Episode 50:
Dr. Will Cole discusses his telehealth practice model and explains how it has lead to stable, predictable growth in his business. Hear insights about:
- Dr. Cole’s journey to becoming one of the top 50 functional medicine and integrative doctors in the nation
- How the pandemic has impacted Dr. Cole’s practice, and what he has done to adapt
- Why Dr. Cole chose to follow a telehealth practice model instead of brick and mortar
- How Dr. Cole has had success with telehealth from both systems and sales/marketing perspective
- What to expect from Dr. Cole’s upcoming book, “Intuitive Fasting”
- The concepts of metabolic and fasting flexibility
- The underlying mechanisms Dr. Cole works on with most patients in his practice
- How Dr. Cole moves his patients into a position where they can sustain treatment and manage their own condition
Incorporating Telemedicine into Your FM Practice
Named one of the top 50 functional-medicine and integrative doctors in the nation, Dr. Cole specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing a functional medicine approach for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders, and brain problems. He is also the bestselling author of “Ketotarian,” “The Inflammation Spectrum,” and the upcoming book “Intuitive Fasting.” In this episode of The FM Shift, Dr. Cole joins us to share his story and talk about his telehealth practice model, and how it has enabled him to thrive during the pandemic. He also explains what you can do to successfully integrate telemedicine into your own practice.
Operating a Telehealth Practice During the Pandemic
By the time COVID reached its peak, Dr. Cole’s practice was already conducting 90-95% of its consultations virtually. Some patients would fly or drive in for their first visit but after that, everything was carried out online. Since he chose to follow a telehealth practice model instead of building an operation that was predominantly reliant on brick and mortar services, the pandemic had a minimal effect on his business. Telehealth is how he is serving people now, and it’s how he has always served people. This model offers tons of versatility and flexibility and it is something that we all need to adopt moving forward.
A Pathway to Stability and Growth
Dr. Cole did not anticipate a pandemic by any means, but the model he set up was able to bend and meld itself to withstand the extreme economic and regulatory conditions that are still in effect to this day. His telehealth practice has maintained healthy business growth, revenue streams, and patient enrollment in spite of everything that has taken place. If anything, the pandemic has provided an opportunity for potential functional medicine patients to take care of treatment-related tasks they have been putting off. Whether you implement a hybrid model or go all in, telehealth offers a pathway to stability and growth that many practices so desperately need right now.
About Dr. Will Cole
Dr. Will Cole is a leading functional-medicine expert who consults people around the world via webcam and locally in Pittsburgh. Named one of the top 50 functional-medicine and integrative doctors in the nation, Dr.Cole specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing a functional medicine approach for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal imbalances, digestive disorders, and brain problems.
He is the bestselling author of Ketotarian and The Inflammation Spectrum and the upcoming book Intuitive Fasting in which he shows how to use the powerful benefits of flexible intermittent fasting to gain metabolic flexibility and find food peace.
Dr. Cole has also cohosted the popular podcasts goopfellas podcast and Keto Talk and is the host of the new podcast, The Art of Being Well.
How to Connect with Dr. Will Cole
- Website: https://drwillcole.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwillcole
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/doctorwillcole/
- Twitter: @drwillcole
