Who Do We Tell? Our Iceberg is Melting!

John Kotter tells a great story.  I know our iceberg is melting.  Can a collective we (meaning all providers) find a solution?  What about us as a profession, we're such a small piece of the pie, what is our plan for survival?  What would the United States be like without physical therapists?

Without physical therapists, employees would have more days off work due to back pain which would increase cost to employers.

Without physical therapists, consumers would have increased costs with less than optimal options including more medications, more surgeries, more days off work and a wide variety of unlicensed and licensed individuals who would provide very focused services with a "feel good" nature that would miss the mark in providing long term benefit.

What would happen to people who have had surgical procedures?

What would happen to people who have had a cerebrovascular accident? 

And the geriatric citizens in our society... would falls become even more prominent?  Would these citizens have any qualified professional to improve their function to increase the likelihood of maintaining their independence?  Would less and less of these citizens be able to live in their homes?  Would skilled nursing facilities only have nurses providing unguided maintenance?

Our world is all about "me."  Should we take a step back and listen instead of tell?  I wonder if, for our environment to really change, if we should definitively know what we as a profession of diverse individuals truly want.  What's the bottom line?  From what I have read and discussed with other therapists, we want to be THE neuromusculoskeletal experts and reasonably paid for that expertise.  What we want really doesn't matter in a "me" world though, does it?  You see, the more we talk about "me," the greater the likelihood we've lost our ability to persuade anyone we are the experts. 

Who is it that we need to "sell" ourselves?  How about consumers, third party payors, employers and legislators?  Each entity has a different need.  We provide a service that meets the need each of those entity's desires.  Of course, each entity will require a different tactic.  Our financial resources are an obstacle.  Another factor is greed (check out pages 6-8).  How much profit is too much profit for a non-profit organization that can increase its profits by paying providers less?  How can we create change with these barriers?  How can we show that we really can meet the needs of the various parties?  Do we really have a rapport with anyone that can create a path that leads to our bottom line?   

Strides have been taken to create change.  Why is it that as a whole we are consistently unsuccessful in reaching our bottom line?  Could it be something as simple as not being good in a room?

Selena

iceberg by frenchy_rjp via Flckr

Comments

[Jason L. Harris]

The sad part...We may be able to "sell" ourselves to the consumers and even employers, but 3rd party payers and legislators must be BOUGHT. It's how much of the chiropractic "rights" were gained. Legislate legitimacy and buy legislation. That's the American way.

[sean]

Let's not forget that this is also how hospitals operate. Take a look at your local not for profit hospital. If its like the ones I've dealt with for 12 years, they buy up every piece of premium real estate (thereby artificially reducing profits) and open a "Super Healtcare Center."
Your referenced presentation illustrates the real mechanism by which our healthcare costs are rising. Not for profit in healthcare does not exist.