clinics since August 31.
Although September was a down month for New Patients overall, there is still a clear difference in yearover-year New Patient performance between IVB clinics and non-IVB clinics.
Updates and Refinements Continue
The Joint and OTT have partnered on continuous refinements to the operational process and the Carbon Bookings software based on feedback gathered from franchisees, clinic teams and patients.
Most recently, the OTT team completed an update designed to strengthen the connection between Carbon Bookings and Carbon Referrals. Now, the lead form for referrals automatically redirects to the booking landing page for clinic locations with both services.
Progress continues on a Google Calendar integration that will automatically create the event in a clinic’s Google calendar. This upgrade will offer clinic teams more efficiency and user-friendly functionality, and OTT anticipates that it will be available in the coming weeks.
IVB By the Numbers
552
number of clinics participating in IVB as of October 1
It is important to note that September 2024 included one additional Sunday which was a key driver in the overall negative numbers. Still, IVB clinics saw less impact to overall New Patient totals than those clinics not participating in IVB.
Program Success Goes Beyond Increased New Patient Totals
Before introducing the program to clinics across the system, extensive work was done to ensure a firstclass experience for patients and the WCs who would be managing the bookings.
The IVB Pilot Program was structured to solicit ongoing feedback from both clinic teams and patients. The CSC distributed post-visit surveys to patients and held roundtables for WCs and doctors during the initial phases of the program.
Through these interactions, a full scheduling process - from new lead to booked initial visit – was created with a full elearning module and job aid for WCs as well as live trainings and a fact sheet for franchisees. The process has been refined over time using realtime feedback from patients and the field.
The result is a successful pilot program with over half of the system participating and confident, prepared WCs who can provide their patients with a positive experience.
36% more
percentage of clinics that joined from August 31 to October 1
Ready to Join?
Don’t miss out on the opportunity to join over half of the system in the IVB Pilot Program!
Any open clinic may participate in the IVB Pilot Program.
• Activations occur on the 1st and 15th of every month.
• There is a $50 per month subscription fee for Carbon Bookings, a feature in Carbon that facilitates the scheduling process. NOTE: Clinics that activate on the 15th of the month will be charged for a full month.
Franchisees who would like to enroll one or more clinics in the IVB Pilot Program must submit:
• OTT’s Carbon Bookings Sign-Up Form
• Carbon Bookings Work Order
Additional information can be found in the Initial Visit Booking Pilot Program Fact Sheet on FranConnect.
Average New Patients YoY: September
The Joint in the News: Public Relations Update
The Joint has been spotlighted as an expert resource in articles by top-tier consumer publications and Dr. Kevin Lees, D.C., Director of Chiropractic Operations, is often featured as a subject matter expert on a variety of topics.
The Public Relations Team secured national coverage in two different articles in GQ , marking The Joint’s first appearance in the publication.
In “The Best Mattresses for Stomach Sleepers Let you Starfish All Night Long,” Dr. Lees is the sole expert to provide insights on what stomach sleepers should look for in a mattress to best support their body. The article reached over 9.9 million online readers.
Dr. Lees was again featured in GQ in an article titled “The Best Mattresses for Couples Just in Time for Cuffing Season” where he discusses why investing in a mattress that feels good and supports you properly is so important. As a bonus, the article was syndicated to MSN, reaching an additional 125.5 million unique viewers.
The Drunken Monkey may sound like something on a cocktail menu, but it’s actually a set of simple nighttime stretches designed to release built-up tension and improve blood flow to your limps to help you have a more restful night’s sleep. Verywell Mind reached out to Dr. Lees for his thoughts on this TikTok trend, which was first posted about in 2022, in their article “ The Drunken Monkey Sleep Hack Might Be a TikTok Trend Worth Trying.” The article reached 11.8 million online readers and was syndicated to Yahoo!Life for an additional 425.8 million unique impressions.
Looking for content for your local social media pages?
Share stories from our Newsroom!
Make sure to follow The Joint Chiropractic on social media, such as LinkedIn. Like, comment and share our news and stories to amplify our brand.
Chiropractic Connections: Building the Brand Across the Country
From October 3-5, The Joint Chiropractic proudly participated as a platinum sponsor at the Life Extravaganza held in Marietta, GA.
