Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic Celebrates 4 Year Anniversary

Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic Celebrates 4 Year Anniversary

As many of my avid blog readers and followers are aware I am a chiropractor that spends the majority of my time treating patients with headaches, neck pain and back pain. The patients can be the “weekend warrior type” or they can be involved in Baltimore auto accident and Baltimore worker’s compensation injuries. No matter the cause of their neck and back pain, we are happy to provide service to get them feeling better again quickly.

Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic first opened on 08/20/12 and we just recently celebrated the 4 year anniversary of the clinic opening. The past four years have flown by. I have met tons of other business owners, medical providers, physical therapists, lawyers, and other chiropractors. All of these parties have shared with me their success stories on growing their businesses and helping to serve their clients/patients. After four years the clinic finally feels like it is an intrinsic piece of thread in the tapestry of Baltimore City.

Recently I announced the opening of our second clinic. Construction is underway at the second location, 6810 Park Heights Avenue Suite C4, Baltimore, MD 21215. We hope to have it up and running before Thanksgiving so that we can offer our services to the clients of Northwest Baltimore City, Pikesville, and Owings Mills as well.

My favorite part of expanding the clinic has been taking on the role of mentor to other chiropractors in the clinic. Currently the Fells Point clinic has Dr. Erica Wise D.C. and Dr. Manpreet Keith D.C. The grand opening of the Upper Park Heights clinic will feature another chiropractor (whose information will remain private until all the details have been finalized). I have enjoyed spending time with these providers and sharing with them my insights on injury diagnosis, case management, and patient treatment. As much as I enjoy treating patients and helping patients in a one on one environment, I am learning as I gain more experience that I can help more patients by instilling my knowledge and experience in other providers.  I feel that I will be able to leave a longer lasting legacy if I can continue to train “the next generation” of chiropractors within my clinics.

I recently celebrated another milestone in my life, as I asked my girlfriend to marry me on the anniversary of the date that the clinic originally opened. She said yes and we are working on planning our wedding.

The last four years have been stressful and exciting. I expect the next four years to be more of the same. I just wanted to say thank you to the community for supporting the clinic as it grows and for allowing us to serve you for all of your chiropractic needs. Moving to Baltimore to start his clinic was my dream and I sincerely appreciate your collective efforts in allowing my dream to come true.

Dr. Gulitz

New Vehicle Safety Features Help to Cut Down On Baltimore Auto Accidents

As many of my avid blog post readers and followers already know, I am a Baltimore Chiropractor that spends the majority of my time reading about, researching, and providing care for Baltimore auto accident injuries. Typically patients present with whiplash injuries which manifest as headaches, neck pain, and back pain. Occasionally we see more severe injuries such as subdural hematoma and spinal cord injuries, but these are indeed rare in our clinic.

I’d like to deviate from the normal form of the blog post where I discuss intricacies of what happens after a Baltimore resident is injured, and instead flip the dialogue to how to avoid sustaining Baltimore auto accident injuries in the first place. I have been reading some car magazines to learn more about accident avoidance mechanisms and I thought I might share some with you. For those looking to upgrade to their next vehicle, these options may well be worth the money, as they look to cut down on or eliminate crashes (and therefore Baltimore auto accident injuries) moving forward. In no particular order, here are a few of the new gadgets that you may want to look at before you drive off in your new vehicle.

1) Blind spot detection – This features allows a visual cue (flashing light) to indicate to you the driver that another vehicle, pedestrian, or bicyclist is in your blind spot. We’ve all had a “near miss” moment where we attempt to change lanes only to suddenly jerk the wheel back to avoid a collision. This should help that some. One potential problem is it may flash so frequently as vehicles pass that we may become numb to it and ignore it over time. Still, it seems useful. I wouldn’t avoid turning my head as we were taught in driver’s education, but it is a nice add-on feature that can definitely help to present some lane-change crashes.

2) Lane assist – This is a feature that allows you to stay in your lane and alerts you as you drift out of your lane and into another lane. The vehicle would be automatically re-centered back into its lane by having the vehicle’s onboard computer turn the wheel slightly. I think this could be somewhat useful on long “autopilot” drives up and down the coast, especially if you are getting drowsy. I’d be nervous about it not allowing me to change lanes quickly if enabled, but I like the idea of it.

