Pain and perception are two byproducts of the pandemic that have helped create a small “uptick” in business for Integrate Health and Wellness in Morrisville. The husband and wife chiropractic doctors who own the practice say the movement to work-from-home has shifted the aches and concerns they’re seeing from patients.
“Everything going virtual has impacted the neck and upper back, so we see a lot more people with tech neck and [stresses] from working on tablets,” explains Dr. Shavahn Witherspoon. “We saw these problems when we opened our practice, but they’re even more prevalent now.”
The way people think about health and pain is also different after living in the throes of a pandemic. As she explains, “People have become more proactive about their health.”
Her husband and business partner, Dr. Anthony Witherspoon, is seeing a greater awareness of wellness. “The focus has shifted; some people have become wary about going to traditional medical providers because of Covid and they are seeking out alternatives. In general, people are looking for more wellness and there’s a greater awareness about health. As they seek preventative measures, we’re seeing people come in who have never been to a chiropractor,” he said.
The Witherspoons also offer wellness care, treat personal injuries that may result from car accidents or work-related injuries, provide nutritional counseling and serve as a resource for health supplements. Pre-Covid, massage therapy was a significant part of their business but that was discontinued.
Throughout 2020, they remained open. “We never really closed; chiropractic services were deemed essential so we were able to come to the office throughout the pandemic, but we took a hit in the beginning and weren’t seeing as many people as before the pandemic started,” Shavahn said.
However, revenue increased about 30 percent in 2020 over 2019, in part due to the business partnerships and corporate clients the practice serves. One of their key accounts is with Raleigh-Durham International Airport, where the practice primarily works with employees of the airport.
“Our initial relationship was to help RDU with their wellness initiative and we sent our massage staff there three times a week before Covid; now it’s morphed into our being available for any wellness coaching, nutritional counseling, and to support the staff so they can take preventative steps to [earn] discounts on insurance and set wellness goals for the upcoming year,” Anthony said.
According to RDU, the focus on proactive health care dates back more than 10 years. In 2009, the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority implemented a comprehensive wellness program. The program has evolved to include a number of initiatives that range from on-site group exercise and meditation classes to one-on-one health coaching. Its primary contractor that oversees the wellness program is ILWM Wellness of Raleigh, and in 2019 ILWM subcontracted with Integrate Health and Wellness for additional services.
“In March, the wellness services transitioned from largely face-to-face interactions to remote offerings. Since the pandemic began, they have conducted calls with employees to discuss the employees’ health, identify lifestyle changes and provide assistance as requested,” explains an RDU spokesperson.
The Witherspoons have also provided chiropractic care to RDU employees at their Morrisville office, offered videos on health-related topics, and helped develop seminars.
“The airport was ahead of its time in offering wellness care to employees; it helps tremendously with stresses,” Shavahn said.
The doctors, who have both taught at colleges, have also been able to serve as a reference point to answer patients’ questions about the pandemic. “Now, we’re helping them understand the Covid vaccine and the importance of getting it,” Anthony said.
Another business they’ve contracted with is XPO Logistics, working primarily with that company’s Morrisville office. That work is focused on services for the truck drivers.
“We perform their yearly physicals and the drug and alcohol testing that are required for licenses,” Shavahn said. “We definitely want to take care of our truckers because they were the ones keeping us afloat.”
Like health care services, trucking and logistics were deemed essential businesses and that particular industry performed well in 2020. In XPO’s most recent financial report, Brad Jacobs, CEO of XPO Logistics, stated, “Our business rebounded dramatically in the third quarter.”
In the third quarter, XPO’s last-mile revenue was up 11 percent year-over-year; truck brokerage revenue was up 27 percent and net revenue per load increased 13 percent.
While the corporate accounts bring stability and extend the services of Integrate Health and Wellness, the typical customer is more often a woman, between the ages of 22 and 40. Esthetic services with laser and liposuction are among the most requested, and demand for these cosmetic enhancements increased across 2020. Anthony notes, “We’ll be ramping up the esthetics — those are the services we are focusing on a little more.”
The doctors moved from Philadelphia to the Triangle, where Shavahn had attended high school in Durham and then graduated from Winston-Salem State University. Their most difficult challenges were obtaining financing to start the business (and their application for a PPP loan was denied but they did secure an EIDL loan, although they declined to say the amount) and, the biggest hurdle, was finding the right location. With the help of their real estate agent, Stephan Jackson, they settled on Morrisville.
Now the challenge is how to run the practice as an efficient business. “I always tell people, ‘In school, they teach you to be a great chiropractor, not a good business owner.’ At first we didn’t have anyone to help us, then we found a mentor: a chiropractor who has been in business over 20 years and he’s been such a help for us,” Shavahn said.
Dr. Kenneth Brown of Back to Health Chiropractic in Durhamc mentors them on “the business side of owning our own practice.”
“He helps us see the big picture and holds us accountable. It’s hard to hold your husband or wife accountable,” Anthony adds.
They have a 5-year-old daughter and are mindful of their family time. “Once you are a business owner, work doesn’t stop,” he said. “That can become dangerous, so we have to be intentional about how to turn it off and turn it on.”