We were lucky to catch up with J. Branden Garland,D.C recently and have shared our conversation below.
Dr. Garland, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice?
I was lucky to be selected for an amazing internship while I was in my final year at New York Chiropractic College, now called the Northeast College of Health Sciences. Living on Long Island, NY, I traveled 75 minutes each way to work in Riverhead, NY at South Shore Neurologic Associates (SSNA), a multidisciplinary chronic pain clinic that handled neurologic issues, chronic pain, and movement diseases. That experience was under Dr. Ralph Mangels, who challenged me with higher level thinking, constant learning, and elevating chiropractic to what it should be as an integral part of a complete healthcare practice.
At SSNA, I worked along side neurologists, advanced practice nurses, vestibular therapists, and of course my instructor who is a chiropractor. One thing that really sticks out in my mind was the opportunity to sit in on grand rounds, which is when the clinicians would meet weekly to discuss a current complex case, and workshop ideas and possible treatment avenues. Now in my clinic, we routinely meet to discuss our treatment path for our patients, especially those needing more intricate planning . I greatly enjoy collaborating with the providers at my clinic as they all bring their own view and understanding to the discussion.
Chiropractic at SSNA functioned as the musculoskeletal specialists in the clinic. We handled soft tissue work, joint adjustments, ergonomic and functional recommendations, and prescribed the rehab programming they would perform. Many of these patients truely needed more attentive active and passive care than what the other providers in the clinic were able to offer, and I instantly saw how chiropractic really fits in well to the big picture of health care. We are musculoskeletal specialists with realistic tools and methods to treat acute and chronic neuromusculoskeletal issues.
Seeing the chiropractic integration at SSNA inspired me to start my own interdisciplinary healthcare practice. At my business Oregon Sports and Family Chiropractic in Newberg, OR, we are inspired to help people move well to live well. I am passionate to elevate the healthcare experience for my patients, and provide an integrated facility that has a cohesive approach to treatment. We offer chiropractic and sports medicine, exercise therapy and physical rehabilitation in our gym, acupuncture, massage therapy and class IV laser therapy. Soon we will be bringing in Naturopathy and completing our practice with mental health in the future.
I am grateful for my experiences as an intern, and in turn (I know) I am humbled to give back by serving as an affiliate faculty member and internship location for doctoral candidates at the University of Western States in Portland, OR. With that, I am able to have a hand in the next generation of chiropractors, and pass on the standards and ethic of practice that I was taught and cultivated with my experiences. I am passionate about creating a patient centered blend of active and passive care, patient education and empowerment, and thoughtful and purposeful communication that helps drive the doctor and patient relationship.
Dr. Garland, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I actually knew I wanted to be a chiropractor from a young age, and never wavered. Around 12 years old I started saying it outloud, and it has stuck since. My first job was in a chiropractic office when I was 14 over a summer, where I called insurance companies checking patient benefits, organized x-ray files, helped with office maintenance, and other odd jobs. When I was 16, I started working for one of my biggest mentors, Dr. Ron Spiaggia in Watchung, NJ. I started working with Ron when he had a simple practice down one hallways. Since then, he has opened multiple locations offering a wide range of medical and natural health care services, working along side MDs, DOs, PTs, ATCs, and more. Seeing his practice grow showed me the potential both clinically and business-wise as to what is possible being a chiropractor.
For me, I am most proud of how I communicate with my staff and patients, and the tone we set here at the clinic. One of our core values here is “best patient experience”, which to me is an all encompassing idea that everyone in the clinic contributes to. From the front desk being welcoming, prompt and professional, to the doctors offering clear and relatable communication and treatment plans, to the back end of following up with payments, we work hard to be an incredible experience for all patients. I understand what it feels like to see a provider who doesn’t listen and not have your needs met. We have all felt like a number before, so I make it my mission in part to ensure a high level experience at my clinic from start to finish.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
I feel that how we treat our patients is a large part of what helps drive repeat and referred business. Also just having a good presence in my community, and trying to offer value where I go instead of thinking of “how can I take from this situation” has helped me be more of an asset that people look to.
It always helps to make a name for yourself, and in the beginning I went right to many offices and just made quality introductions to help stimulate interest in my practice. Also, explaining how I can help other providers solve problems they face with their patients helps. If you can make someone else’s job easier, and make them look good, they will refer to you.
If you could go back in time, would you still choose the same profession or specialty?
Yes. 1000000%. I understand other providers might have some perks that we don’t as chiropractors, but I love the wide scope of practice, the ability to hire any licensed professional I want to, and realistically dictate my own treatment plans is a huge asset. Also, now being in practice over 10 years, I have a great sense of what else is out there, and frankly, I feel we have a perfect blend of abilities with being able to understand a person holistically, as well as more specifically focusing on their pain or condition bringing them in. With that, being able to utilize both passive care (hands on therapy) and active care (exercise therapy and rehabilitation) is a huge asset.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.oregonsportsandfamily.com
- Instagram: @oregonsportsandfamily
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/oregonsportsandfamily
- Youtube: @oregonsportsandfamily
Image Credits
I own all photos, taken by myself or my employee for company use. Lindsey Senger took most of them