3) Rear View Camera/Parking Assist – This one will be of particular interest to city dwellers such as myself. By now many new vehicles allow you to “upgrade” to a rear view camera due to their simplicity and their ability to cut down on vehicle crashes while parking and cramming into tight spaces. I personally don’t know how I ever lived without one. It is believed that by May of 2018 all new vehicles manufactured in the US will need these onboard, but until then they are simply an option worth pursuing. Some of these cameras allow just for a simple image of what’s behind the vehicle. Others allow for sensors that trip if there is an impending impact, and others still demonstrate where the vehicle would travel to in real time based on the way the tires are currently turned. Other cameras take the game one step further by letting you see to the right and left side of your vehicle so you can see how close to the curb you are when you parallel park. Obviously the sky is the limit based on the number and location of cameras. I don’t see any draw back of these systems as they will generally be in play only when at low speed, reverse, and parking. I can’t wait to see them as default equipment on all cars of of 2018. I would strongly recommend that everyone exercise their option to purchase a camera system.

4) Heads Up Display – This is a feature that was only once available on the Milennium Falcon. A small projector reflects your vehicles speed, integrated navigation, and speed limit slightly above your steering wheel. This allows for your eyes to remain on the road as you navigate your directions. I really like this system in a vehicle that I drove, because I found that it kept me looking straight ahead rather than continually glancing to my vehicle’s navigation and my instrument panel. The one negative that I experienced was that with polarized sun glasses I would lose visual contact based on the position of my head. This is probably something that can get fixed. I only test drove one vehicle with this problem so I am not sure if it is an industry problem or if it is an early adopter problem.

5) Rear-End Prevention Technology – As just about everyone has heard most rear-end auto accidents are caused by operator error rather than drug/alcohol/weather issues. These technologies utilize a sonar-type signal to automatically slow a vehicle down in an attempt to avoid a crash before it occurs. I think in theory these technologies could really cut down on the number of collisions, but I am afraid that if they are not perfected they will cause vehicles to stop short and will actually cause INCREASED occupant injuries. I think they need more time to develop and mature but I think the idea is really solid and that once perfected I think they will work well to cut down on whiplash injuries.

One thing is for certain- technology can add to the fun of driving and it can add to the prevention of Baltimore auto accident injuries. The negative consequence of all of this technology is that not all vehicles will have access to it. We, as vehicle operators, can not completely depend on technology to keep us safe. It is our responsibility to take proper precaution and attempt to avoid collisions.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured as a result of a Baltimore auto accident, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz

The Importance of Giving Back

As most of my avid blog readers out there already know, I am a Baltimore Chiropractor whose clinic spends the majority of its time treating Baltimore car accident injury patients. Of course we see patients who have not been involved in Baltimore auto accident injuries, and we spend a fair amount of time treating headaches, neck pain, mid back pain, lower back pain, and sciatica as well.

I opened the clinic about 4 years ago. My goal was simple: to become the premier destination for chiropractic/rehab services for Baltimore City while catering to the Hispanic demographic located in Southeast Baltimore. We’ve seen approximately 2000 new patients in that time frame. A lot of my chiropractor friends ask how I got to see that many new patients so quickly. And the answer is “I give.” I wake up early to see the early risers, I work through lunch to see patients who only have a short period of time on their lunch breaks for care, and I stay late to see those working far away who only want to come here. I worked every Saturday for the first two years. I give and I give and then I give some more. There’s a saying in business networking that “giver’s gain.” Starting with one new patient, helping them to the best of my abilities, the referrals started to snowball. Online reviews grew and the practice grew. It continues to grow to the tune of 75-80 new patients a month. I am beyond pleased with the success of the practice and my ability to help the citizens of Baltimore live healthier, happier, pain-free lives. There have been bumps in the road as we have hired (and then fired) staff members whose commitment to patients was not in line with what I was looking for. But I suppose that is to be expected with any (relatively) new business.