As a platinum sponsor, we enjoyed many benefits, including a listing in the event app, recognition on the event website and meter board, an insert in the attendee registration packets, and prime real estate in the exhibitor hall. The Joint’s booth was positioned so that attendees saw it as soon as they entered, and we engaged with hundreds of chiropractors, students, and vendors.
A highlight of the event was the presentation by Dr. Steve Knauf, D.C., Vice President of Chiropractic & Compliance, and Dr. Patrick Greco, RD, franchisee and NFAB representative, who spoke to a packed room on the effects of compassion in patient care. Our booth became a hub of conversation, centered around The Joint’s growth and the adaptability of our model for chiropractors at all stages of their careers. We connected with students eager to enter the field, seasoned doctors with over 30 years of experience, and those aspiring to own their own Joint locations.
As one of the largest events of the year for our community, participating in the Life Extravaganza was crucial. It allowed us to connect attendees to the brand and strengthen our network within the chiropractic profession.
UPCOMING EVENTS
TFranchisees, DCs and other partners from across the system are invited to participate and assist in promoting the brand and showcasing career opportunities at The Joint.
• October 24: Life West Career Fair (Hayward, CA)
• October 31-November 2: Cleveland University-Kansas City Annual Convention and Expo (Kansas City, KS)
• November 19-20: Life Chiropractic Networking Fair (Marietta, GA)
• November 21: University of Western States Career Fair (Portland, OR)
• November 22-24: FCA Southeast Regional (Naples, FL)
If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to careers@thejoint.com
Alanna Williams represents The Joint at ChiroFEST 2024 in Vancouver, WA.
Pictured (L-R): Jessica Martin, Kirma Patel, Lori Abou Habib and Rachana Bhagat
Dr. Steve Knauf, D.C. and Dr. Patrick Greco, D.C. after their presentation on the effects of compassion on patient care.
D.C . Profile: Dr. Yomari Rodriguez, D.C.
The Joint Chiropractic – Trinity (FL) Palmer College of Chiropractic (Florida), 2012
Growing up in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dr. Rodriguez’s love for volleyball kept her active and engaged, but injuries along the way challenged her ability to play. After trying physical therapy, her parents took her to a chiropractor, and it was there that she experienced the profound impact of chiropractic care.
“From a young age, I knew I was meant to help others, and becoming a chiropractor felt like the perfect way to fulfill that calling,” said Dr. Rodriguez. “It allows me to give back to my community and support others on their healing journey, ensuring they can enjoy their passions just as I did. Being a chiropractor is not just my profession; it’s a way of inspiring others to live their best active lives.”
After graduating from Palmer College of Chiropractic in 2012, she continued pursuing additional education and completed an additional 100 hours of specialized training to receive certification as a Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician. This advanced training has equipped Dr. Rodriguez with the skills and knowledge to provide specialized care to athletes and individuals with sports-related injuries.
Dr. Rodriguez began working at The Joint in 2022 and is motivated by The Joint’s model which allows her to provide a personalized experience and effective treatments to every patient she adjusts. She was nominated as a 2023 DC of the Year.
“Our commitment to creating a welcoming atmosphere and a strong sense of community enables us to reach individuals who might not have otherwise experienced chiropractic care,” said Dr. Rodriguez. “I take great pride in our ability to educate and positively impact numerous lives, helping individuals achieve their fullest potential.”
Dr. Rodriguez loves being in the clinic with her patients, but the beach is her true happy place, especially those in her home of Puerto Rico. She has two dogs, a chihuahua mix rescue called Lolita Lynn and a Dutch shepherd called Bud Omar. In her spare time, she loves traveling and experiencing new cultures, but also loves a quiet night in binge watching her favorite TV shows.
September Leaderboard Metrics
Each month we highlight the performance leaders on some of our critical metrics. Find out who made the September leaderboards below!
PATIENT TESTIMONIAL
“All five stars for Dr. Joe. He is an amazing chiropractor. His adjustments are gentle and yet very effective. He listens to your needs and customizes his technique for you. I am grateful for all his help and would wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone!”
Katrina Fisher, patient at The Joint Chiropractic – Carmel Mountain (CA)
