How do you make your clinic fun?

This week on the podcast, we’re talking about how a little fun can go a long way in creating meaningful connections with your patients.

Inspired by her chat with Dr. Kellen Scantlebury of Fit Club NY, Denzil dives into the art of making your clinic a place patients actually want to return to. She shares ideas for hiring a team that brings the right vibe, building connection outside the actual care itself, and even what her own dream clinic would feel like. 

Have you tried anything to make your clinic more fun or inviting? We’d love to hear about it! Send us an email and join the conversation.

And, if you’d like to get stories like this delivered straight to your inbox each week, don’t forget to ⁠sign up⁠ for the Letter from the Editor newsletter.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Let's be real.
Patients aren't walking out ofyour clinic saying, whoa, let me
tell you about thatmobilization technique my
physiotherapist used.
But they will say that placewas actually pretty fun and,
honestly, doesn't that soundlike healing to you?
I picked this up from my friend, dr Kellen Scantlebury, when he

(00:25):
came back for a second episodeof Radio Front Desk.
He's someone who's all aboutrebooking strategies and his
take is simple the best way toget people to return is to make
a strong first impression.
Make them laugh, get themtalking.
Even better, get them talkingto each other.
Even better, get them talkingto each other.
If you're heading to a clinic,chances are you're in some pain,

(00:48):
stressed out or just plaintired.
Now imagine walking into aspace that's full of jokes and
good energy.
It's like a breath of fresh airyou didn't even realize you
needed.
A lot of practitioners candeliver solid care and sometimes
that's enough.
But according to Kellen,there's a difference between
someone who moves on after theirissue's resolved and someone

(01:10):
who keeps coming back.
It's the connection they feelwith your clinic outside of the
treatment itself.
So here are a few ideas for howyou can make your clinic a
little more fun.
All right, first, hire peoplewho match your energy.
Creating a vibe in your clinicstarts with the people you hire.

(01:32):
So look for folks whose energymatches the kind of atmosphere
you're trying to build.
Now.
This could be laid back.
It could be higher energy oreven a little quirky, and then,
when you've found the rightpeople, encourage them to just
be themselves.
But you're also going to wantto help them click.
When your team feelscomfortable around each other,

(01:55):
everyone else can feel thatenergy too, patience included.
So take your crew out for lunch, plan a team building activity
or do something that helps themconnect and have a little fun
together.
Another idea is play some games.
I know this won't work forevery clinic, but this is just
coming from a place of.
Anyone can look up exercisesonline, but have you ever

(02:18):
thought about adding a littleplayful competition into the mix
?
Try setting up small challengesor games for your patients.
It could be a step countchallenge trivia based on their
treatment plan or something funlike the most creative stretch
that you did this week, and ifyou're feeling up for it, throw
in a small reward, maybe someclinic merch or even a free

(02:40):
follow-up session.
Patients will love it and it'sa great way to keep them engaged
in their care and rebookingtheir sessions.
And if you're still stuck, try amood board.
If none of these ideas reallyfeel like you, try this instead.
Start by imagining how you wantyour clinic to feel.
Think about things like yourfavorite music or artists, the

(03:05):
sights and smells that make youfeel good, hobbies or interests
that you'd love to showcase.
Then take it a step further.
Talk to your staff, or evenyour patients, and ask what
feels engaging or comforting tothem.
Now gather all of that yourideas, their input and throw it
onto a clinic mood board.

(03:27):
I know it sounds silly, but tryit.
You never know.
Seeing it all in one placemight just spark ideas that you
hadn't even thought of before.
In the end, just try to have alittle fun In a world where
clinics are often reduced tojust fixing pain.
Kellen taught me that clinicsdon't just heal with their care
plans, they heal with theconnections that they make.

(03:48):
I'd love to hear the fun thingsthat you've tried in your
clinic.
Shoot me an email at frontdeskat janeapp with some ideas.
That's all for me.
Thanks for listening and havefun.
You got this.