Anyone who has ever started a business or ran a business knows that there is usually a cost to business and financial success. Typically that is decreased health (due to stress and meals on the go) and decreased “relationship” health, as more time and resources are diverted to the business side of life and less to the personal side of life. I missed countless family gatherings, weekends together with loved ones, and countless evenings with friends playing cards and hanging out so that I could work, solidify my brand, and continue to grow my business. Some people call this “sacrifice” but I don’t think its a sacrifice. I think its a necessary commitment early on to help the business and practice take off.

Recently my family suffered a tremendous loss as my mother lost her battle with lung cancer. I found (and find) myself less motivated to grow the business and more interested in investing in those parts of my life that I have been putting by the wayside. Having lost someone I cared about I find myself wondering if it matters if I can increase the number of patients we help or how much money we can collect, or when I can finish paying off my student loan debt. I find myself wanting to spend more time with my girlfriend, my friends, and my family. I think its a natural mental frame shift that probably occurs with most people when they suffer a tremendous loss. It puts our mortality into perspective, as well it should.

To help honor my mother’s memory I put together a youcaring campaign.  The campaign details a little history of her life and it shines a light on her true passion – animal rescue. I made it a commitment to raise $5,000 in her memory to donate to the cause that brought her such joy and meaning in her life. Since her passing we have raised over $3,300 for the cause. We are about two-thirds of the way there!

Having said that, I would like to compel my blog reads to like, share, and if possible, donate to the cause. As my team and I have given to help you over the past four years, please help give back to communities outside of work and healthcare that mean a lot to me. And more importantly, I’d like those blog readers (especially other business owners, entrepreneurs, and Chiropractors) to take an evening off and spend some time with those who care about you the most. You don’t know when you won’t have that opportunity.

Lost In Translation – He Said, She Said, and the Truth

As a Baltimore Chiropractor that spends the majority of my time treating patients injured in Baltimore auto accidents, I have learned over the years that communication is paramount. Whether that be communication with a patient, an insurance company, or even while communicating my thoughts into a daily SOAP note. In my practice we work closely along side internists and specialists such as pain management physicians and orthopedic surgeons. A lot of the “co-management” of these patients requires continued back and forth communication on behalf of these patients with these other providers. My staff and I do our best to succinctly record our findings and our opinions regarding the patients that we are co-treating. I even have the personal cell phone numbers of most of the providers we work with so that I can call ahead and leave detailed messages regarding patient care.

An interesting phenomenon occurs when I refer a patient to another practice for an evaluation and future treatment recommendations. When they come back to discuss the encounter and the plan moving forward, most of the time the patient has no idea what was said, what was done, or what the plan is moving forward! It’s as if they were not present for their own appointment.

I can certainly fill them in and get them up to speed when I receive a copy of the medical records several days later, but it delays my understanding in how to best help them moving forward in light of the new medical evaluation.

I recently had an epiphany. I realized that if patients outside of my office have no idea what their conditions are or what the next step towards recovery is, then it stands to reason that even in my office there is probably a breach of communication. As the old saying goes “there’s his side, her side, and the truth.” That is to say in our world, there’s what I say to my patients, what they hear, and the truth. Most of the time losing some pieces of information has no clinical importance. However, sometimes missing small details can lead to grave issues.

I have a patient that I am treating for a Baltimore auto accident right now. In her crash she suffered lower back pain that has, for the most part, failed to respond well to conservative chiropractic therapy. We recently referred her for a lower back MRI to determine if she had disc inflammation. I reviewed the radiological report and it detailed some disc protrusions and a torn ligament her spine. It also found a kidney finding that was unusual, and it told her to follow up with her primary care physician for further diagnostic evaluation.

I got the MRI report prior to her next office visit. When she got in she said “Her Dr. G, did you get my results? Someone called my house and said I need to have my liver looked at. Any idea whats going on?” In a classic game of telephone the message was distorted and permuted before reaching its intended target. In this particular case I had to explain to the patient that the abnormal findings were of her kidney and not her liver. I made her a copy of her MRI report and I encouraged her to see her PCP and bring a copy of these results with her so that her PCP can order the next set of tests in order to help her determine if there is a problem with her kidney.

