A practical approach to turning insight into action—whether you’re already using Fortis or just getting started.
In a previous article, “Know Your Numbers: Are You Collecting Enough to Cover Overhead?”, we covered why understanding your numbers is critical to running a healthy, profitable practice.
But here’s the reality: Knowing your numbers is important—your processes are what actually improve them.
If your collections aren’t where they should be, the issue usually isn’t demand or pricing. It’s what is happening at the front desk, during checkout and behind the scenes.
Start by Identify the Gaps
Before making changes, take a step back and evaluate your current workflows:
- Are you collecting at the time of service—or after the visit?
- Where are inconsistencies across team members and/or locations?
- Do you have a standard card-on-file process for every patient?
- How much time is spent manually following up on missed payments?
These small inefficiencies may seem minor, but overtime they create significant revenue gaps and unnecessary overhead—especially across multiple locations.
Improve Collections and Reduce Overhead in 30 Days with a Few Simple Actions
Week 1: Audit What’s Actually Happening
You can’t fix what you can’t see.
Start by reviewing your current performance:
- What percentage of payments are collected at time-of-service vs. recurring?
- How much revenue is sitting in A/R–and for how long?
- Which providers or locations are underperforming?
- Are certain services or products being under-collected?
When you take advantage of the technology at your fingertips, these insights become much easier to uncover. This is a critical exercise—pull the data, establish your baseline, and set your goals.
Week 2: Improve Collection Rate with Simple Changes
One of the most impactful steps you can take:
Make card-on-file non-negotiable.
- Ensure every patient has a card securely stored
- Position it as a convenience, not a requirement using simple, consistent language: “This makes checkout faster and easier for you.”
This one shift alone can dramatically reduce missed or delayed payments.
Week 3: Automate Revenue for Predictability
Don’t wait for payments—plan for them.
By building automation into your workflow, you can create consistency for both your team and your patients.
- Set up recurring payments for wellness or treatment plans
- Align payments with care schedules
- Reduce reliance on manual collections at each visit
When your systems are connected—like a patient management system paired with an integrated payments solution—your workflows and collections become seamless.
Patients can focus on care. Your team can focus on patient experience. And you gain a more predictable, reliable revenue stream.
Week 4: Eliminate Manual Collection Work
If your team is still chasing balances, there’s an opportunity to improve efficiency.
- Use secure paylinks and text-to-pay options to collect quickly
- Allow patients to pay from anywhere, at any time
- Reduce the need for follow-up calls and in-office payment conversations
The goal is simple: Spend less time talking about payments—and more time delivering care.
What High-Performing Practices Do Differently
Successful practices don’t just track numbers—they operationalize them.
They:
- Collect before patients leave (or even before they arrive)
- Create consistent, repeatable processes across teams and locations
- Hold team meetings to review performance and adjust
This level of consistency is what turns insights into results.
Turning Awareness Into Action
Understanding your numbers is the first step. Acting on them is what drives growth.
With the right systems and automation in place, you can:
- Increase collection rates
- Reduce time spent on manual processes
- Lower overhead without cutting corners
But results don’t come from tools alone—they come from consistency.
The most successful practices—whether you have one location or many—grow by turning their best-performing workflows into standard practice.
Have questions about Paylinks and text-to-pay options? See how they can simplify your workflow, minimize manual collection efforts, and help you get paid faster.
Not yet using Fortis? Contact us.
Already using Fortis? Reach out to our team anytime. We’ve also included a flyer you can bookmark or print to keep handy. We’re here to help!
Share Fortis and Win.
Do you know another chiropractor who could benefit from Fortis’ powerful payment solutions? Send them our way and you could win a $200 Visa Gift Card!
Every eligible chiropractic practice you refer earns you one entry into our quarterly drawing. One lucky winner is drawn each quarter for a $200 Visa Gift Card. Referrals must be valid chiropractic practices not currently using Fortis. No purchase necessary. Terms and conditions apply.
