When I started practicing in 2003 in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, I chose to work at a multi-disciplinary facility that had MDs, DOs, DCs, PTs, Registered Nurses, MAs, LMTs, LPTs and Cert. Acupuncturists working together for the benefit of the patients.

It was a great model with truly incredible potential. I worked with professors from the Chiropractic School I graduated from, received on-staff privileges at the local hospital and even received my green card to stay permanently in the US (now a permanent resident with citizenship).

However, like most good things, it can only last for so long until it self-destructs. Trials and tribulations are going to happen, and we need to be prepared to get through them and come out on the other side better and stronger for enduring it all.

I learned a lot during my time in Illinois – what to do and what not to do. Once I understood that my purpose was greater than my own ideas at the time, I was able to create something I didn’t know was possible.

First, it was my solo practice, Integrated Chiropractic. Second, it was creating a community of health care professionals that believe in the same thing – the patient and getting them to live a life that was better than what they had. Thirdly, work through those trials and tribulations to come out with an opportunity to create an environment only dreamed about. Conservative and extraordinary health care providers that have one common goal and purpose – the patient.

I have been doing this God given profession for over 23 years and have learned that collaboration in all things is better than doing it alone or fighting the belief that there’s one way to practice.

When I moved to Washington State to start my Chiropractic practice, I came with a dozen letters of professional recommendation from a CEO of a hospital, surgeons and Fortune 500 executives but that wasn’t enough to get the attention of other health care providers on the Kitsap Peninsula or the Olympic Peninsula. I had to start from the ground up and create a relationship with the local community.

I joined the Chamber of Commerce, BNI (Business Networking International), volunteered at community events and for community committees and when to breakfast/lunch/dinner with whomever would entertain the idea of listening to a no name Chiropractor from Ontario, Canada then Illinois and now Silverdale, Washington.

There was one person. One person who saw something and maybe heard something and went out to lunch with me not once but multiple times. He was one of the managing partners of a well-known Physical Therapy group called Kitsap Physical Therapy. We had many similar personality traits and really felt like we could trust each other.

After 15 years of practicing in this amazing community, he is still that man. He believed in me. He trusted me. He allowed me to work alongside him.

We have done many things together as we collaborated not only with patient care. We worked together as we created the medical team for the semi-professional soccer team, the Olympic-Peninsula Force.

Most recently, with the approval of the board of directors at Kitsap Physical Therapy and the help of someone who was on the inside who also believed in me (she knows who she is) they chose me to be an in-service professional and speak to their large group of PTs and OTs (almost 100 is what I was told). Literally a dream come true. I could never have imagined this opportunity 15 years ago let alone a year ago.

I was given this opportunity, and I was not going to be disappointed. I spent the time in solitude to develop the outline. I perfected it over a month (not in solitude) and then presented it on a Wednesday morning this past March.

The topic… collaboration and how do work together. I started by letting everyone who was there (40+ is what I was told – the largest attendance for one of their in-services to date) I was honored and grateful to have the opportunity to speak to them.

I started my talk by highlighting some of my professional accomplishments and then let in to what most didn’t know in our county and possibly the state. I spoke about the differences in Chiropractic patient management and treatment.

To keep it brief, there are over 100 ways to practice Chiropractic with 18 to 20 US schools teaching many different treatment philosophies. I came from one of the most cutting edge and advanced Chiropractic schools in the country. National Chiropractic College now known as National University of Health Sciences was an evidence-based teaching institution that prepared me to not only be a primary care physician but to have a passion for elite patient care with specializing in treatment philosophies that would separate me from the rest.

I chose to specialize in rehabilitation and orthopaedics. To do that, you must be able to walk the walk and talk the talk. This was my time in Illinois that developed those skills. That happened with collaborating with like-minded health care professionals for the benefit of the patient.

Which brings me to the fact that healthcare professionals must be open to working together otherwise this causes limitations or in the box thinking or tunnel vision. Collaboration allows practitioners to expand their wheelhouse or tool belt to allow for improved and in most cases, extraordinary patient outcomes.

I am extremely grateful for the professional relationships I have cultivated and developed into what they are today.

I hope to be able to share my experience with other Chiropractors wanting the same thing I have accomplished. Maybe something to consider as another business venture for the future? I am strongly considering it.

What I have done, by God’s grace, is create an organization and an environment that produces extraordinary patient care and therefore results in patient satisfaction and outcomes. I currently have over 175 five-star reviews and counting. Read some Google reviews for yourself at Integrated Chiropractic Google Reviews.

If you’re suffering and have tried all the things, know there are health care providers out there who take great pride in what they do. Providers who are trained and tested to think outside of the box and not to be kept in that tunnel.

If anything, I have written convicts you to want to learn more, please reach out to me personally at doc@docjoseph.com.

Success is something that can be shared. Something I tell my competitive athletes I work with in sports I can no longer do or could never do – “Your success is my success. Teamwork makes the dream work.”

I hope you learned something. Stay well – Dr SJ