In light of these miscommunications it got me thinking about the best ways for patients to better communicate with their providers and how to get the most out of each clinical encounter. In no particular order these are as follows:

• Be prepared for your visit and write a list of questions you intend to ask.
• Bring a copy of any examinations (x-rays, MRIs) with you for the provider to review on the initial visit. This will help “speed up” the process of waiting two more weeks to return for imaging interpretation.
• Bring a “helper” who can go with you. 4 ears are better than 2.
• Write salient information down during the visit
• Ask for copy of any blood work or examination findings after the visit. This can help you keep track of what testing was already done so you don’t have to waste time or money repeating exams unnecessarily.
• Ask providers if you can record the encounter with your smart phone or other device (they may or may not say yes)
• Keep a notebook with you to record what pain you have and when you have it. It’s hard to remember when you had pain once you are feeling well.
• Keep a calendar of your appointments so that you can coordinate with all providers.

No one said recovering from a Baltimore auto accident injury would be easy. There is a lot of medical terminology and there are many doctors appointments. In order to recover as quickly as possible and in order to avoid any bad outcomes, it is extremely important that patients understand what their providers are saying and how it impacts them. Without a fluid understanding of their injury and the process to recover, patients will be left in the dark in terms of how to best improve their conditions. Most providers have no issue in slowing down, re-explaining exam findings, and coordinating care with other providers.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured in a Baltimore auto accident please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz

Will A Baltimore Chiropractor Accept My Insurance?

As a Baltimore chiropractor that spends the majority of my time treating injured patients that have been involved in Baltimore car accidents, I often get asked if my office will accept private health insurances. That is, prospective patients want to know if this office is in credentialed as an in-network provider for the major health insurance companies in order to provide chiropractic services. The answer is yes.

Currently the list of health insurance carriers that we are considered in network with include: Blue Cross and Blue Shield (CareFirst), Cigna, Johns Hopkins EHP, and United Healthcare. That list is not entirely inclusive. There are literally hunderds of other subplans that we may be able to accept as an in-network provider that fall under these umbrella companies. We will not be able to list all of those smaller companies on the website. If someone were interested in determining whether or not they had chiropractic coverage the best way to handle that would be to email or call the office, and let us know your name, date of birth, insurance company, plan number, and member ID. Armed with that information my staff is trained to “pre-certify” chiropractic care for Baltimore area residents. By the time you arrive for your first visit you will know if we accept your insurance, how much your copay is (money due at time of service), how much of your deductible you have met for this calendar year, and how many visits your insurance company may limit you to.

One thing that I want to express is that in this office we are just healthcare providers. We do not write the language of the health insurance contract. That means that I can not control how much your copay costs you, how many visits your insurance will pay for, or whether or not you have already met your deductible for a given calendar year. Sometimes patients get upset with us to learn that they have a $40 copay and that since they have not yet met their deductible they will owe us another $25 per visit for all of the services that we render. They feel somehow “ripped off” or “misguided” because they pay for insurance and our office accepts it, but the costs are more expensive than if they simply paid our cash fee schedule. This is why all new patients are informed of their financial obligations as of their first office visit. While I certainly understand wanting to use health insurance if you pay for it and we accept it, sometimes it is less expensive to pay our cash rate than it is to involve insurance companies. As a provider of healthcare all we can do is inform prospective patients of their options and they can make whatever financial decision they want to, whether that means that we process it through their insurance, or whether they pay cash and are allowed a small time-of-service discount.

At Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic we are proud to be in network with leading providers in the Baltimore area and we gladly will accept assignment for insurance payments. We will also be happy to discuss with you what your financial obligations are up front so that there are no surprises. The only thing that we can not do is control how much of a copay, deductible, or out of pocket expenses you will incur for treating in this office. Just like with medical benefits when you travel to a primary care doctors office, urgent care, or hospital emergency department, all of those benefits are CONTRACTUALLY agreed upon prior to your arrival.

If you, or someone you know, has health insurance and is curious as to whether or not this office is in network, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to verify your benefits and help you if we can.

Dr. Gulitz