The business of care

The business of Care

Healthcare consumerism gives more choices to patients and more opportunities to you.

By Jill Abrahamsen

There’s been a huge shift in the way we manage our wellness and care today. It’s no secret that the healthcare system is dysfunctional. Copays are through the roof and folks have to endure miles of red tape to see the specialists they need. People are seeking more options and franchisors are answering the call. Medical franchises are popping up in retail locations, putting patients in the driver’s seat when it comes to getting relief from pain and managing wellness. They are eliminating barriers like referrals and scheduling, giving patients direct access to the care they need when they need it.

With baby boomers aging, quality senior-care is in demand. People want to age in their own homes, and now there are more ways for families to make that happen. In-home care is more accessible thanks to franchising, and services run the gamut from assisting with household chores to personal care to skilled nursing. These businesses help families navigate their loved one’s care and adjust their services as needs change.

Here, we talk to innovators in the business of care. They use their brands to fill a need and offer helpful and convenient services. None require medical experience to own, just a desire to run a business and a compassionate heart. Does that sound like you?

Enhance IV

Dr. Daniel Lebowitz

Dr. Daniel Lebowitz is excited to bring this service to people who have chronic conditions and those who want to improve their wellness.

ONCE A LUXURY RESERVED ONLY FOR PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES AND celebrities, IV therapy has finally gone mainstream. Now more accessible, it offers regular people quick-fix hydration, nutrition, and antioxidants.

Daniel Lebowitz, MD, noticed IV therapy clinics popping up while traveling and wanted to bring the concept to his hometown of Philadelphia. With almost 20 years of experience as a board-certified integrative physician, Dr. Lebowitz knew he could not only help patients with chronic conditions, but also those looking to level up their wellness.

He started Enhance IV in 2015. “It’s a hybrid between a med spa and a wellness center,” he explains. Offering a full menu of IV infusions, Enhance IV offers treatments to help patients boost energy and metabolism, reduce stress, detoxify, and improve immune function. Customers schedule appointments, then they can choose from a menu of IV therapies and receive infusion on-site or at home.

The menu items are extensive. Want to up your game? The “Enhance Wellness” offers fluids and electrolytes to get you optimized. Fighting a cold? The “Enhance Immunity” contains fluids, electrolytes, high-doses of Vitamin C, B Complex, Zinc, and other IV medications to get you back on your feet quickly. Drank too much last night? The “Enhance Epic Hangover Cure” includes a mix of IV fluids, electrolytes, three IV medications for nausea, headache, and heartburn, plus a blend of nutrients and antioxidants and a Glutathione push for maximum liver support and cleanse. Prices start at $99 and go up to about $199 per session. There are also quick injections available including, B12 for energy, glutathione for detoxification, or B12 and Lipotropic amino acids for fat-burning. Enhance IV started offering franchise opportunities in 2017. “It took some time to perfect the model, but now that we did, we found franchising to be the best way to scale the business,” Dr Lebowitz says. There is no medical background necessary to own Enhance IV, but every franchisee is required to recruit a medical director, to take on the medical responsibility, and registered nurses to administer the treatments.

“We service professional athletes, including the Philadelphia Eagles and the 76ers. It is also great for athletes such as mixed martial arts competitors and boxers, who require weigh-ins and need rapid re-hydration.” he says. “IV therapy is on the upswing. It is very much a growth industry. I am so enthusiastic about the potential and would like to partner with entrepreneurs who share my passion.”

For more information, contact 610-228-0400 or visit www.enhanceiv.com

Some of Enhance IV’s clients include professional athletes and celebrities. Justin Anderson, Amir Johnson, and Robert Covington of the Philadelphia 76ers enjoy re-hydrating.

Adam Sandler gets a vitamin infusion.

ANY LAB TEST NOW®

Clarissa Bradstock

WITH A MISSION TO GIVE PEOPLE MORE CONTROL OVER THEIR HEALTH, Any Lab Test Now® offers direct access to lab testing—meaning you can order tests without a prescription and at a reasonable price. The extensive list of tests includes: drug testing, paternity testing, DNA tests, hormone tests, and more.

“Any Lab Test Now® has created an alternative to the traditional way lab testing was done. No appointments are needed, and there’s no more guessing about when the results will arrive,” says Clarissa Bradstock, CEO.

Originally called “Any Test,” the business was launched in 1992 by an Atlanta urologist. He got the idea when folks would stop in his office and ask, “Can I get lab work done here?” The name changed to Any Lab Test Now® when the brand started franchising in 2007. Now there are 170 locations in 33 states.

“Consumers are becoming more savvy. With today’s high deductibles, there is a big trend toward healthcare consumerism. We are putting the economic purchasing power and decision-making in the hands of healthcare consumers,” Bradstock says.

“We are looking for franchisees who have a strong business background and are able to develop relationships. They should go out into the community and network with physicians and any type of employers that do drug testing,” Bradstock says. “This is a great business opportunity in a high-growth industry with low start-up costs.”

For more information, visit www.franchise.anylabtestnow.com

THE JOINT CHIROPRACTIC

Peter Holt

THERE WAS A TIME WHEN PEOPLE THOUGHT OF CHIROPRACTIC CARE AS hokey. Many wouldn’t consider it a valid way to treat pain. But now there’s a trend toward all things natural—including how you get out of pain. Thanks to this shift, chiropractic care is taken seriously and used not just for getting out of pain, but for preventing it from happening in the first place.

Originally founded in 1999 by a doctor of chiropractic, The Joint Chiropractic set out to transform the traditional, often misunderstood concept of routine chiropractic care and make it more convenient, friendly, and affordable. “Our plans are designed to make chiropractic care accessible,” says Peter Holt, CEO of The Joint Chiropractic. A regular customer can walk into any franchise location and get an adjustment done without an appointment. The concept is becoming more and more accepted, and the $650 billion pain industry is increasing as well,” he says. “In fact, 40 percent of our patients are millennials.”

