When I graduated from school, my primary goal was to help people. To this day, I haven’t strayed from that path. My goals have become the goals of my patients. I have a patient now whose main focus is playing cards with his grandson on the floor — and being able to stand up afterward. My job is to ensure he’s able to do that.
As the owner of my practice, I’ve been able to make the decision to invest in new technologies that can help the patients I see everyday. Recently, we’ve added the PiezoWave as a treatment option. This machine uses acoustic waves to target tissue and give patients pain relief throughout their body. This is just one way we have worked to improve our practice so that our patients can get the most out of their visit. When I make decisions on new treatments or new technologies we will offer, I make those as a doctor, not as a businessman.
My business is incredibly important to me but I do not take lightly that this patient and others have come to me for care and attention. I may be stressed and sometimes I have a lot on my plate, but at the end of the day, I’m a doctor. Over the past few years, especially through the pandemic, many have begun to focus more on their health and the health of their loved ones. As healthcare providers, people are relying on us to help them live their best lives. I love meeting new people and talking about new business ventures, but I will never put that above the patients who come to me in hopes of living a pain-free life. This is a tough but important lesson to learn and one I hope all of those working in healthcare will take to heart.
Dr. Matt Houchin operates Chiropractic Associates in Middletown.
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