EP 08: How to Start a Ketamine Clinic from Scratch

EP 08: Starting a ketamine clinic from scratch

by Docofalltradez | Dr. Cindy Van Praag

WHO’S ON THIS EPISODE

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Have you heard of Ketamine or Ketamine Clinics?   

Dr. Cindy Van Praag of springcenterofhope.com along with her business partner Tessa Benson, RN decided to open one two years ago without any prior experience.   Now they have a thriving clinic after some trial and error.  

Find out why they opened their clinic and why some people would benefit from an infusion of Ketamine.   

What are the obstacles, opportunities and investment requirements needed to be successful? 

Is starting a ketamine clinic a viable way to transition out of the medical-industrial complex completely?   

What are some of the mistakes she made and the advice she has for others?  

In the Podcast:

Spravato:  https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm632761.htm

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Welcome to the physician negotiator podcast where no decision is left to chance with your host Doc of all trades.

And welcome to the show. And today I have a special guest Dr. Cindy Van Praag. She is owner and operator of spring of Hope Center. I believe it's a Ketamine Infusion Center clinic in Spring Texas and the website is called I believe it is spring a Center of Hope dot com. Cindy welcome to the show.

Cindy Van Praag:
Hi. Thank you for having me.

Docofalltradez:
Well what a you know. So I've been wondering about the ketamine clinics for a long time. And I just you and I just met at the first annual physicians helping physicians conference and it's called the non physician non-clinical career celebration networking and meeting was just this past April 6th and 7th 2009 in Austin. And I had a blast.

Docofalltradez:
I had a blast meeting you and a funny thing happened during the conference. Tons of people came up to me and asked me what type of careers they could start specifically and the ketamine business. And I was like What a coincidence.

I met somebody who's an expert at that too well I guess that's me.

Cindy Van Praag:
Yes yes.

Docofalltradez:
So. So you know I thought it was really really neat that I met you. I mean myself I've always had a curiosity about starting Academy clinic. I'm an anesthesiologist and I believe you are as well. Yes. I have numerous friends who are also been interested in starting ketamine clinics. So if you don't mind to introduce yourself tell us a little bit about your background and how did you get into the movie business.

Cindy Van Praag:
Sure. Well this all started out in Chicago and you know I went to med school and got my M.D. and went to residency in anesthesiology in Chicago well so I spent about nine years in Arizona as a partner of a large anaesthesia group. It was M.D. owned. So it was pretty fantastic but then moved to Houston for family reasons and did about four years of mobile anesthesia where I would be doing office based anesthesia or surgeons in their office which is a whole nother ballgame. About two years ago however I I moved on into the ketamine business so I opened up a business with a business partner who's a nurse and it's spring center of hope and we provide I.V. ketamine infusions for a variety of patients. And I think I have my whole career is kind of built up to this point. I have always been restless. I have always wanted something more. I attended the Sikh conference in Chicago years ago I attended this you know the BHP conference you just mentioned all of these things I think I'm an entrepreneur at heart and I am so fulfilled with this Ketamine Infusion clinic that started about two years ago now now.

Docofalltradez:
So with your office based practice did you start that business or did you did you get. Did you hire into that business.

Cindy Van Praag:
No I hired into that business.

Cindy Van Praag:
And that's that's basically the job that I took when I moved here to Houston and I worked with a great doctor who owns mobile anesthesiologists of Houston and so and together we did a lot of cases in office.

Docofalltradez:
So did you learn your business acumen through that practice.

Cindy Van Praag:
I think I honestly just learned it on the job. My husband is not a doctor which is great because he complement me and he is such a business minded fellow that I think I learned a lot from him and he's really supported me this whole time so I just learn on the job and when I say on the job I mean I've been with this spring's center Pope I just jumped right in and I learned this as I went.

Docofalltradez:
That's amazing. What gave you the courage to take the finals the final leap if you will.

Cindy Van Praag:
I was done being restless. I was done trying to search for what. What am I gonna do. What is my business going to be. Should I stay open a wellness center should I do this. I do that. And really the opportunity came along when my business partner had a family member. A 15 year old girl suicidal

Cindy Van Praag:
Who I knew personally and multiple multiple attempts almost successful many times and her psychiatrist told her and the mom he pretty much stood up as Hansen said I don't know what else to do for you.

Cindy Van Praag:
So the mom basically found through online research ketamine as an alternative and so we watch this transition or of this girl who is almost she's just lifeless to now.

Cindy Van Praag:
She's another person. It was a 180. So that's what really sparked you know my business partner and I saw that and we're like you know what we can do this. Absolutely we can set this up and save people's lives. And so I really have a heart for. Even though I'm in my background as an anesthesiology man.

Cindy Van Praag:
I have a heart for these mental health people that come in especially the suicidal patients you know and that just gives me chills because I think all of us got into medicine ultimately though to want to help people and I feel like at least in anaesthesia I'm not sure how you feel about this. Me personally sometimes I'm not sure if I'm helping people or not. You know some some days you just kind of go through the whole day and and I feel like I've accomplished nothing but you know it sounds like your work has purpose and meaning and you actually can see your your efforts and the lives that you're changing.

Cindy Van Praag:
Right. Right. And I used to think anesthesiology was perfect for me because I'm an introvert by nature. And so I thought Oh this is great. You know I interview the patient I talk to them for 10 15 minutes and then I put them to sleep. And so my only interaction has to be with the surgeon and the staff in the operating room but I guess as

Cindy Van Praag:
As time goes on I realize I do want more interaction with my patients and I do want to talk with them and I'm I'm there for each infusion that we do at our clinic and so I am very bald and I talk nonstop now. So we're being an introvert. I am I'm a different person now.

Docofalltradez:
Yeah. You know I would have never guessed that about you know when I met you in Austin you were very open I felt very comfortable talking to you didn't feel like you were guarded at all.

Cindy Van Praag:
That's great. Good.

Docofalltradez:
So you kind of I mean you let into a couple of my questions but let's let's back up a little bit and first you give me a one I want indication for academy clinic but basically again let's let's take a step back. So most of the audience is gonna be physicians there'll be some physicians though aren't really familiar with ketamine. So basically what is ketamine and what is it used for and how does it work right.

Cindy Van Praag:
So Ketamine has been around for over 60 years. It's I know it well from the operating room. So we use that as an anesthetic as an adjunct to our anaesthesia. It is also used in emergency rooms for. Acute pain control for setting you know let's say just location setting a bone. So E.R. docs are very familiar with it. And also it's been used on the battlefield and I think that's where it started.

Cindy Van Praag:
It's a drug that doesn't cause respiratory depression it doesn't cause a drop of blood pressure is actually a very safe drug to use in a situation like the battlefield for example when you can't monitor the patient as well. So it's been it has a long history of use in those three areas.

Docofalltradez:
Now the dose that you use in an anesthetic is much much higher than what you're using in your clinic Correct.

Cindy Van Praag:
Correct yeah. So I if I use a dos