Holt says The Joint Chiropractic presents an exciting concept in a growth industry. “We are changing how we access healthcare. And we’ve made it incredibly affordable. Patients pay around $79 for a monthly wellness plan, which gives them ongoing care to prevent pain.”

About a third of the franchisees are chiropractors, though you don’t have to be one to own the business. The build-out is simple and requires about 1,000 square feet of retail space. “Retail is the core of the concept,” Holt says. “With more than 400 locations, we’re the largest umbrella of chiropractic clinics in the world—and we’re just getting started.”

For more information, visit www.thejoint.com

OrthoNOW®

Christine Dura

GETTING AN APPOINTMENT TO SEE A SPECIALIST CAN BE CHALLENGING —and with orthopedic care, you don’t want to wait too long. Is your finger broken or just bruised? Is it OK to put weight on your foot? Do you have a strain or a sprain? Primary-care doctors, urgent cares and even ER providers can offer opinions, but they will usually refer patients to orthopedists for treatment which is a waste of time, money and reduces the chance of a full recovery.

Fed up with the way the healthcare system worked and seeing a trend toward healthcare consumerism, Dr. Alejandro Badia, a world-renowned orthopedic surgeon, launched OrthoNOW® in 2014. OrthoNOW’s orthopedic specialists are available on site and on-demand to diagnose and orthopedic injuries, chronic pain, and offer rehabilitation or therapy.

“The cost of healthcare is skyrocketing,” says Christine Dura, Chief Development Officer OrthoNOW. “People want more control over their healthcare costs. Patients here save significant amounts of money and leave fully treated in under 70 minutes. No referral is needed and most insurances are accepted.”

OrthoNOW has been offering franchise opportunities since 2017. “We are looking for franchisees with a business sense and leadership experience,” says Dura. At start-up an Ortho- NOW location needs to be staffed by an orthopedic physician’s assistant, an x-ray technician, and someone to work the front desk. “OrthoNOW is the only orthopedic franchise in the nation. This is opportunity to grab the tiger by the tail,” she says.

For more information, call 800-951-3141 or visit www.orthonowfranchise.com

USCryotherapy

The Kramer Family

US Cryotherapy is a family affair. Founders from (left to right): Rob Kramer (COO), Linzie Kramer (deceased), Kevin Kramer (CEO), Todd Kramer (Director of Corporate Operations).

IN SEARCH OF RELIEF FOR HIS BACK PAIN, LINZIE KRAMER DISCOVERED cryotherapy—or cold shock therapy, as it’s commonly known today—on a trip to Europe. With just one treatment, he experienced amazing results.

Cryotherapy is the use of low temperatures for wellness. It can be used to reduce pain, enhance athletic performance, and rejuvenate the body and skin. The term “cryotherapy” comes from the Greek word “cryo” meaning “cold” and therapy meaning “cure.”

In 2011, inspired to bring relief to others, Kramer and his three sons started the North American cryotherapy industry launching the first USCryotherapy treatment center in Northern California. “Everything we do is non-invasive and comes with immediate gratification to the user. ‘Cold shock’ stimulates the production of key hormones and proteins to elevate mood, energy, and break the reception of pain,” says Kevin Kramer, who has represented the family as US Cryotherapy’s CEO since 2013. “The underlying benefit is enhanced systemic circulation, which improves immune function, thwarts inflammation, and promotes wellness.”

“We’re the only company using refrigerated cooled air instead of liquid nitrogen to treat our customers. It’s a safer and more complete method,” says Kevin. “Nitrogen can cause burns and contains chemical exposure. Our therapies are a greener more effective solution.” Kramer advises franchisees to promote the business early on. “Building relationships and creating partnerships in the community is essential,” says Kramer. “That’s how we get people through the doors; word of mouth. If you are passionate about helping others recover, then this business should be very fulfilling,” he adds. For more information, visit www.uscryotherapy.com

While receiving a 3-minute treatment in the large (C4) chamber, a customer is moving and stretching while being observed by a technician through the window.

A PLACE AT HOME

Jerod Evanich

SOMETIMES BRILLIANT IDEAS COME FROM EVERYDAY CONVERSATIONS. That’s exactly what happened when Jerod Evanich and his childhood friend, Dustin Distefano, discussed life one day over lunch. “We found ourselves talking about the troubles our families were having with our grandparents and great grandparents,” Evanich says. Before long, the friends were looking for solutions for families and talked about launching a business. “We wanted to create a company that could provide services that we would be proud to offer our family and community. In-home care became a clear choice,” he says.

In August 2012, the pair launched A Place at Home. “Our mission is to be passionate professionals, who provide compassionate care solutions where and when you need it. We continued to focus on creating services that were centered around seniors and helped them transition through the aging process,” Evanich says.

A senior-focused care company, A Place at Home has a model that is centered on using RNs to coordinate clients’ plan of care and certified professionals to administer the care. In-homecare services, including companion, personal, and medication services are available. “We also offer care coordination services that help seniors navigate the medical industry; from accompanying doctors visits, to creating healthcare portfolios, or even coordinating their other healthcare providers and ancillary services. Our Senior Living Alternatives service helps those who can no longer stay at home find the best senior living option,” Evanich says. “We spent more than two years perfecting our model and learning the franchising industry before jumping in.”

“Franchisees should get out in their local community to bring awareness to their services. That is the key to success. Hiring and retaining compassionate and reliable employees is crucial. That is the core of the business,” Evanich says. “Franchise partners have the ability to make of it what they put into it. The can create something bigger than themselves and something that will make a positive impact on their community.”

For more information, visit www.aplaceathomefranchise.com