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Family Chiropractic Center
September 2023
Chariton Area Chamber/Main Street is proud to feature one of our local contributing businesses in the monthly Small Business Spotlight.
This month, we got the inside scoop on Family Chiropractic Center from Dr. Hirschy. Read on to learn how Dr. Hirschy got into chiropractic care and how he continually strives to provide the best care for his patients.
What is your job title and role?
Dr. Larry D. Hirschy. My wife Connie, and we are the owners of the Family Chiropractic Center in Chariton. We have three employees; Barbara Rich, Sarah Mackey, and Angie Richard.
How long have you been in business in Chariton? Are you the first owner or is it a generational business?
We opened our office on September 1, 1985, following the purchase of the practice of Dr. Leo Boyce of Chariton. We have been in full-time practice in Chariton since then. We are the first owners of the Family Chiropractic Center.
Describe your business
We provide full-service Chiropractic health care to the residents of Lucas and surrounding counties. My specialty is Chiropractic Orthopedics which is a non-surgical treatment of nerve, bone, muscle, and ligament disorders and or injuries. We utilize manipulative and non-manipulative care, in addition to physio-therapy procedures including laser therapy. We also utilize nutritional consultations and treatment regarding a variety of human ailments.
Why do you do what you do?
In today’s society especially since COVID-19, health care has taken on a new dimension. It is not just about taking pain pills or surgical procedures, or prescription drugs. There are many more alternative medicine health care procedures today including laboratory testing, saliva testing, and mineral and toxic metal testing of hair samples. There is a resurgence of herbal treatments including diet, exercise, and meditation. Ultimately, the patient has to be more responsible for their own health and with that comes an increase in knowledge and application of that knowledge. Chiropractic health care is the third largest health profession in the world. What was referred to as quackery with no scientific basis has now become mainstream and Chiropractors have been leading that change since 1895.
Was there a specific moment or realization where you made the decision to start your own business?
I wanted to be a Doctor since I was 10 years old. I did not want to do surgery or prescribe prescription medications. I wanted to do hands-on medicine.
What inspires you to keep at it each day?
Practicing Chiropractic Medicine is not just a business. It is a life’s work. With the Lord’s help, it has been a blessing to pray for our patients every day. It is amazing to see the changes in the lives we have been privileged to touch both physically and spiritually over the last 38 years. It has been my dedicated effort to provide the best care I can for my patients or provide them with referrals for care when their conditions do not fall within the realm of my expertise. What keeps me going each day is the realization that I am serving my Lord Jesus Christ by being a servant to the patients He has provided for me to care for.​
Why did you choose Chariton for your business?
I was practicing in Pella and then Connie, my wife, came to the office to work as a Chiropractic Technician. We were married and then the opportunity arose for us to move here to Chariton and open our own office. I was from Southern Iowa and it seemed like a good opportunity. Connie was from Chariton originally and moving back home was a good option. After a lot of prayer and discernment, we made the move.
What are your biggest challenges as a business owner?
I have been fortunate over the years to work with dedicated staff and people who share like visions with me. As with any business, changing laws make health care a challenge, dealing with insurance companies, Medicare, Medicaid, reimbursement rates and overall changes of attitudes regarding health care in general provide some stressful days. Many Doctors have actually dropped all provider insurance relations and have gone to strictly cash services.
What are your biggest rewards?
The biggest rewards are to see people get well, enjoy life, return to health, and pass their newfound knowledge on to others that health care should be about health care not about sick care. Not just physically but mentally, spiritually and emotionally.
What will people get from your business that they won't get anywhere else?
The people we are privileged to see will get personalized health care not a cookie-cutter approach. We will listen to their problems and make recommendations to fit their individual situations. There may be recommendations for exercises, nutritional supplements, spinal manipulation, physio-therapy or referral for care not provided at our center. They will be met with warm caring people who truly care for them and their families. Babies, children teenagers, young adult to senior adult.
Visit and learn more about Family Chiropractic Center at:
