How Dena Learned About Chiropractic

Dear Friend,

I started working in chiropractic as an assistant to a sole practitioner.  Prior to working for her, I had no idea what chiropractic was.  I never saw a chiropractor, nor did I know anyone who did.  I thought they were more like witchdoctors because they didn’t use any medicine for their patients.  I didn’t know what people could possibly gain from this type of service.  In any case, this was only supposed to be a job to help pay for my graduate studies and not turn into some type of career.  How little did I know at the time.

I was a one-woman band, a clerk-of-the-works.  I ran the front desk, scheduling appointments, discussing payments with patients, handling medical records requests, obtaining referrals and authorizations for care, submitting and managing insurance claims as well as patient statements to name a few of my tasks.  I literally learned it all by trial and error and from the ground up.

Over the years I witnessed exactly what chiropractic can do for people.  I saw people come into the office bent over and hobbling, but then they’d leave and forget their canes.  I saw babies and toddlers not be able to move their stiff, bent limbs due to traumatic births and leave with more mobility and range of motion each time.  I saw people suffering from anxiety and depression transform into calmer, more peaceful versions of themselves.  I didn’t know exactly how chiropractic worked when I first started, but I saw that it helped so many people without the use of medication or surgery.

Later on, and still in graduate school part time, I continued working in chiropractic for a larger practice with multiple doctors.  I was able to apply my formal education and chiropractic experience of working with patients and insurances to my new position and got promoted from billing specialist to case manager to office manager within a very short period of time.  Word of mouth soon had other chiropractors calling me for help with their own practices.  I started helping other offices as a side-job, teaching doctors and their chiropractic assistants all about Medicare and personal injury, helping with a difficult case, or even refining their office systems to function simpler and more efficient.

I loved what I did.  I wanted more of it.  I didn’t realize it at the time, but this job that I started after college to pay for graduate school soon became my career path.

So, then I graduated, and I had a choice.  I could leave chiropractic and journey on to my next career move, or I could stick with chiropractic a little longer and see what happens.  It was in my latter choice that I realized I could help so many more practices and their patients by starting my own company.  With the blessings of my last team as their office manager, I began Dena Frawley Consultants, LLC.

My work on the front line of insurance billing empowers me to advocate for chiropractic in the insurance industry in order to prevent shrinking benefits and unnecessary utilization management.  Law firms appreciate my knowledge, which helps their attorneys receive higher settlements for their clients.  My work also allows me to help our community leaders by sharing with them my first-hand experience of insurance and chiropractic so they may make better, more informed decisions regarding policy and legislature.  However, the most important benefit of my services, in my opinion, would be the direct effect on patient care; well-informed chiropractic patients receive the best care with the best outcome.

For more than 16 years, chiropractic has been my path.  I get adjusted, and my family gets adjusted.  I operate behind the scenes of a practice to solve problems and help the helpers.  I enjoy teaching and training chiropractic assistants across the nation as well as working with chiropractors to improve their revenue flow and optimize their office systems.  The gratification I receive fulfills my passion in life of improving the health of communities because I know that if the doctor has a successful practice, then the community is healthier for it.

I hope my story gives you a little insight into my humble beginnings and how I support chiropractic.  Please feel free to contact me to explore the possibilities of your practice.

Yours in health,

Dena Frawley